I am feeling a bit down this evening. you'd think it might be because i just put in a nine-hour shift at the library, but alas it is not. so instead, i am remembering better times, a la une chemise (okay, i think that means 'shirt' in french. clearly i want t-shirt...any ideas?) rouge pour la festivale d'pasta. a few weekends ago, jarrod and i rented a car and headed down (with cousin chris is tow) to visit the extended family for a large pasta fundraising dinner. my extended family, many of whom are members of the Essex Rattlers yearly host a large ($17 000 plus) shin dig wherein most of my cousins end up serving as volunteers. i was shocked at the scope of the evening. although this was the fifth dinner, it was the first time i had been able to make it (living in ottawa and all). jarrod and i, as well as the other volunteers, scurried like the mice we were to sell tickets all evening. it was fantastic. there were prizes galore, to the tune (get it?) of an ipod nano, weekend trips to niagara falls and other lovely cities, tickets to plays, plus tonnes of gift certificates. i loved feeling involved, especially in such a fun evening. i loved that jarrod was meeting all the other people that i love. i loved getting out of TO for the weekend. besides, having family around, especially my aunt beth and uncle jim who kindly let us sleep at their house (in the same bed! take that mom!), is a nice feeling. there is something about family, isn't there? i can't put my finger on it, but its there.

this past weekend, jarrod's company hosted a bowling evening. i think i may have pulled a bum muscle, but i was getting really into it. i love bowling! julia t. made an appearance as well, and let the record state, that i kicked her little bowmanville ass in the sport of go karting. its hilarious, actually, because to decrease the amount of "bumping" and "grinding" (and you thought those words had some other kind of meaning), if you do so, the cars automatically flash a yellow light and slow you down to half speed. now, see, if i was racing, this would be a problem. but i don't race! i bump! i grind! and going slow, just gave my enemies even more time to see me swerving, rendered helpless by the small track and tight turns, right into them! six dollars well spent, my friends, well spent. the evening was quite hilarious. i swear, the people that work at DCC are the popular kids from high school who forgot that popularity stopped mattering, when, people say, turned eighteen. this is what i mean: bowling. people look ridiculous. no one is a 'cool bowler.' and yet people were standoffish, cliquey, lots of tank tops and jewellery. it was bowling, for goodness sake! but, it made us laugh, and anything that makes one laugh cannot be all bad a thing.

my parents were in town for the evening. they are on their way to...dare i say it...another exotic location. mexico it is! unfortunately the tickets were booked before England was planned (in my opinon, they are not too upset about it.) and they had a quick quick stop over in toronto. of course, it had to be on a night that i was working. i was sorry to only see mom and dad for a minute, but, mom has the wonderful ability to cheer people up, to say exactly the right things, and to give good hugs, just when you think you cannot hold it all together. i hope all mom's are like that, but i have a feeling mine is special. i have asked them to send me photos, and if they do, i will post them on here. i mean, hey, the word traveling is in the title. i know, i know, we all thought it was in reference to moi...but i will take what i can get.