random bits of news

it's may, and in my family that means it's birthday season. my three sisters celebrate their birthdays all within a month of each other, and i am the odd person out, with a fall birthday. did i mention my two cousins also have their birthdays wedged into this timeframe? it's a busy time of year with lots of cake! today is anna's birthday, happy 29th!

the last couple of weeks have been busy, and i'm enjoying the downtime today, after a pounding headache lastnight. (the recipe for a friday night headache -- no food or liquid until after 10 p.m.) right after work i rode a slow streetcar across queen street to see a dining set i found on craigslist. unfortunately the chairs were wobbly and the table was a little more worn than it appeared in the picture. but i spotted their replacement set and asked them where they got it. this afternoon, i rode a little further east on queen street to this great store in the leslieville strip. i bought this awesome table from the owner who graciously chopped $100 off the listed price without me even asking. it was made in denmark in the 60s. for now it's at the store, and i just need to figure out how to transport it back. i may also get a set of chairs in the store to go with it.

because of my transportation dilemma, i finally signed up for a zipcar membership. my friend kirk has helped me with furniture a couple of times using zipcars, and sent me a "friend" promo code. we both get zipcar credits, and now i can use the zipcars parked nearby. the scary thing is, i haven't driven in a while and will need some big time practice to get comfortable. have i also mentioned that i've never driven downtown?

earlier this week, nancy's soccer team has their first game of the season at bmo field! i went down to hang out with her and nols, but all i really wanted to do was have a chance to kick the ball around, and on a pro soccer field no less. i was surprised to see that the grass is just astroturf. really bizarre, but still an interesting surface to play on. not much slipping and sliding, and no wet shoes. there were security guards all over and they scolded nolan for bringing his bike in, which was ridiculous. the professional sized field is not as big as i thought it would be, but i was still very excited to be there. i will definitely attend their final game there as well.

in other news, craig bought a new drumkit at the moog store after work this week. he went home and played on it all night while nancy was at work. when nancy came home and called out, no one answered. she found him in the solarium pounding away on the new toy and watched him for a while. when he happened to glance around, it scared the crap out of him and he may have screamed like a girl. just like this other time nancy scared him. i had to tell the story, because i thought it was the funniest thing that happened all week.

here's a really cute video of craig's nephew cole