Just a bunch of yakkin'.

I was working at Granville Island today, at the flower shop, and, as usual, was working outside so tourists were asking many questions all day long. And mostly not about plants or flowers. Mostly asking for directions to washrooms, restaurants and other and sundry sights. Except for these two American ladies who came to me, (me?), to let me, (me?), know that there was a backpack left all alone around the corner of our shop. They felt compelled to inform someone and were obviously too afraid to touch it. My heart went out to those dear ladies, who spend the majority of their time in a country paralyzed by THE FEAR instilled in them every single day by their very own government and media. Tsk tsk. I went and got the backpack and looked inside. Sneakers and a bicycle helmet. Took it to lost and found. Poor, poor Americans. Then someone, a Canadian, for Chrissakes, said that they were very afraid of backpacks now. Sigh. Can we just get on with things, people? Either something will happen or it won't, but we aren't serving ourselves or each other by living with pervasive low grade fear. Concentrate on being kind and aware and taking care of yourself and your loved ones.

Now I'm home and I have to say, I'm not enjoying my home anymore. Doesn't really seem like MY home. Feels cramped, claustrophobic and like there's nowhere to be unless I want to be sleeping or watching TV. And if I'm watching TV, it's never anything I want, so that's pretty much out. These days it's the Tour de Franced, all the time. As many times a day as it's broadcast, that's how much it's on our TV. And I just couldn't care less.

Any day now Paul is getting out of here, and it can't come a second too soon. No space anywhere. For moving or thinking or anything. I keep walking into furniture and tripping over things, it's like there's little pathways everywhere just to get around. I need a home where I can lie down on the floor sometimes. I love lying around on the floor. Reading the paper all spread out, stretching, whatever. I love it even more when I'm where my dog is. She lives with my mum in the country, and always when I visit there I immediately get down on the floor with her and snuggle up. She's huge, a great pyrenees/golden retriever cross we think. She likes it when she's lying on her side for me to lie on my back with my head on her tummy. Or cross legged next to her giving her a good brushing. Which inevitably leads to bagloads of dog hair. She is the furriest creature ever. I'm going up there on Tuesday so I'll get some cuddle time in with her soon. Hooray!

Yesterday one of the guys who runs a comedy night in town called and asked me to be on his show. I had to turn it down because I'll be out of town, but I like this business of people asking me to be on shows. Itsa nicea.

My baby brother has gone back out on tour as Ben Harper's videographer. It's only for three weeks, but I miss the hell out of him. I can't believe how blessed I am to have a brother like him and for us to be so close. I think I'm closer to him than to anyone else. I totally adore him. I don't like the idea of living in different cities, so we're kind of talking about moving back east together sometime in the next couple of years. It would serve both of our careers, I think, and a change would do both of us a world of good. It'd be hard, though, as well, to be so far away from our sainted mother. I'm not sure what our stepmum would do, she's not sure how much is in Vancouver for her if we're not here, but I'll warrant that in a couple of years she'll have found her own groove here.

Anyway, Ben Harper played here on Tuesday night, good show. Really good show. He and the band came into town on Monday so my brother and I got to spend a really laid back day with Ben on Tuesday. It was totally lovely. We had lunch and took Ben to look at bicycles and wandered around. We yakked and yakked about family and comedy and love and children and performing. About the three of us needing to keep the family ties tied. It was interesting to talk about performing with Ben, because we are on such different scales, but have so many of the same feelings about it. Neato.

I just got out of the shower and now I'm itchy as hell. What do you think that's about? I think I'll go walk around.

So, I kind of miss you guys commenting, so I'm thinking I'll turn the feature back on, but with the membership filter. You'd have to join to comment, and I guess I probably have to approve your membership. In fact, I think I'll go do that right now.

Also, I'm thinking of giving up my Friendster membership. I never, ever look at it. Ever. Unless I get an email saying someone wants to be my friend. It seems misleading to stay on there. Plus, I can't have so many email addresses, and a blog, and friendster, and flickr and whatever else I'm supposed to join and keep up with. I think it's different if you are in front of your computer more of the time, like all day at your desk, but, for me, and, I suspect, others like me, it's a bit too much time consumption just keeping up with everyone's activity. I'm thinking of going back to one email address, a landline with an old school answering machine, and that's it. Thinking of it. Juuuuuust thinking.

x
r.