I always hope for new and interesting things to do when I'm working at the ROM and today I got my wish. Today, for most of the day, I've been emptying the blue envelopes and sorting their contents. Sure, it doesn't sound like much, but it is. I have to run through all the items within, checking the $ totals with the membership forms, sort out the problems when they arrise (I've had some trouble doing that) and get everything to where it has to go. In other words, I spend a lot of time with a furrowed brow and a not insignificant amount of time running around.

At lunch with Cheryl, today, there was a white Neon parking against the curb. We were talking and could hear this sort of computer generated voice, it was quite weird. Suddenly, Cheryl said, "Is that coming from the car?" We stopped beside the Neon and lo ! this is what we heard: "Attention, please, this car is backing up." At that, we both burst into peals of laughter, which probably caused the driver some embarrassment. Silly gadgets.

Rick's coming over tonight and I'm going to cook. I haven't actually cooked anything in a while. Maybe I'll just cop out and buy a ready-made meal. I'm pretty tired. I've got a lot going on and it's only going to get worse. Ya, I think I'll pick up some chicken legs from Dominion and some salad and maybe some ice cream. Nothing fancy, just tasty. Tomorrow I have to go to the bank in order to empty my line of credit. I need all the money I can get in order to get to Philly. This whole venture is going to cost around 600 bucks. I'm definitely not going to make that much back, but if I can sell a couple of originals, plus a few prints, then I can make back some of it, maybe half. It's too late to back out now, I've submitted my convention money.

I watched an older French film with Nick last night called, Mon Oncle. It was delightful and full of subtle sight gags. It's a Jacques Tati film and it was all that Nick said it would be. It's hard to explain, but it was nice.

It was a perfect day and it makes me sad that I had to spend most of it indoors. The sun was shining, the air was sharp and cold, the leaves were rustling down the streets... I love this kind of a day. Maybe this winter won't suck like last year. All the talk about El Nino giving us another hot winter seems to have stopped since this has been most of a month and a half of slightly cooler than usual temperatures. I hope it continues. Call me sentimental, but I do love a white Christmas.

I meant to do stuff today, but it seems I've gotten side-tracked with other things, namely working in Photoshop. I haven't even bothered to shower... heck, I'm still in my nightgown. It's already dark out, my day is half over. Yeesh. It's okay, actually, I'm committing my Christmas card ideas to file and arranging them for printing, tweaking the colours and giving them captions. It's not all a loss.

I've been chatting with the fellow who seems to be the power behind Cool Collecting and it looks like I'll be reviewing Philcon for the site, and possibly Pandemonium when it happens. I might offer up some sci-fi/fan art for the site, too, as he seems to be keen on that idea. Hey, good for me. Now, if only this stuff paid the bills, you know? Oh well, maybe in time. Anyway, Photoshop 7 is just dandy. It's a lot like 6, but has some new handy features and it seems a little better laid out. I'm having fun.

My downstairs neighbour, who lives in the basement, is the landlord's brother. I've never met him, but we put our rent cheque under his door everymonth. Anyway, I'm pretty sure it's him that smokes, and the smells waft up through the vents. He smokes cigarettes, which smell vile, and he partakes of good old marijuana. I never used to be bothered by that smell, it's sort of pleasant, but it's less pleasant when I'm not participating in it. Something I almost never do, anymore. He does it pretty commonly, though, and it's quickly lost it's charm. I can smell it right now, in fact. The fumes were part of the reason why Nick covered his vent with duct tape. I'm thinking about putting a note in his door that says something to the effect of, "Hi, could you crack a window when you smoke up? I don't enjoy it coming through my vents. Thanks from the second floor." It's not very rude, it's not angry, it's just a reminder that there are other people sharing this house and the smoke. I might just do that.

I feel kind of Christmassy today. I'm listening to Handel's Messiah right now. Tanya will be performing it with the choir she's in, and I would love to hear her sing it; however; it conflicts with plans that I already have. Hopefully, Rick and I will be able to go see it performed by the TSO and the Mendelsohn Choir later in December. Few things raise the hair on my neck as much as, "The trumpet shall sound..." I remember once seeing The Messiah performed (as we did every year) at St. George United in north Toronto and feeling very sleepy. I could hardly keep my eyes open, and not because I didn't enjoy it, but I knowing that I couldn't fight it, I whispered to my mother, "Wake me up at the trumpet part." I didn't need to be woken up, I opened my eyes just seconds before it happened. I must have slept through the Hallelujah chorus and everything. I missed most of the second half, I guess, but for the trumpet, I awoke. I think it's sort of symbolic.

