Que le temps passe vite. La fin de semaine est déjà terminée; les deux soupers de famille sont passés, Julie est au terminus d'autobus pour son retour à Toronto, et la journée de congé est déjà à moitié finie.
All in all it was a good weekend. Friday night I had a quick pint at the Heart and Crown pub with Manon, Sarah and some of Sarah's co-workers, where I ended up talking with some old Harley Davidson guys about motorcycles. They were very friendly and had some helpful advice about my future purchase of a motorcycle, except for when they were talking mechanics - I know the basics, but after a while I was lost. Anyway, afterwards I made my way to the Manx to meet up with Chris and his friends. Chris had a bit to drink and was in a jovial mood by the time I got there. It was funny to see him feeling so energetic. And it's a good thing he has the kind of understanding friends who don't mind being pelted by potatoe wedges and other assorted foods. I grumbled a bit when I found tomato seeds in my hair, but in the end I was amused and happy to see Chris having fun.
The big family supper - grand-parents, aunts & uncles, cousins, etc - took place on Saturday evening. Every year my grand-parents host Thanksgiving supper (spaghetti, go figure) at their home out in the countryside of Aylmer, Québec. They have a large property which allows family members to mingle (and hide when necessary), and a beautiful large yard that looks out to some pasture and the Ottawa river. Chris felt somewhat overwhelmed at times, what with all the new faces and the majority of conversations taking place in French. He has been taking intensive French lessons for months now, but he's learning a more proper French, which of course can be very different from Québécois-style accents and expressions. We took a couple of breaks and sat outside in the yard to get away from the noise and people.
On Sunday I prepared another chicken - my first since the freak-out episode a month ago. My mother and Manon coached and cheered me through it. Manon assured me that because I had chosen to buy the organic free-range chicken, it had lived a good life and was ready to go. My mom was more matter-of-fact; just grab it here, just sprinkle it with that, don't be scared! I don't know why it is so damn difficult for me to just hold it and do what I have to do. All I know is that when I touch it I can feel the slimey skin moving over the body, I can feel the bones where the wings used to flap, and when I see the dangling neck where its head used to be - it makes me feel nauseous and panicky. It amazes me that people have been preparing chickens for hundreds of years, actually. But I was determined to face my fear and make a good meal for the supper. Adèle doesn't eat turkey so that's why we were cooking a small chicken for her. Anyway, I'm getting off track here. The food was great, and so was the company - just immediate family members and their partners. That is, until my sisters decided it was time to take out my fourth grade school portrait, in which I am posing in a little ruffled shirt, a grin - and a stuffed monkey called Cozy, which I dressed up in a knit sweater for the occasion. I used to think it was such an adorable picture, but for some reason every single person who comes across it nearly pisses their pants laughing. So of course everyone roared with laughter again, after which I was forced to bring Cozy the Monkey out of my closet. I'm surprised no one choked on their turkey while laughing so hard. Well, at least I provided comic relief.
When we got home we walked up to the video store and got Man On Fire, one of Denzel Washington's more recent action flicks. It wasn't awful but it sure could've used thirty minutes of extra editing (or in other words, deleting). And I could've done without the 'edgy' cinematography - you know, the constantly moving camera, quick scene changes, yellow filters, bold symbolic visuals - I was feeling annoyed and dizzy by the end of it. The story had potential but just ended up dragging on, complete with the pseudo hollywood happy ending - it all works out, but at the price of a brave, selfless hero - or the 'man on fire', ahem. What I really wanted to see this weekend was the Motorcyle Diaries. It's that biographic Che Guevara movie with that actor from the film Amores Perros, and it's gotten decent reviews. Maybe sometime I'll actually start posting some half-decent descriptions and reviews of movies, books and music I've been checking out lately. By the way, feel free to check my profile every now and again and make comments or suggestions, since I'm trying to keep it up to date with the stuff I'm into lately. Suggestions related to music are especially welcome, I love discovering new stuff.
This morning was more chilled out. Chris and I woke up late and headed off to the Barley Mow pub for breakfast and a game of crib. Once again I went against all odds and beat Chris by a few points at the very end of the game. I think he's getting discouraged at his constant bad luck - which has officialy ended our crib gambling for a while, I think.
Chris took some family photos yesterday, so I'm hoping to post some up this week. He also took a photograph of my school portrait - if I'm in a good mood I may just post it here. Everyone needs a laugh sometimes, even if it's at my expense!
I've got a ton of reading to do for my classes, so I'll end this here for now. I may also make a few phone calls; all this family stuff has been great, but I need to connect with my friends again... If you're one of them, I'm sorry for my neglect. Stand by, I'm picking up the phone this very second!
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone - hope you're all doing great and enjoying the long weekend.
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