Man, is it ever hot today! I came into the office to pick up a plant that someone gave to me and it turns out that the air conditioner doesn't turn on over the holidays. I thought that, at least here anyway, I would be safe and cool. Wrong! It's just as hot in here as it is outside.

I am guessing that just about everyone on the planet has heard about the fires that are burning all over the province of British Columbia. Here is a video report from last Tuesday in case you haven't. Things have calmed down a bit but there are still concerns. Here is some more recent video footage showing how that is going to put a damper on Labour Day activities.

My friend suggests that it is just regeneration that is happening on the planet and even though it is a disaster, it is just evolution. That makes total sense. Perhaps this is true of global warming as well...

Anyway, it's getting a little hot in this office so I am going to finish this up now. Just wanted to let you know that the quest for simplification is still going on and that I hope to hell that I can stick with it before everything goes by the wayside. I am almost finished but am quickly getting bored with the whole thing.

Take care and see you in cyberspace sometime soon.

Oh! I almost forgot... While going through all of my belongings, I have come across a blank postcard that I obtained somewhere and was wondering if any one of you out there would like to have a picture postcard of the World Trade Center buildings in New York while they were still standing. I would gladly send it to anyone who wanted it and was hoping to make a little contest out of it. So, if you are interested, I'd appreciate you leaving a comment consisting of a paragraph or two stating why you would like it as well as an interesting story about a famous landmark anywhere in the world. I will make my decision and email the lucky winner to ask their postal address so that I can send a rare, handwritten message to them on a postcard that is somewhat of a rarity. So, show us your creativity and your literary prowess by leaving a comment! Cheers! (late addition...I will set September 11 as the deadline for this contest. please write before then...ciao!)

I cannot believe how busy it has been at the office this week and last. Usually, I am dying to have work to do because it is pretty slow. However, this week, we are madly soliciting for people to host for an extremely large group of international students for a short time in September.

I feel like I should just duct tape the telephone receiver to my head so that I can talk, write and type at the same time. We don't have a head set in the office so I cannot even use that. It sucks really...

I am so glad that it is a long weekend here this weekend. I don't really know why they call it Labour Day because really all I want to do is sit around and do nothing. I guess it's time to put all of my white shoes away and think about bringing my jacket in the morning.

If I get the chance, I will venture out to the cyber cafe and write another witty update. Sorry for the sparseness recently but I just haven't had the time or the energy to do anything here. I still haven't finished up the room cleaning of the decade so hopefully, I will manage to get that done this weekend. I'd better because if I have to be any more domestic than I have become over the last two weeks, I will have to start hiring myself out as a maid...

Have a great weekend and if you've got anything to share, I would be glad to hear it! Cheers!

I don't know about you, but if I were Whitney, I would be dumping that no good husband of mine. I can understand one mistake but this is getting ridiculous!

By the way, do you think if we stopped being so interested in news like this that it would no longer be a big deal?

Does anyone else out there see the humour in the fact that Mick Jagger has the flu? Here he is doing a SARS benefit in Toronto, and then he gets sick. Do you think the press are covering up that he actually contracted SARS while performing there? That would just be too ironic...

Not that I have much time, but a while back, I mentioned my friend's restaurant in Toronto. He emailed the other day and forwarded a review from the Toronto Star. Sounds good and makes me wish I was there.

Congratulations Isaac!

I will write again later. Just wanted to share this with you all! And if you are in Toronto, check it out and say hi from Lola!

Cheers!

It's almost the weekend and I am still working on simplifying my life and ridding myself of unwanted possessions. Yesterday, it was photos.

I am one of those people who just create piles of things and leave them until one day when I cannot stand to look at them. So, yesterday, I tackled this big box of photos that I have collected over the years and tried to organize them and file them into albums. Luckily, I stuck to the task and managed to get most of them into albums. Now, all I have to do is go through the miscellaneous bits and put them into some sort of order.

Now all I have left to do with photographs is that final bit with the colour work and to consolidate the photos that I took during my classes last year...

And still, I have loads to go through before the project is done. I would like to have it completed by the end of this weekend. So, if you don't hear from me for a while, you know where I am... in my room... cleaning.

Wow! It took just over 75 minutes to rid myself of 20 odd years of my life. I shredded letters and journals that I have stockpiled for some reason that I know cannot remember. Perhaps I thought that someday, someone who wrote to me would be famous. And the truth is that each and every one of them held some important meaning in my life. Some I do not see anymore yet I am thankful that I have known them.

