Cleanup & Socialisation.

Okay, I'm an ass sometimes.

One of the times I'm most often an ass is when I pre-judge things.

These are lead-in statements to say that I finally went to Korean Movie Monday at Chris' place, and it rocked. There were so many people I liked there that it was insane. Juggler showed up with a bunch of corn from his front yard. Chris is always wonderful. Angus, Tyler, Eugene, Beth-- I don't get to see them much, and they were all there. Meg, Sophie, Graham, Ryan, oh, bother-- there were a ton of interesting people I've known or not known to varying degrees, some of whom I spoke more with. Meg and I have the best plan ever to do some stuff soon.

The movie was superbly not-standard-white-person fare, I'm sure Chris or someone will comment on it in lj better than I could. Regardless, it the whole thing was an awesome experience, and I'm pretty well addicted.

I'd been saying I wouldn't like it because it was 'too social', but bah! It was the kind of social I love.

This morning, I emptied the broken dresser in the closet and my roommate helped me haul it out to the curb. There's a ton more airspace in my room now, cause I moved some stuff from my room to the closet. It's time, I think, to get out the winter comforter.

I'm bundling up clothes, though I'm not doing a comprehensive enough job. I need to get rid of a bit more. Eh, maybe I just need to put some of it on hangars? My pretty-dress-up-play clothes, all the frillies and long skirts and satiny bits and lacy bits, make up maybe 2/5 of the clothing I own. And, like I said repeatedly tonight, "these jeans I'm wearing, I made them when I was like, 13". In other words, turnover on even my only-mildly-pretty stuff

Rat cage is scrubbed, tomorrow is fish-water-changing day.

In between the two abovementioned activities, I visited with Tillie, ate wonderful stew, and thrift-shopped a bit with her and her ex-roommate (that's a different one). I got something pretty to wear to BIO, and I only had to chop the total chest-over-breast circumference down by 5" to make it fit perfectly!

Next BIO I have a date with Tillie and Devon. Looking forward to it. Yay awesome girls! Actually, yay all the awesome people in my life. Angus made a sappy I-love-you-all post tonight, so I can't do one (it seems to happen monthly for me) but I'll do a too-tired happy/smug/triumphant sorta post. You guys all rock so much. :)

See you around.

My Titles Have Degenerated Lately.

They tend to be monosyllables, like "huh" or "hey", or just really boring statements, like so. Oh, well. My life is less interesting right now, I think. Fall-Greenie is never quite as interesting; she's too busy doing boring stuff. I don't build boats in the fall, nor do I obtain ridiculous numbers of plants or pets, read cool books, or go on interesting trips.

I start most of my longish relationships in the fall, though. I tidy my house and fill out forms. I get in the line and go to places on time, though my initiative at making new things to go to fails. I get annoyingly analytical (like so). I need to get to a park and spend some time on the swings.

My rats are so damn cute.

Did I tell you that I'm scared to do this permaculture thing? As I was telling mom, usually when I want something really badly I shrug it off as impossible and go off and do something else. Sometimes I'll do moderately hard things, like the greenhouse, but there's been nothing of this magnitude that I've set my mind to before. As a consequence, it's very frightening; not because I could fail to get it, which would be what happened if I didn't go for it, but because I could actually go do it.

And, really, what then? I may or may not have said this back when I made the greenhouse, but having a greenhouse is what I've always wanted. Sure, I want a permanent greenhouse I can fit tree-fruit in, but that's just sort of an embellishment. I've always wanted a greenhouse, and now I have one. When I made it, a string that had been tugging at me for a long time was cut. You just cannot replace a goal that you've had since you were eight-- it would take over a decade to replace that level of wanting something. So, what do you do? You pick up your life, you keep going, you stick in some goals...

...and here I've found myself a ridiculous goal. It's utterly silly. I dress myself up in superhero fabric, I steal from Johnny Appleseed, I take on wings and a halo and come down from the heavens and Do Good. And... these things are lining up. There's a group in Vancouver dedicated to 'relocalising', which is to help make things locally-sufficient for the populace. There's this apprenticeship which, with the help I can call in, I may be able to afford (barely). There's my experience running a business. There's sheer timing. Chop, chop, chop, the things fall in line...

...and then what? I mean, what if I actually do this, put in a good couple of years, get things rolling? Then maybe conventional school? Ecology, environmental science, those are permaculture-y areas?

Then there's nowhere left to go with that area of my life. I mean, all that's left is to keep plugging along, not escalating. But, it'll be... oh, man, how do I say this? It won't make me happy. It's something I want and need to do, it's awesome, it's amazing, OMFG I COULD DO THIS!!!1!!1!1oneone. But I've learnt the art of being happy, and it's the act of doing those things, rather than the outcome or the specifics, that will create my happiness.

This is where I'm scared, and puzzled: it's the habit of doing the things I want to do, rather than doing the things themselves, that make me happy. It's creating the push, putting my shoulder to a weight and watching it sail across the floor, and that makes me sane regardless of the weight -- as long as the weight is something I want. So where does it end? I mean, it kind of means that finishing all this stuff will leave me unhappy again, right?

