Day 3

Not much to say that hasn't already been said today on MSN...and telephone..which btw...is the best spent $3 a minute ever...and cheaper than those late-night party chat lines (so I hear...)

Anyways. Just thought I'd post here incase you can't open the email...


----- Original Message -----
From: Ginger
To: Parkes
Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2006 10:17 PM
Subject: cute kids

Hey (insert silly pet name here)

As we were talking (which btw - went so fast - 15 minutes felt like 15 secs! IMY!!!) I found this great photo on the 'net of kids in Uganda. It makes me smile...and I thought it might make you do the same...:)

I hope you are okay for the next few days...I think it might be a bit hard for you - only because you are such a softie (once referred to as "bleeding heart liberal" - which I'm sure said name-caller regrets and now takes back...) Just please be strong and know that you will make a difference to a lot of these people - even if you can't just bring some little ones home as requested. We are so soooo unbelievably lucky (or "spoiled" as someone once referred to someone else - though am sure said name caller/bleeding heart liberal now regrets same and takes it back...) to live where we do (by birth or by choice.) I watched a documentary tonight on sweatshops in China - called "Mardi Gras - Made in China" which showed the factory where the beads (beads for boobs) are made...and just contrasted how hard these people worked for 10 cents an hour making strings of beads...and how hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of these beads are simply tossed about like nothing in New Orleans. (don't I recall...? ;) Very interesting concept - very poorly directed IMNSHO (see that you've done to me???!!) and all I could think was "Parkes could have so done this show so much better..."

Anyway. I digress. All I'm saying is that we are lucky and I am sorry I am a whiner about missing you...I just do...and can hardly wait 'til you are back in this country safe and sound...(though noting a forest fire could break out at anytime)...splitting that $75 bottle of Malbec with me - even if some Argentinean boy only got paid 3 cents to make it.

Chat soon...
~G

Day 2

Yes. Yes I know. It’s been a long time since I’ve written. Too long.

I suppose it boils down to the fact that instead of writing about life - I’ve actually been living it as of late. The veil of confusion that has been blurring everything - like when you try on someone else’s glasses - has now has lifted - and in it’s place clarity.

But this evening I find myself at home reflecting on my day - day #2 spent without my partner in crime. He’s on assignment in Uganda…researching his latest project…which leaves me alone for 10 days…alternating between complete excitement for him and complete worry for him…with the realisation that this is perhaps what you sign on for when you fall for a socially responsible morally wonderful beautiful human being…and are not for one moment distracted by anything that sparkles.

I admit that 10 days isn’t a lifetime or anything - but also now realise how much we talk each day - talk about big things…important things…and talk about nothing at all really. And it’s those everyday musings - the ones I often swear are my inner voice but are instead coming right on out of my mouth at him that will be lost…so for the next 10 days my dear…I will be updating you here…with the incessant nothing ramblings of my day…leaving the important things for emails - the not-so-important things for all to see here.

So tonight was all about me shop-shop-shopping myself happy. First stop - shoes. Rows and rows of cute shoes. Me. Cute shoes. Enter sassy shoe salesmen. You know how I hate when I get ma’am-ed? I mean I’m hardly a ma’am…(nor a lady upon reflection I suppose) but you know what I got tonight? DOLL. He “dolled” me. As in “finding everything you need doll?” and all I could think of is if he had some sort of muddled accent like - well - yours - it would sound cute and somewhat sophisticated and I would have turned a million shade of red. But it wasn’t cute. And then I didn’t want to buy shoes from him at all. But then I found a pair of brown ones I really really liked – and well - you know how brown is the new black for me…and then - I found this other pair that I just really loved…and the thing is normally you are there to say “get those ones - they look better” but tonight I realise I can no longer be trusted to make such difficult decisions on my own so - I bought them both. Bought them both doll.

And then it was time for the dreaded Wal-mart experience - as I have run out of all household products at once…and I am in a packed Wal-mart chock-full of screaming children – having my usual I-am-too-pretty-for-this meltdown - trying to pretend its London where you told me to just put my head down and bash into people without any sort of apology or Canadian politeness - which I tried - but of course nowhere in London do I recall the people so yucky and smelling so bad. Why is it that Wal-mart shoppers and batheing do not go hand-in-hand? What is with the correlation there? I mean granted I shop there – and I do pride myself in my outstanding personal hygiene and love all things perfume (though never ever body spray do you hear me future fashion designers?) and just wish that these people could return me that one small favour. I swear the entire store smelled like feet and I wanted to puke - but I did save like what - a whole $1.32 so all in all well worth 45 minutes of parmesan cheese smell.

So now I am home giving myself a pedicure (in never-ending quest to be perfectly polished from head-to-toe and so as to avoid any sort of foot smell while looking lovely in new open–toed sandals for tomorrow) and writing this never-ending blog entry. And the thing is I am alone…but not lonely - there are people with whom I could connect – but they all seem a bit mundane right now...especially when I’d rather relish in my thoughts. And so I sit. I paint. I write. Very blue-green for a self-proclaimed red-yellow wouldn’t you say?
~G