Sometime soon I will pay homage to them on this site, however, what I would like to do right now is post the list of vinyl records that I have that need a new home. If you are interested, you can email me and we can negotiate a price. (I find those online auction sites too much trouble.) Otherwise, they will find their way to a used record store. So here goes! (No laughter please...I have very eclectic tastes)

Records for sale:

Dead or Alive
*You Spin Me Round (like a record) 12”Single

David Sylvian
*Brilliant Trees (UK)
*Words with the Shaman (UK) 12” single
*Plight & Premonition (UK) 12” single
*Red Guitar (UK) 12” single
*Orpheus (UK) 12” single
*Silver Moon (UK) 12” single

Japan
*Special Edition Five Song extended play (I second that emotion/European Son/Life in Tokyo/Stateline/Adolescent Sex)
Oil on Canvas (double album)
*Tin Drum
*Quiet Life
*Assemblage
*Adolescent Sex
*Obscure Alternatives (Japan)
*Nightporter (45)

Roxy Music
*Avalon

Ryuichi Sakamoto
*Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia (contains Field work w/Thomas Dolby)

Lulu sings to Sir with love

Total Coelo
*I Eat Cannibals

Duran Duran
*A View to a Kill (45)
*Night Romantics (Japan)

Depeche Mode
*Behind the Wheel 12” single

Flying Lizards

Soft Cell
*Tainted Love (45)

Scritti Polliti
*Cupid & Psyche 85

Romeo Void
*Nvr Say Nvr

Inxs
*Original Sin 12”single (UK)

Tears for Fears
*Pale Shelter 12” single (UK)

Bang Orchestra
*Sample That 12”single (UK)

Bauhaus
*Bela Lugosi’s Dead 12” single (Blue Vinyl)

Soundtracks
*Starstruck
*Dogs In Space

Don't you worry. I have all of these on CD now so I can still listen to them.

Is anyone out there interested in a Star Trek Barbie & Ken collectors edition doll set that this still in the box? Know anyone who is?

In my quest to simplify my life, I have come across some things that I am not sure I knew what I was thinking when I got them. If you are interested, let me know. Leave a comment and I can get back to you.

As well, I have the last of my vinyl album collection. I will post the titles when I get a few minutes but for now, just comment on artists that you are interested in and I will let you know what I have. Mostly, it is 80's stuff with Japan and David Sylvian being a bulk of the collection however, there are some others that you might be looking for... I'd be willing to negotiate on the price as much as possible.

Let me know, will you? I will keep you posted as things progress.

I came into the office today so that I could use the shredder here. Unfortunately, I have overloaded it and it has shut down...

Why would I be needing to use a shredder, you ask? Do I have some subversive evidence that I have to destroy? Do I really just like to use the machine so much that I just cannot stay away? The answer is no. I am here today to shred a bulk of the journals that I have written and stored for the past decade and a half.

This is something that I have been putting off for a very long time. To tell the truth, I am a pack rat and I collect the most insignificant things. However, now that I have reached a landmark in my life, I think it is time to stop looking back and take a step towards living today. The past is gone and I cannot change it.

So, I made the decision to shred my thoughts of the past and start anew. It is scary but at the same time, quite liberating. On that same note, I am also in the process of doing the same to my insane collection of correspondence. We are talking about a collection so large that it spans fifteen years...

In the process, I have reread many journal entries and letters from friends that I have either lost touch with or that I still see and we will continue on in these friendships. I cannot believe that I needed to hang on to the bits of paper in order to keep the memories alive. If they are meant to be forgotten they will. Otherwise, I will keep them alive inside of my head.

Anyway, now that I have overheated the machine and the weather is so lovely today, I think I will bid you adieu. I will continue with this sometime later in the week.

They said that it definitely wasn't a terrorist attack when the lights went out all over Eastern Canada and the US. Being on the west coast, I had to laugh at even this happening, let alone the possibility of being caused by terrorists. Comments like that just get the rumour mill started again...

It's funny how these events sometimes turn from negative to positive. Take for example this story from Parkdale in Toronto .

Seven years ago, we had this incredible snow fall here in Victoria. For as long as I can remember, I have never seen that much snow here. It is quite rare that we even see snow. The whole city shut down at the time... there were no buses, snow plows and people were virtually stuck in their homes. Shops were closed because no one could get anywhere. We were snow bound.

The really awesome thing was that people banded together to check on their neighbours to make sure they weren't wanting for anything. People here became so much closer. When we finally were able to dig ourselves out to find milk at one of the convenience stores, we met many others walking to do similar things. Every single person took the time to greet the others that they passed on the street. Others were cross-country skiing and I even saw a snowmobile or two (trust me, snowmobiles are something that we NEVER see here). It made me feel all fuzzy inside to see the goodwill that was eminating from everyone. For months afterward, this same group consciousness existed. It was absolutely wonderful!

Perhaps this is something that needs to happen more often...

It will be interested to check the number of births that happen nine months from now! What do you think?

Hiya all! Just a short note to let you know that I survived my birthday and am now back to work after a week away. I haven't much time right now but wanted to tell you that I am back and will write when I manage to fight my way out from under all of the stuff that has piled up on my desk.

I hope that you are having a good summer!

Oh, it just cannot be! Bollywood is trying to break the moulds of films there. Read this to find out more...

As well, if any of you out there want to blame bad hair on someone, you might want to check this out!

Just a note, I will be on holiday next week so my updates may be even more sporadic. I would appreciate if you would keep tuning in because one never knows when I will put in a mystery appearance. If I survive my birthday over the weekend...