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About Janice Hillmer

Writer, grad student, traveller, accidental humourist and unwitting adventurer.

The times they are a changin’…

Ahhh, Bob Dylan. Seems to me that some of the (best?) singers that came out of the 60’s had the worst voices. Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Mick Jagger certainly lack the melodic and dulcet tones usually appreciated in singers. This observation is an aside however. The real reasons for using Dylan’s lyric as my introduction today are as follows:

1) I’m working my way through the Anne of Green Gables books for some light summer reading. I have always felt a kinship with the impetuous, quick-tempered Anne of the original book. This summer however, it’s taken me all the way to book #4 “Anne of Windy Poplars” before I found myself nodding my head thinking “yup, I know how that feels”.

2) I discovered it now costs $185 to be a Young Interpreter at Upper Canada Village. I held that much beloved role for 2 summer as a volunteer (this was before I got a job there that actually paid me to dress up).

3) My favourite treat during the summers I worked at Upper Canada Village was when my campers made and brought back “Butterscotch Squares” for dessert. I was thinking of them the other day, and hunted down the recepie. My first thought was “Ooooh, but they have alot of sugar – and all that butter can’t be good for you”. That never used to be my first thought when it came to yummy food.

4) During a quiet lull in the afternoon, a time when I would usually daydream, or read or try to give myself 1940’s era hairstyles, I did none of those things. Instead I thought “I think my bathroom drains need a good scrubbing”. How responsible of me. (In Korea, our bathrooms have drain holes in the floor. Every once in a while, the little hair-muck-grime-scum filters get clogged up with hair, muck, grime and scum and need to be cleaned out with rubber gloves, chopsticks, a toothbrush and some determination.)

5) I’ve been using my air conditioner lately. Up until this summer, I haven’t had any use for the things. Winter is long enough as it is without blowing it into your livingroom during the summer too. And yet, here I am sneaking it on for an hour here and there, feeling guilty all the while. Like I’ve committed a crime against my own convictions.

There. Those are just little things, but since they’ve all jumped upon my concious mind today, they seem to have conspired en mass to remind me that the times, indeed, are changin’.

Huh,

I’ve just logged on to write a new post and have realized I’m at a loss for words. Let’s see what I can dredge up…

1-The cats are no longer fighting, they’re ‘playing’ instead. The only difference is that there’s now no hissing.
2-I’m back at work now. If you can call it that. Today I sang songs and drew and coloured aliens with 6 sweet kids for a few hours, then was home by 2pm. Not bad for a days work. I’m teaching the children’s summer program here at the university, afterwhich I still have 10 more days of holiday. I’ve got my sights set on Thailand.
3-I finally read the newest Harry Potter book. I was quite surprised, but I didn’t cry (like some people I know!)
4-Oh! Oh! Oh! I thought of one that will come as a surprise to all … I went to the gym! 2 day in row! Okay, that was last week, and I haven’t been back since, but I was on a roll there for a little bit.
5- It’s been Kids Week, and now Teen Week on Jeopardy. I’m feeling quite smart these days. However, it’s also got me thinking that perhaps my academic knowlege base has been deteriorating for the last decade. (Especially considering my reading material is no longer Jane Austin or Joseph Heller but J.K. Rowling instead) Hmmm, alot of good authors start with the letter “J”. I’ll have to keep that in mind.

Alrighty folks. Sorry you’ve had to read all that. You may now resume your daily activities with a fresh sense of purpose – since you’ll be secure in the knowledge that whatever you’re doing today is probably a little more exciting that what I’m doing. If not, at least you know you’re in good company.

Feuding Felines…

It looks like a picture of domestic bliss at the moment ~ one cat sprawled out on the bed, eyes half closed, one paw draped over the edge. One cat curled up between my typing arms, head resting in the crook of my arm, rear end agravatingly close to the space b ar. Aging spinster (oops, I mean lovely young teacher) sipping some iced tea as she types.

Yup, I’m kitty-sitting. Actually, more like the “Flying Fur Intervention Service”. Mike went home for a few weeks and had nobody close by to take care of Venus, so yesterday I brought her home with me on the train. Catticus was not pleased. There’s been a lot of hissing and growling, but no all out brawling. For the moment they’ve agreed to give each other their space. (I think it might be to hot to fight.) 54rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr6555555 (That was Venus strolling across the keyboard ~ sorry, it’s even too hot to bother with the BackSpace key.)

In other news, … well, there really is no other news. Mom and Dad have gone home, and I miss ’em. The cats are quiet for the time being, I had Spinich/Mozzarella pasta for lunch, I’m going to curl up infront of the fan with a good book for the afternoon, and I haven’t killed any plants for at least 3 weeks (thanks mom!). See, I told you – there really is no other news.