If I'm going to be an insomniac...

...then I might as well make good use of the fact that I am awake in the middle of the night.

I've been a bit stressed out this week. That's a wild understatement. I've been stressed out this week. It's been like a consistent hum in the back of my brain. Of course, this means that sleep tends to elude me no matter how physically exhausted I am. And trust me, I've tried; the other night I went for an hour long walk after being at the pub in an effort to tire myself out. So tonight I just decided that if I am going to be awake anyway, then I might as well do useful things. So I did some laundry, made a card to send to my friend, washed my dishes, and went on a night photo excursion on the dykes. I spent probably 30-45 minutes out there taking shots, and I came away with a couple of pretty good ones, including this one. I also had a random conversation with a guy who was out there (there are other people who wander around the dykes at midnight?). After a while though, the consistency of distant lightning flashes was starting to increase and I was getting a little concerned that I would be blindsided by a thunderstorm out there, so I packed myself up and headed home.

Dear Montreal

Dear Montreal,

Thanks for the jazz and the croissants and the crepes.

Thanks for the lights and the graffiti and the old buildings.

Thanks for the countless opportunities to take photos.

Thanks for reminding me of all the reasons I love cities. And all the reasons that I don't.

Thanks for reminding me of my love for French. And for making me determined to become fluent.

Thanks for providing a jumping off point for some new and crazy dreams.

Thanks for providing the space for me to relax all the way into a friendship.

Thanks for allowing me to immerse myself in art in so many forms.

Thanks for leaving me aching and disoriented in my normal life. That sounds bad, but it is actually very, very good.

Hopefully I'll see you again soon.

Bree

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

When the bells all rings and the horns all blow
And the couples we know are finally kissing
Will I be with you, or will I be among the missing?

Maybe it's much too early in the game
But I thought I'd ask you just the same
What are you doing New Year's, New Year's Eve?

Wonder whose arms will hold you good and tight
When it's exactly 12 o'clock that night
Welcoming in the New Year, New Year's Eve

Maybe I'm crazy to suppose
I'd ever be the one you chose
Out of a thousand invitations you receive

But in case I stand one little chance
Here comes the jackpot question in advance
What are you doing New Year's, New Year's Eve?

Oh, but in case I stand one little chance
Here comes the jackpot question in advance
What are you doing New Year's, New Year's Eve?


This song, originally by Nancy Wilson, is one of my favourite seasonal songs. I particularly love Diana Krall's version, but right now it's super famous because of Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's incredibly delightful cover. If you haven't heard it yet, check it out. So adorable.

Happy New Year! I hope you have a wonderful night.

Songs for Late Nights

I've been pulling a lot of late nights recently. And I'll be pulling a lot of late nights this week. Such is the joy of this time of the academic year. Since you probably aren't all that interested in hearing yet another rant about a paper, I thought instead I would share some of the songs that I tend to have on repeat as the hours creep past midnight and there is no end in sight.

I Don't Feel It Anymore (Song of the Sparrow) -- William Fitzsimmons & Priscilla Ahn

Bloodbuzz Ohio -- The National

Re: Stacks -- Bon Iver

White Blank Page -- Mumford and Sons

How it Comes is How it Goes -- Jay Malinowski

Set the Fire to the Third Bar -- Snowpatrol & Martha Wainwright

Wake the Earth -- The Honey Trees

The Darkest Side -- The Middle East

I Won't Be Found -- The Tallest Man on Earth

Cicadas and Gulls -- Feist

Here's to the much-maligned layover

I don't know who taught us to be in such a hurry these days. I don't know why, or when, it became so important, when we are going from here to there, to do it as fast as humanly possible. It is a sorry state of affairs. You can't blame the airlines. The airlines do their bit. They always offer a long way around. You can always go via Saskatoon, and usually, if you do, they charge you less for the privilege.

It should be no surprise that I am in favour of the side roads. And the forgotten art of dawdling. So...here's to the much-maligned layover. From now on I am going to do my best to incorporate a few into each and every day. So if you call to ask me over, you'll know what I mean when I say it might take a while, that I am coming, but I am coming via Saskatoon.

("Maxine Montgomery", Stuart McLean)

I often feel as if Stuart McLean and I are kindred spirits. Reading this today brought a smile to my face and a longing to take the long route next time I have the chance. I love airports. I enjoy layovers. I have stories about sleeping in airports, and I even look on those with fondness (although the lost luggage stories are much less fun). I firmly believe that half the fun of travelling is travelling. It's people-watching in airports. It's excitement and anticipation. It's the 5 a.m. coffee so you can catch your 7 a.m. flight. It's the red-eye that smashes two days together into one. It's looking out the plane window to see the tops of clouds or the neatly divided prairies or the lights of a new city. It's the layovers spent trying to sleep on uncomfortable airport benches. It's the trashy magazines read to occupy the time. It's the joy of riding a moving sidewalk. It's the smell and feel of airports and airplanes. It's the sense of camaraderie amongst passengers, the smile offered from one weary traveller to another.

