This article in today’s paper is doing little to strengthen my resolve:

I like our condo. I still think we got a very good deal on the place, and it has everything we were looking for in a home and more. The location is central, we’re handling the super-crazy mega mortgage admirably, and it feels like home.

.. and I would move back to the North Shore in half a second if the opportunity arose.

We both miss living in North Vancouver. When we were looking for a place to buy and filled with serious loathing for the Drunken Kappa Phi frat house we lived in, we tried really hard to stay on the North Shore – but there just wasn’t anything available. So, Sparta is where we ended up and it really is great .. BUT. As close as we ARE to the North Shore, it’s not the same – and every time we’re over there, I am pained. I want to live in North Vancouver again. I loved living there right up until the last 6 months or so, when everything went bad all at once. Ed and I were out and about one day when he asked me “If we ever had the opportunity, would you want to move back to the North Shore?” – and he hadn’t even gotten the whole question out when I said “Fuck yes”. I’m a little more ambitious about it, I think – Ed says “maybe in 5 years or so”, whereas I’m thinking “so, spring of 2012? Let’s do it!”. I used to have a bad habit of moving every two years like clockwork – having to wait 5 years seems impossible to me. I rarely plan that far out in advance; I have a hard enough time dealing with next Tuesday.

We’ll be back on the North Shore before long; I can feel it. Not that I’m not happy now, but look at the article – I could only be happier, and that’s all I really want out of life. Happiness, and a pug. That’s not too much to ask.

It’s funny how one word can make an entire song run though my head, willingly or not:

We scooted down Broadway on Thursday night, and there was a sign above my head marking the power line. Right on cue, Jem starts up in my head and doesn’t go away for several hours. This morning in the lab, I am having power issues – as in, I have none and I can’t find our desktop person and/or want to crawl around on my knees to jury-rig a solution. Oh look – she’s got the power, power, she’s got the power, power power, she’s got the power ..

I just figured I should share the love, is all.

My weekend was a sandwich – a slice of fun between two pieces of utter suck. Thanks to a brutal headache, I spent Friday night wallowing on the couch and feeling sorry for myself. The assortment of drugs I took (and the promise of a Mexican Scramble from Deacon’s Corner with extra salsa) made things all better, and I was up bright and early on Saturday so I could head over to Railtown to make buttons with Reilly and Shan. We crafted for several hours, then it was home for a quick nap before I both re- and undressed for the evening: a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity at Dulcinea Chocolate Cafe on Denman, where My Friend Lisa (aka Shan and Reilly and sometimes Darren) was playing their first live show. It was a great evening with music from both MFL and Freddie of The Autumn Portrait, who led us all in a singalong and on whom I now harbour a secret crush (the tweet about knee pads? yeah, I was totally trying for creepy). Also, Dulcinea does some amazing things with chocolate – we’ll be back for sure.

It was past 11 and food was required, so we packed things up and headed out into the night. To my dismay, Vera’s was closed so most of the gang went to a random Mediterranean place featuring meat on kebabs. I wasn’t really feeling the place though, so I made Ed take me to Donair Dude on Davie before heading home for some late night meat and well-earned indigestion.

I meant to do a thousand things on Sunday, but oh hey look at this awesome headache. Another day spent on the couch and a to-do list a mile long, and it’s Monday again – how does this happen? Ed’s off to Alberta this week for Important Insurance Business, so I have the house to myself and a bunch of fun plans – here’s hoping my stupid headache does not get in the way of anything, or I will be pissed.

Reminder to myself and also for other people who are nerds: the Pac-Man Moleskine series launches tomorrow, and The Autumn Project‘s new album drops which you should check out.

When I woke up yesterday morning, I thought to myself “Self, your life is pretty awesome. You have a good job that whips you into a murderous froth only sometimes, someone to shower naked with, fun people for Good Times, and the sweetest scooter this side of Quadrophenia. But you know what – I bet, deep down, something is missing.” My inner dialogue was correct – something WAS missing. But what?

After some serious thinking, I determined that I wasn’t missing just one thing from my life – there were TWO wet gaping holes in my soul that needed to be filled; hard and fast.

What could be missing from my life, you wonder? I admit that, at first glance, I have everything I could possibly need: a home, food to eat, pills that keep me sane, a thousand things that go boop and beep – but .. well .. have you ever woken up in the morning and thought you might just waste away and DIE if you went one more day in this life without purple hair?

I have.

So, now I have purple hair.

i am what ate gilbert grape

I’m not exactly sure what level of decorum I expected from a colour called “Lusty Lavender”, but here we are. It’s Asian Purple, of course – obvious in bright light; slightly odd looking otherwise. My horrible roots and weird natural highlights did wonders with this dye – I was too chicken to use the bleach and just dyed my hair as is, and it came out super. I’m going to give it another coat tonight (I think I could be more purple), but I’m rather pleased with the outcome. My hair had been bothering me for weeks but I had no time to deal with my faded red and white roots. Last night I sucked it up and dove in, and now I am a grape. Hooray!

The other thing missing from my life: a talking anthropomorphic edamame bean that only speaks Japanese:

i wish i knew how to quit and/or understand you

Sweet, satisfied bliss. I am content. And purple.

I would like a kitten, though.