And way back up there, as I was typing, I thought that, and my mind seagued into, "well, then I can have kids and..." and I thought, I used to do this with my relationships, and now I sit comfy in my relationships and do this with the rest of my life. It's almost-kinda like I can hook the energy up to one facet at a time.

This post is getting too long, and I don't wanna think through that last statement too much, though, so I shall bid you adieu for now. T'care.

UBC APPLE FEST

UBC Apple Festival

October 15 and 16, 2005
11am to 4pm
Located throughout the grounds of the Botanical Garden
Free admission

Quote, my bold:
( Read more... )

http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/events/applefest.php

One Last Event

I mentioned relocalisation in the first post this morning. This is a direct yank-and-paste.

Relocalisation Meeting Scheduled for
2pm to 5pm on Saturday the 17th
At Radha yoga and Eatery
728 Main Street, Vancouver

Please Contact Philip Be’er for more details:
PhilipATbeernecessities.org

Everyone is welcome to join us at Radha to ORGANISE our PROACTIVE RESPONSES to the effects of Climate Change and Peak Oil.

PLEASE PASS THIS INVITATION ON TO INTERESTED GROUPS INDIVIDUALS AND MEDIA

At the last meeting we were introduced to the concept of relocalisation by Julian Darley and in groups we explored scenarios of a post-carbon world.

On Saturday September 17, 2005, we will discuss where to start with our individual and group responses and will take the first steps towards allocating organizational responsibilities in this new Relocalisation Network.

Reminder:

Please try to bring two friends, family members or associates to the meeting who live within easy walking distance of your home, so that we can start to seed community where we live.

For more on the concept of seeding community – please consider attending Permaculture Strategies in a World of Declining Fossil Fuel with David Holmgren this Saturday afternoon at UBC hosted by the Vancouver Permaculture Network. http://www.alternatives.com/vpn/

Hurricane Katrina has spotlighted many things that are relevant to the work that we are undertaking. On today’s Democracy Now webcast (web radio, web TV and text options) there is extensive coverage of the role that citizens are playing by rescuing and by caring for their fellow citizens, and in the rebuilding of the city of New Orleans. (Tuesday, September 6th, 2005 - New Orleans Residents Rescue Their Neighbors in Absence of Government Response - http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/06/149240)

For a perspective on how the effects of the hurricane is bringing attention to the growing fuel crisis, take a look at: YOU BET YOUR LIFE By Michael C. Ruppert - http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/090205_bet_life.shtml

Philip Be'er

Be'er Necessities Sustainable Solutions

http://www.beernecessities.org

*Access to this venue is, unfortunately, not possible for motorised wheelchairs because of the staircase. People with mobility disabilities who can be assisted up the stairs and whose wheelchairs can be brought upstairs will find, ironically, that once inside, the facility is designed to be accessable. My intention over the medium term is to encourage meetings in accessible locations and this should become easier as we split into smaller working groups.

Eventfall (haha)

Sept 15 Sustainable Societies discussion, free admission, especifically discussing the Edo period of Japan which was a very sustainable, locally-oriented period with high population and culture. 7:30 PM. Unitarian church 949 W 49th ave.

Sept 17 Are any of my friends making lanterns this week? http://www.publicdreams.org/2005lights.htm

The Straight has an article that ends with-- free beekeeping stuff? http://straight.com/content.cfm?id=12590

Sept 18 Mid-Autumn Moon Festival celebration at the Sun Yat-Sen Gardens, by donation, Sept 18th. Dancing, drumming, neat culturey stuff. http://www.vancouverchinesegarden.com/events.html#special_events and scroll down some.

Oct 4, Sept 18 There are Australian and Chilean wine tasting thingies.

Sept 17-18 It's the time of year for fairs. I used to show my dog at these when I was in elementary school, but they're just fun generally. This one has a kite making workshop as well as the normal other stuff. Ellen, are you into this? http://www.gvrd.bc.ca/countrycelebration/

Sept 22 Car free festival in gastown.

Inimitable

The scent of tomatoes being sauced on the stove, faintly caramel-y, rich, sweet, is inimitable.

Together with some organic ground beef, some chili pepper, and an undecided other spice or two (Lovage and pepper for traditional? Carrot and more chili for sweet and hot? Garlic?) these will make me a pasta sauce of the type where I eat half sauce and half pasta, instead of pasta with a colourful liquid garnish.

I've got a chicken out of the freezer for tomorrow's supper.

Eating well makes me so happy. There are lots of excuses I use to not do it, but I've realised: I never go to sleep directly after I get home, so I always have time to cook. Juggler or any random friend can come over here and share my supper, and then we can if desired go elsewhere, so I don't need to give up social activities to cook. I have bacon in the fridge and big tomatoes outside, I had the chicken in the freezer, there is food around to eat (though, Chris, you should bring more bacon and we should have a BLT fest in the next two weeks sometime. Does anyone else like BLTs?)

Tillie is making Real Food at her house too, as a socialish sort of thing, so I'm gonna try and get in on that. That way, food becomes actual social impetus.

Dude.

Wednesday, and I'm looking for hanging-out people in the evening. Ellen, it's your noon-availability that's doing it.

Chris? Tillie? Anyone else kinda snuggly and maybe free? I'm looking to chat and snuggle.