I really want a reason to go hang out in an airport now.

I took this picture on my jaunt to Calgary in April. I was waiting for my flight back to Edmonton and liked the layering that was going on with the planes outside and the reflection of the people at the gate inside.

Ghosts

Ghosts
The Head and the Heart

Boys in the street are talkin' about leavin', they're leavin'
Lookin' for places to go
Boys in the street are talkin' about leavin', they're leavin'
Lookin' for places to go

Andy built his coffin down in Carolina
Told me he was runnin' from somethin'
But I think he's just out chasin' girls

When Mary moved all her shit to Chicago
Her mother made sure she left with her Bible but
You won't find her face on Sundays

Du du du-du-du-du, du du du-du-du-du
Du du du-du-du-du, du du du-du-du-du

All my friends are talkin' about leavin', about leavin'
But all my friends are sitting in their graves
All my friends are talkin' about leavin', about leavin'
But all my friends are sitting in their graves

Is it any wonder why we all leave home?
People say, "I knew you when you were six years old"
And you say, "But I've changed, I've changed, I've changed, I've changed"

Mom and Dad, if only you could see me now
Been here for a year and now I own this town
Cause I've changed, I've changed, I've changed, I've changed

Du du du-du-du-du, du du du-du-du-du

Du du du-du-du-du, du du du-du-du-du

All my friends are talkin' about leavin', about leavin'

But all my friends are sitting in their graves

All my friends are talkin' about leavin', about leavin'

But all my friends are sitting in their graves

One day we'll all be ghosts

Trippin' around in someone else's home

One day we'll all be ghosts, ghosts, ghosts

Ghosts, ghosts, ghosts

One day we'll all be found

No longer lost, we're just hanging around

One day we'll all be found, found, found

Found, found, found

Ba-dap, ba-dap, ba ba-da-da

Ba-dap, ba-dap, ba ba-da-da

Ba-dap, ba-dap, ba ba-da-da

Ba-da

Ba-dap, ba-dap, ba ba-da-da

Ba-dap, ba-dap, ba ba-da-da

Ba-dap, ba-dap, ba ba-da-da

Ba-da


I seriously enjoy The Head and the Heart. Great, great music. This song is fabulous and has been helping me get through my mornings of paper writing this weekend. Plus I think the sentiment is rather appropriate for the stage of life I'm in. When I decided to post this song I thought of these freaky photos that I took in first year. One night a bunch of us went to the park and the combination of the lighting and the movement of the swings made everyone look see-through. So weird. And so awesome. And they somehow capture the combination of melancholy and happiness that this song has.

Glockenspiels make me happy

Summer is apparently taking one last kick at the can. I thought it had given up on us, but the past couple days have actually been quite lovely. I was walking back from the bus stop this afternoon and one of the new songs on my ipod came on. It's by a group called Pearl and the Beard, who I had never heard of until a week or so ago. One of my favourite websites to visit and fantasy shop on is Modcloth (note that this is only fantasy shopping at the moment because I have no money, when I'm back in the cash I will definitely be getting some stuff from there) and so I subscribe to their weekly email newsletter. Well recently they teamed up with indie label Family Records to release a free playlist of summer songs to all of their newsletter subscribers. This is where I first discovered Pearl and the Beard since two of their songs are on the playlist. The one that came on my ipod today was "Voice In My Throat" and I had to put it on repeat because I loved it so much. It makes me break into huge uncontrolable smiles and puts a bounce in my step. Seriously. An upright bass, a bouncy guitar line and a glockenspiel...what more could you ask for? It was perfect for walking down the street on a sunny day. However, the genius effect of two overlapping songs and the impecable match of their voices make it equally suited to those grey days where you want nothing more than to wear an oversized sweater, curl up in a chair, and read a good book.

Sadly, I do not have any pictures of glockenspiels. I am sorry if the title misled you and you got all excited. Actually, for a musical person I have an appalling lack of pictures relating to music. I may have to spend some time tomorrow photographing my piano and my dad's guitar. This is the best I could come up with. It does also connect to the idea of summer giving it one last go though. I took this particular picture at Capital Ex a couple of years ago, so for me it evokes the feeling of summer nights spent with friends. Plus it is just such a great line. Hopefully you enjoy it as much as I do.