WAHOO !!!! Natasha is alive... ALIIIIIVE ! My computer lives ! *cackles insanely*

I've not a lot to report, other than I've put my cheque in an envelope for Philcon in mid December, and have a link to an article about Astronomicon featuring ... me. There's some weird bolding going on around most of my quote, which missed the last paragraph of it, but whatever. I'm mentioned along with a couple of other nifty artists and that makes me feel pretty good. (Aparently this will be fixed soon enough...)

Oh, and I've taken a quizz. Here is the result:


What Was Your PastLife?

"Good morning, good morning ! It's great to stay up late... Good morning, good morning, to you !" Before it was the Viagra commercial, it was a number from Singing in the Rain. It's stuck in my head, and I lamented this fact to Bonnie, a coworker, and she reminded me that it originally came from the movie (not the Viagra commercial) and it's that super number where they dance on the couch. Riiiiight. That doesn't really help get it out of my head, and rather than just the Viagra guy dancing down the street, I now how Gene Kelly dancing on a couch, too. I don't want to associate Gene with Viagra. That's just plain wrong.

Thursday night was the big high-rollin' gala for the opening of Elite Elegance, the new couture exhibit at the ROM. This gorgeous affair was for the big spending members and their friends. Yours Truly volunteered and it was a completely enjoyable experience. I would say that 90% of the people in attendence were extremely polite, incredibly well mannered, and often very nice. The other 10% were nasty, rude, arrogant sons of baguettes - the sort of people who give all rich people a bad name. I had a great time, enjoying the social aspect, the free drinks (yes, on the house, kids), the incredible food (even if the ROM folk had to eat it in Druxy's), the fashion show, music, exhibit, and, of course, dressing up. I could give more details, but it would take too long. Let's just say that I would be happy to work another such event, any time.

On Friday, I smuggled Sandra into the Elite Elegance members' preview despite her not being a member and she enjoyed it thoroughly. Tanya and Chris picked us up from the ROM and we all drove to Sandra's house where Carrie eventually turned up. We discussed the dresses and the possible style variations, etc., and Tanya was nearly in tears at the thought that she could personalise the outfit. "You mean I get to choose?" she gasped with joy. Yes, Tanya, there really is a Santa Claus.

Saturday was the wine tasting at Carrie's parents' house in Lindsay, to which I brought Rick. There were no fireworks between Tanya and Ryan, or Colleen, and the food was delicious. Oh, and the wine was tasty, too. Rick and I went the wrong way and headed a third of the way back to Toronto, finally realising our mistake at the town of Oakwood. One day, I'll make it to Carrie's without getting lost. One day. Rick and I were the last to leave, chatting with Carrie and her family a bit at the end. Al and Carrie both seemed to be happy with what I've got done on their invitation, Al running off to show his parents in the middle of me asking Carrie for suggestions. I'm pretty pleased with it, myself.

Sunday, Rick and I hung out at Mom's enjoying home cooking and the music of Peterborough's new Youth Orchestra. The orchestra was put together by Michael, the PSO's musical director and conductor, only in September and amazingly, they were very good. They played the work of some rather interesting composers, including Bartok, Grieg, and Borodin. This was not your average junior high spring concert. No, this was good stuff. I also managed to get a number of Christmas cards done, which will hopefully be marketed at the Soup and maybe a couple of other places in Toronto.

I have to go to the bank today to get a money order in US funds for Philcon. I have to mail it out this week in order to get the advanced price. I don't actually want to attend the whole show, but it's the only way I can get my art in. If I don't sell well at the show, I'm afraid I'm going to end up in even worse financial shape. On a related note, I've been commissioned to do a fantasy work for Christmas. I said I could, and it's for a friend, but honestly, when am I supposed to get it done? I need the money, though. Granted, I'm probably more expensive than she thinks, and she might not be able to afford me, in which case, I won't worry about it. I'll know by tonight.

Add to that, the fact that I'm probably going to get extra work back out at the front entrance of the museum doing what I used to do, and that's not a whole lot of time. Yes, that's right, it looks very much like Richard's going to get me some hours doing site sales over the holidays. I plan to take a holiday following New Years in order to get a break. There's another convention mid-January, here in Toronto, which I plan to attend, so it will give me time to recover. I'll be selling (and competing with) my dioramas again. Anyway, I have a month to get just about everything done. I'm planning to have the invitations done by this weekend. I have to have prints made this week, three pieces framed next week, and through out this time, I'm going to be working on the commission. Plus, I'll be in Philly for six days and working my ass off. Holy crap.