Lost in Transnation

I mentioned to a Chinese co-worker that today was the anniversary of 9/11 and she congratulated me. Funny, eh? (She thought it was my wedding anniversary.)

I can't believe it has been seven years since the 9/11 attacks. Today in Canada there is a quiet acknowledgment of the event, but no strong feelings or sentiments of mourning as I used to feel in the states. I am a little bit relieved to be one step away from the grief.

Random Labor Day Stuff

• My boss invited me to his family's Labor Day party, which was very kind. I didn't enjoy the food because nothing was savory-seasoned or spicy. I guess I have become accustomed to my own cooking and I now realize I have become more rigid in my 30s.

• Seeing your boss drunk is weird. It made me resolve to never drink in front of my employees (if I were to ever have any).

• I recently gave up alcohol. I am trying to lose weight and booze is the easiest thing for me to eliminate from my diet because it makes me a bit sick. So, not drinking in front of my future employees should not be a problem.

• Everyone is into politics right now. There is no escaping it.

• I have been thinking about Diane Feinstein lately. She was the first woman to serve in the Senate. What does she think of Gov. Palin?

• It has been getting down to 9C at night. Summer is over and that makes me sad.

• I am thinking about buying a cashmere sweater for the coming winter but I feel guilty about spending so much money on myself.

• My dog has become my best friend and I am concerned I have become one of those strange animal lovers who can't identify with humans.

• I woke up early on Sunday and began my errands around 10am. I was surprised to learn that chain stores are open for business that early but the small local retail shops don't open until noon or 1pm.

• Tim Horton's donut shop is a madhouse on Sunday morning.

• I rent the main floor of a house. Recently, the basement tenant and the upstairs tenant went on vacation at the same time. The house was as silent as the Grand Canyon is deep. Now that they have returned I am aware of the noise one person makes and how it vibrates through the entire house.

• Wednesday night a pack of coyotes walked down the street and through the neighborhood. I heard them and saw them coming before my dog did. For a split second I felt like a proto-human walking through the grasslands searching for nuts and berries.

• Two weeks ago my alarm clock, sport watch and dress watch all stopped working within four days of one another. They were all bought at different times over a 10 year period, so it is a freaky coincidence that they all died at the same time.

• My new alarm clock displays the time, date, temperature and humidity. The thing I like most about it is that it runs on batteries so I don't have an ugly cord draping down my bedside table.

• I got a free newspaper when I took my car in for an oil change. I brought it home to read later that same day, but I didn't get around to it. It is now two days old, but I feel committed to reading it because I feel bummed about wasting paper.

• When I moved to Canada I was unemployed and looking for work. I printed business cards on my home printer using Microsoft Word and clip art. I gave myself a lofty job title to inspire myself to keep looking until I found the best job for me. Nearly two years later my employer ordered my real business cards and the job title is pretty darn close to the impostor-cards I made on my home printer.

• I plan on spending the entire day at home cooking, cleaning, and reading. I know this is a perfectly fine way to spend a holiday, but I feel foolish for spending the day indoors when the weather is nice.

• I found an old fortune cookie strip in my box of hair bands. It reads 'you need not worry about your future.'