Now panic and freak out.
Once again, it's been a while.
A lot of news since the last time I posted. I will attempt brevity.
U.K. trip was amazing, though too short this time. Also, strangely, very hot. I wasn't expecting July weather in England in April. Should've brought shorts. Thank you, global warming.
At least two of my gigs (and one open mic I did) can be said to have "killed", and at least one other gig blessed me with true rock-star treatment from the host. I also found time to see the brilliant and terrifying The Woman in Black in the West End with nuala. I don't think I've ever been that scared at a stage play before, and I've certainly never seen a live-theatre audience react like that to a play before. That's the way to do a ghost story, people. The scares were so brilliantly set up and executed. There's a movie version with Daniel Radcliffe coming out next year; I don't know whether to look forward to it or dread it as a potential travesty.
I generally don't buy souvenirs when I travel, but I scored myself a KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON poster, too.
And while in London, I landed a new lady.
Yes, I know. When will I learn? When? I know long-distance relationships almost never work. If only I could find somebody in Toronto who's compatible with me and is willing to keep me around for more than a few months, maybe I wouldn't put so much stock in women from other countries.
The irony is that this one's Canadian. Grew up in Mississauga, in fact, but has lived in London for thirteen years now. I spent most of the trip trying to score with another Brit girl and ended up getting somewhat more deeply involved with a Canadian expat. I met her at my last gig, and it derailed both of our weekend plans... the rest of the trip turned out to be a thirty-six-hour date, during which I persuaded her to come to Manchester with me with no argument.
This one's not verbally abusive, obsessive or hypercritical in any way, just so you know. She works a lot in community theatre (in both London and Paris) and is a big fantasy/sci-fi reader. We've been keeping in touch via Facebook, expensive phone calls and Skype. (Well, I still haven't figured out how to get my mic to work on Skype...) I will likely be going back to London later this year just to visit her, and she's trying to make plans to visit Toronto as soon as she gets some other stuff sorted out.
Oh, and I finally moved. Last weekend.
New pad is giving me serious deja vu, because it's very similarly laid out to my last one, and I've furnished it almost exactly the same way. Much better, though. Four working elevators. Great view of the downtown skyline, if from quite a distance. Management that actually responds when you have a problem or question. Awesome water pressure in the shower and bath. In the neighbourhood of buildings, there's a pub, a Hasty Market, a drug store and a club with a gym and swimming pool that's free for all residents. My only real complaints are that it has one of those balconies that seriously attracts pigeons, leading to bird crap all over; and that the management office is open only from 9-5 on weekdays for some reason. And I'm seriously missing the luxury of being able to walk almost anywhere I want downtown, instead having to rely on the goddamn TTC once again. Overall, though, it's many steps up from the shithole slum I just came from.
A lot of news since the last time I posted. I will attempt brevity.
U.K. trip was amazing, though too short this time. Also, strangely, very hot. I wasn't expecting July weather in England in April. Should've brought shorts. Thank you, global warming.
At least two of my gigs (and one open mic I did) can be said to have "killed", and at least one other gig blessed me with true rock-star treatment from the host. I also found time to see the brilliant and terrifying The Woman in Black in the West End with nuala. I don't think I've ever been that scared at a stage play before, and I've certainly never seen a live-theatre audience react like that to a play before. That's the way to do a ghost story, people. The scares were so brilliantly set up and executed. There's a movie version with Daniel Radcliffe coming out next year; I don't know whether to look forward to it or dread it as a potential travesty.
I generally don't buy souvenirs when I travel, but I scored myself a KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON poster, too.
And while in London, I landed a new lady.
Yes, I know. When will I learn? When? I know long-distance relationships almost never work. If only I could find somebody in Toronto who's compatible with me and is willing to keep me around for more than a few months, maybe I wouldn't put so much stock in women from other countries.
The irony is that this one's Canadian. Grew up in Mississauga, in fact, but has lived in London for thirteen years now. I spent most of the trip trying to score with another Brit girl and ended up getting somewhat more deeply involved with a Canadian expat. I met her at my last gig, and it derailed both of our weekend plans... the rest of the trip turned out to be a thirty-six-hour date, during which I persuaded her to come to Manchester with me with no argument.
This one's not verbally abusive, obsessive or hypercritical in any way, just so you know. She works a lot in community theatre (in both London and Paris) and is a big fantasy/sci-fi reader. We've been keeping in touch via Facebook, expensive phone calls and Skype. (Well, I still haven't figured out how to get my mic to work on Skype...) I will likely be going back to London later this year just to visit her, and she's trying to make plans to visit Toronto as soon as she gets some other stuff sorted out.
Oh, and I finally moved. Last weekend.
New pad is giving me serious deja vu, because it's very similarly laid out to my last one, and I've furnished it almost exactly the same way. Much better, though. Four working elevators. Great view of the downtown skyline, if from quite a distance. Management that actually responds when you have a problem or question. Awesome water pressure in the shower and bath. In the neighbourhood of buildings, there's a pub, a Hasty Market, a drug store and a club with a gym and swimming pool that's free for all residents. My only real complaints are that it has one of those balconies that seriously attracts pigeons, leading to bird crap all over; and that the management office is open only from 9-5 on weekdays for some reason. And I'm seriously missing the luxury of being able to walk almost anywhere I want downtown, instead having to rely on the goddamn TTC once again. Overall, though, it's many steps up from the shithole slum I just came from.