Oh Dear

Well. I've shown my cousin around Toronto. The Annex, Queen West, Kensington Market, Chinatown, The Danforth, Yorkville, the underground mall (or "PATH"), the Bata Shoe Museum, Casa Loma, St. Lawrence Market, the Grange. Pointed out the renovated Gladstone Hotel (where I saw people actually checking in!), the Drake Hotel, the Beaconsfield. Ran out of time and gave her a driving tour of Little India (before we continued to the Danforth). Ate at 7West and Flo's. Heard some jazz at the Rex, skated at the outdoor "Natrel" rink at Harbourfront, made snow angels. Saw two movies to keep her from freezing ("Rumour Has It" and "The Family Stone").

My mom took her to the Eaton Centre the day before Christmas, and to Yorkdale on Boxing Day. That was something I couldn't have done even if I'd felt well enough to. I think the word for it is "mishigune" - i.e. CRAZY. I don't like malls - I get cranky and tired in them, whereas my cousin likes them quite a bit. She was delighted by the sheer size of the malls here.

My parents also took her to Niagara Falls, and I joined them for the trip to the Thousand Islands (Gananoque). She did a lot of shopping, which was fun. (I'm just too old to understand the appeal of super-low-rise jeans). Also I got to shop vicariously, watching someone else spend lots of money. She'd planned to travel South America for months and when that went awry, she stopped in Toronto on the way home, and decided to spend the money here instead!

I wish I'd been able to show her more - High Park, West Queen West, Queen East, Entertainment District, etc. but time, sometimes weather, and occasionally inclination did not allow. It was fun to be a tourist in my own city.

And it was nice having my part-time shifts 'cause all our regulars were on holiday and the city felt quiet and cheery. Not enough sunshine or snow, though.

Now... now I have to get back to my novel. You know, what this blog's about? Well, trying to get back into it after interrupting my momentum is brutal. I loathe everything I've written, of course, and am sorely tempted to rent movies and eat SmartFood or chocolate all day. I won't, I won't. But I want to. I decided to just embrace loathing it. To happily hate it and write it anyways. To acknowledge that by my deadline in March, I may have written a novel that is complete crap, but at least it will be finished and improvable. However, the inertia of an object (or a writer) at rest demands that it stay at rest, and so it is quite difficult to get back into the swing of things.

My sister showed me a quote once- something about how you don't have to like what you have to do, you just have to do it, and it resonates now. I'm not filled with glee at the idea of sitting at my computer after my barista hours are up. I am just afraid. But there's really no option. I can't not finish the novel. That means I have to write at least 1000 words... tonight. Like right now. So off I go... wish me luck...

For more about Toronto.

I wish I'd checked that site while she was here! I would've taken her to the Ice Lounge. Looks cool, but a little sponsor-brand heavy. Oh well...