THINGS I LIKE

1. The man who brings his little bird (in a bird cage!) to Grange Park every morning and either rests the cage in the grass in the sunshine or hangs it from a tree. In fact, I like Grange Park in general. I've been thinking that it could be interesting to sit there for an entire day and photograph the different groups that come through. People doing Falun Gong exercises. The almost-in-sync aerobics people. Dog walkers. Picnickers. Homeless people napping on the benches. People reading. Frisbee players. Little kids running around. The scores of old Asian people who sit on the benches in the evening and stare at me as I walk by and make comments that I hope are positive, but I never know, because I only speak English. The people who were wearing chicken hats, who I was afraid to inquire about.

2. The Show by zefrank. It's like a lofi version of The Daily Show, with more fart jokes, accents, and the occasional music video. Also, he is constantly referring to newspapers as "like a paper version of the internet except you can't change the font!" and that makes me laugh. What's YOUR power move?

3. When my boyfriend goes on a business trip to the Caribbean (note: gets PAID to go) and I get to clean the cat litter for a week. Wait, no, this should be on the other list. Or perhaps, on the list of Things Christopher Likes.

4. MetaFilter Music (or 'HiFi', though I was partial to the 'RockMe' short form myself), where MetaFilter members submit mp3s of songs they've written. There's some really incredible stuff on there! Current favourites: 5, a song for chococat's daughter's fifth birthday; Sobering Up, a song about trying to make it in the music business; Olivia, super-pretty.

THINGS I DISLIKE

1. Being told that I can't move into a place because I'm not willing to commit for two to three years. I'm not commitment-phobic, but HOLY HECK. I have a life that will hopefully move beyond renting a little room in a weirdly-shaped house where I have to share the common rooms with strangers. Hopefully it will move beyond that sooner than in TWO TO THREE YEARS. Sorry crazy renter lady. I'm hoping to put my poor student days behind me someday.

2. Clenching my teeth when I sleep. Classic sign of stress (check!) and it gives me a headache.

3. Change. No, well- okay, I am looking forward to a lot of the changes that are coming up. Linda is having a baby. Yay! I will find a job! (Right?) I will find a fabulous place to live. (Err... yes? Maybe?) Janice is getting married. Yay! Etc. Etc. But until those things happen, I have questions. How will my friendships adjust to big life changes? What will it be like? What if I'm unemployed for a long time? What if I find a place and it SUCKS? What if I really can't find one? And then my STUPID PESSIMISTIC BRAIN goes into overdrive and I just want to crawl under the covers and not come out. And I dislike that feeling. So, perhaps: fear of the unknown. Things could work out to be better than ever, but it's hard to see that from here sometimes.