Sunday 27 February 2011

But I wanted pancakes, g-dammit!

So Sunday mornings are a day for pancakes-usually. I was looking forward to some fluffy, butter and maple syrup laden goodness, when my boyfriend decided that we should have smoothies. Now don't get me wrong-he is a sweetheart for suggesting it as he knows I am trying to eat healthier ( read diet), and lose some stubborn grad school weight. Which brings me to this whole 'weighty' subject. I have always been a 'solid' girl, and I gain weight easily. Also, like many women I have major body image issues-mine mostly stem from years of figure skating, where despite being fit, I was always deemed overweight (read 'fat'). However, now that I am closer to 40 than 30, with arthritic knees (another gift form skating) and weight slowly creeping into obese territory, I figure it's time to try and lose weight. Of course, now you aren't supposed to say 'diet', it's 'healthy lifestyle', but let's face it, weekly poutine and beers are out of the question now.
The smoothie isn't bad, actually. But I still want pancakes.

Saturday 26 February 2011

I shouldn't read the comments...

Saturday morning breakfast, coffee and (online) newspaper. The local rag has some interesting stories as unusual, and I always scroll down to see the comments. I know I shouldn't-it is the place for trolls and racist, stupid and sometimes just downright crazy people. But I do. I have this idea (misguided or not) that I need to keep abreast of what 'normal' (i.e. non-academic) people think. Those of us who are over-educated have a tendency to think the same way about major social issues. I have found while sitting at the pub over beers, we are often on the same side-our disagreements are more of an academic and often esoteric nature (science vs. social science, the state of universities, whining students and the fact that none of us are getting jobs that reflect our education). The online comments of the newspaper remind me that not all people think the same way I do. The problem with this seemingly benign hobby is that I get unbelievably angry. I recognize that people are stupid, ignorant and just plain wrong, but there is something about actually being confronted with it that makes my blood boil. So, do I ignore the fact that there are people who think differently than I do, or do I accept that people are assholes?

Friday 25 February 2011

I should be a better person than this

I just came back from a trip to our downtown mall. Like many downtown areas, ours has seen better days. Just when something looks good (parts have been recently very nicely renovated), we see that yet another store has gone out of business. Perhaps the worst part is the people. The downtown is a gathering place for what my boyfriend likes to call 'the collision of humanity'. Many of the people who frequent this mall are disabled, poor, elderly and in more than a few cases, quite mad (as in mentally ill). My intellect tells me I should be compassionate; these are people who are not so different from me, may have had bad things happen to them, victims of our failing social system blah blah blah. Instead, the first thought that pops into my mind when seeing a grossly obese woman on a scooter is ' Maybe if you weren't so horrendously fat, you wouldn't need the scooter.' I wrinkle my nose in distaste at the old man in front of me who reeks of urine. Instead of wondering if anyone is looking after the well-being of this man, I am repelled. I see single teenage moms, and instead of hoping that they are getting proper care, I think 'white trash'. I see people from whom there is no hope. They will never get out of the place they are in. And while I rant about our inadequate healthcare system and corporate tax cuts which could be funding universal daycare, I am judging these people-I tag them in my mind as stupid, fat, retarded (yes, to be honest, that horrible word is in my head).

Thursday 24 February 2011

We deserve what's coming to us....

So, people are dying trying to overthrow crazy dictators and what is the top headline today? Jennifer Aniston's haircut. I say bring on the climate change, it's time to get rid of the human race. Or at least North Americans, anyway.

Introducing the Gremlins

I've jumped on the blog bandwagon, cuz goddammit, I have to vent.
So what do I have to bitch about? Really, my life is pretty sweet compared to 95% of the world's population. However, this does not stop the gremlins-you now, those voices in your head that tell you you're worthless, a failure, you suck, you're fat, a bad person, blah, blah,blah. If you do not experience gremlins, then stop reading this now and live your blissfully ignorant life. For the rest of you, this is my way of letting the gremlins out in the hopes that they will stay in cyberspace and not in my head.