Downtown shooting
Someone (1 person) or someones (4 people) shot up my old college today (Dawson College in Downtown Montreal). Hitting 2, 4 or more students and may or may not be in the building and may or may not have escaped by the subway station that's IN the school (you'd think the police would have blocked that exit). 1 was gunned down by police, 1 commited suicide, one is still in the school? It happenned a little afternoon and stupid office people are speculating. I now officially don't like the three people that felt the need to come into the customer service office to see if we'd heard. Fuck the fuck off! Let us get the local news later so we get a slightly less millionth-hand version thankyouverymuch.
I saw one woman calling out to spread the news even more. When she saw me looking annoyed she said she's worried because she's a parent (and I'm not?) and her kids might be in the region. But the only way for her kids to be 45-minutes across the island is for them to have been abducted. And even then they'd maybe be in the mall next door with their abducter buying hairdye and new clothes. I hate that shit, there's no way in hell she knows anyone who knows anyone that goes to that English-language college. She's just someone who hears stuff and spreads it like a desease, a perpetual telephone player. She even goes to a psychic to get celebrity gossip (because the psychic does her mojo on celebrities). Guess there's no confidentiality agreement on that shit, huh?
Anyway, the whole world went insane on Labor Day weekend and I haven't been able to find my footing since. The only good thing was that I saw everyone but the dead on my 'people-i-miss list'. Wrote this to on of my friends on the tuesday after:
There are levels of tired and today is worse than regular my-kids-wake-me-up-at-night-and-I-haven't-slept-a-decent-night-in-5-years tired but better than that time I fell asleep standing up at the bar in my ballet class.
I got Antoine off to school alright, with almost all of his supplies and his little packed lunch and got to work only 5 minutes late! I then proceeded to recount The Incident* that was this weekend and generally relax as there is nothing to do. Not an hour later I all of a sudden have torticolis. I also have a pinched nerve in my upper back. Gonna be a fun day.
Friday I played 'el mejor juego de cartas del mundo' with Eve and Vicky.
Saturday went to an épluchette (corn roast where we boil corn) and met an alien. Went to a show where a woman spoke all the lines to 'lean on me' where my brother Gage was supposed to be singing a few songs later. My cousin Zanna who had unexpectadly showed up (yay!) and I were totally out of place because we were heading over to a gay jehova witness' birthday party. Didn't see Gage, he got stuck at a wedding. Ironically, this white guy who looked like David Arquette was the best singer there by far, and brought the house down with a soulful cover of Billy Jean... Also enjoyed one man's tight pants very much. I love the black men in the tighter pants. They have the nicest butts ever. Went to the gayest birthday party not to be held in the village and stood on the balcony with 20 people who were randomly humping our legs (don't ask). Took bets as to when said balcony was going to give out on us. Decided we had put in our hours and wouldn't be missed. Left with a dude named Raja who's gay but doesn't look gay and hates gay parties and doens't want us to tell his friends he's gay. He's arab, he says. Whatever you want, Raj. He immediately called his only gay friend to say he went to a gay party and walked out with straight girls. We stole his lighter while he went to meet whoever. Ziz and I went to have some .99$ pizza and then went to a bar for an hour after where they played the Gypsy King's 'Bamboleio' and then stood in line to buy extra-cheese poutine for at least 30 minutes. Went to my cousin Lucas' house where all three of us ate half of our huge poutines (I didn't know they were twice normal size at 3am, wtf?) and in 5 easy phrases my cousin Lucas went from a little on edge to having lost his mind. After saying he didn't want to be in our family anymore (and that isn't even the insanity part), Zanna walked up the stairs to get her shoes and leave. He ran after her (as I picked up our things), grabbed her by her jaw and throat, slammed her upside down on the steps (still chocking her) and then dragged her down the steps. I didn't have time to intervene, it was seconds. At 5 o'clock we were back at my house wondering how we went from 'Light on soul' to the 'trailer park' as Zanna cried and gasped for breath.
Sunday I had to talk to Zanna's (and Lucas') mother to corroborate her story. Later, hung out with my sister Sara and Zanna; laughed so hard my jaw hurt (but not as much as Zanna's who has bruised and could barely open her mouth, though, obviosuly). I've decided to try to convince Sara and Zanna to start a band together instead of going for seperate carreers (also dared them to put their world famous cheese rap on the album)...
Yesterday I spent most of the day going through pictures for my article and playing with my kids. Went for Supper with Z and S again and decided to stop at Gage's when they were driving me home and try for ambush number two). Had a blast talking for hours about everything (his career and shows and our lives) and nothing (my mom accidentally ate pot cookies last year).
It's the most packed weekend I've had since I was a 15 year-old druggie wandering around town. It was fun to have some real time off the kids and not just the 5 minutes I get when I lock the bathroom door, but I'm not sure I would do it again.
*tm