After Hours

I like writing, but sometimes I despise it. It doesn't really come easily to me because I have a hard time starting. After that, it flows pretty well. I've always had a tendency to ramble though -- I'm workin' on it. This is ironic because now that I've written what you just read (or at the very least, what I just re-read over in my head), my writing is flowing and words are coming easily.

Christmas break has been good, it has truly been a break. A good time to recharge my batteries, if I can use a rather overused phrase. I've read a lot this break, mostly in front of the Fireplace Channel (yeah, that's right, the Fireplace Channel), because that's how classy I am.

I've read three books over this break. First was "The Pickton File" by Stevie Cameron. I've written about Vancouver's DTES on here and on BelowtheLine and bought this book for my Mom as a Christmas gift last year. She's always liked reading about murder and watching Court TV proceedings. It's never really been my thing.

Cameron was the Irving Chair in Journalism during the first semester of my first year at school. I ran into her one night heading down to a friend's room to do karaoke. She was doing laundry in my residence's locked wing, where people with single rooms live. Apparently, people who live in suites also make use of the laundry room.

At the time, I hadn't really recognized what I wanted to do with my journalism and I'm not sure I even knew why I wanted to be a journalist. That's all kind of transpired within me over the last year.

Anyway, we had a good chat but I wish I had read the book then. I would have liked to have the chance to talk with her more in depth about her experiences. Oh well.

After that, I picked up "Missing Sarah" at my local library (see: previous blog post on how the public library is one of my favourite places), a beautiful memoir about one of Pickton's victims. The book was written by the woman's sister, Maggie de Vries. It was heartwrenching, truthful, eye-opening and changed some of the stereotypes I may have had ingrained in me about sex work. It was real.

Finally, I read "Hey Nostradamus!" by Douglas Coupland. I've always wanted to check out Coupland, and I kind of grabbed this book on a whim when I visited the library to pick up "Missing Sarah". I wanted to read "Generation X" but I wasn't able to find it for some reason or another. Some other time.

It was a good read. A lot of thought back and forth about faith and life and purpose and the like. I'd like to read more Coupland, but I want to read more in general and haven't yet pushed myself to find the time do so as much as I'd like while in school, save for news.

I've also put a dent in "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey. I know the book is a bit fabricated and the style of writing annoys me, but I found myself drawn in particularly late at night when I cannot fall asleep.

So there you have it. I've certainly done more than read this break, don't get me wrong. I've seen a lot of family and friends that I haven't seen since the summer or since Thanksgiving. That was nice.

The one thing I am aching to do while home is to go for a jog. I suppose I could still go for a jog, despite the snow covering the ground, but it's not quite the same. It's not the same in a gym on a treadmill either. I just like the reckless abandon of jogging outside. Add it onto my list of the many reasons I wish I lived somewhere with a more favourable climate.

Speaking of running, remember the guy I wrote about in a previous blog post that runs past my house everyday like clockwork? Well, I do. I haven't seen him in ages, I began to wonder if he was still running. I was heading down to my grandmother's house the other night and sure enough, he ran past, even though it was pretty cold out that night.

I wanted to run after him and talk to him. I don't even know what I'd say without sounding creepy. I don't know him at all. Yet, he's been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My inner creature of habit was quite pleased.

After Hours - We Are Scientists