Sunday, May 30, 2010

I Won't Grow Up

Hey Pete, you listening? I'm leaving my windows open tonight. And no, I haven't forgotten the way: second star to the right and straight on 'til morning, yes?

Saturday, May 29, 2010

An "interesting" proposition

I received this email today in response to my Craigslist post "Bed + Mattress for sale":

Um.....thanks? But no thanks.

Some inspirational words from David Boreanaz

I'm graduating in 2 days. I'm leaving Montreal in 3. Still can't see the end of the packing. I needed a little encouragement.

(Note: Katie and Haley gave me this little card when I was stressed out for an exam. Here's hoping it still holds some magic powers to help me through this dark time.)

Monday, May 24, 2010

Manta ray spotting!

Drawn to the soft-serve cone in my hand, this manta seemed unafraid as it approached me at La Ronde amusement park in Montreal.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

The Monk

Another unearthed discovery from Room Excavation 2010: my copy of The Monk from Victorian Lit class, which Katie...improved with the help of strategically-placed post-it notes.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Escape pod

Escape pods have been Haley's thing ever since we watched "Serenity." I'd regale you with the details of what she wants in her very own personalized escape pod, except I can't remember--the list is too long.

So, Haley's pretty weird, but because she's a dear friend, I made her this:
Haley, I don't know if this is what you were imagining, but this is what I had in mind.

And hey, if this existed, you could have a pod of pods. Whale joke. Yeah, I went there.

Philosophical Musings

So, going through my old course-packs revealed a treasure trove of doodles, these from my horrible philosophy of English lit class (but hey, it's a philosophy class--that's to be expected). I can't really explain these, least of all the "Stoic" one (it must have something to do with Stoicism, and probably something my prof said, but beyond that....your guess is as good as mine). I also think a bunch of the faces were drawn as concept art for what was going to be my National Novel Writing Month novel based on my 4th grade board game, "Excavation!" about paleontologists in a race to collect all the fossils and get to the museum first--while avoiding tar pits, contending with washed out dig sites, and only finding SOIL, of course--. It didn't pan out. Oh well. 

So much organizing/throwing stuff out/packing to do.








Faster! FASTER!!

Sometimes listening to my friends watch hockey is a little like listening to...something else.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

What a glorious day!

So, I suck. I'm trying to juggle a billion things right now (job hunting, Craigslisting, Europe trip planning, and, oh yeah, a social life) and the bowling pin in this metaphor that is this blog just fell down. I haven't posted since Tuesday (Tuesday?!). Like I said: I suck.

I've been packing (packing?!) my room, and I keep finding little odds and ends. Here's one:
This is from what, like, second year? Weird.

I have so many comic ideas stored up, all I need is for my damn friends to leave me alone, my perfect job to land in my lap, a travel agent, and someone to buy all of my furniture. But until then....

Sorry for the dry spell. I will catch up. I WILL!!!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Give a hoot!

What I will be waking up to tomorrow morning:
It hoots!


THANKS HAL!!!

Cassowary doodle

Doodle done whilst on the phone. Cassowaries are such dinosaurs. And they have a mean roundhouse kick. No really. They can totally gut you, without batting an eyelash (and they do have eyelashes). 

And here, for your viewing pleasure: 
"Cassowary kickboxing a tree"

Placemat Drawings

This morning, Hal and I went out for breakfast in the Plateau at this restaurant L'Avenue. I haven't been that full since, like....yesterday. 

Here are Haley's contributions to my continuing series of placemat doodles:

Here are mine:
and, at Haley's request:



Sunday, May 9, 2010

Evolution of the Manta Ray

Well, this has been a long time coming. 

For those of you who aren't my roommates, the various nicknames I have accumulated over the years may seem frankly inscrutable. It's all a little mystifying to me, too. So how did someone who resisted being Angie-fied, who managed to avoid being nicknamed for nearly seventeen years of her life (save the one adorable one from my little sister that persists to this day) get stuck with so many? 

Well, it all started one day when my BFF Tessa, of Repulsive Interactions, pictured here in her trademark Sex Pistols sweater, was having something of a case of the giggles, and uttered the words that would live in infamy: 

"If you were a man, your name would be......MANGELA!!!!"

She still calls me that, with love, to this day. Other friends took the name up and made it their own: for Maggie, it's "Mangelina Ballerina" after the fictional dancing mouse; Shannon called me "Manny" although I think she's reverted to Mangela as of late; Ania called me "Mange" which suggested, naturally, the French word mange (as in manger, "to eat"), which then became "Eat-la" as a kind of weird Franglish mish-mosh. I occasionally called her "Womania" in return.

But the nickname explosion of Cambrian proportions: that was my fault. College is supposed to be a new start, but sitting in the caf in first year, chatting with my new college friends, the topic of discussion moved to nicknames. Oh, I just had to share, didn't I? Turns out, my new friends are big fans of The Nickname. However, in the four years since then, that ancestral nickname underwent rapid evolution. Like a useless morphological feature or no-longer-necessary adaptation, weeded out by natural selection, so went "-gela." "Man" prevailed (funnily enough). I've probably forgotten some of the myriad descendants of "Manny," but the most successful, the one with the most offspring, was "Man Tan." Haley's contribution is, unsurprisingly, a "Will and Grace" reference that no one got. Apparently that didn't affect its staying power. But "Man Tan"'s legacy is the one you all know and, I hope, love today: Manta Ray. Coined by Katie in May 2007, this one has persisted likely because it is an animal. And a damn cool one, at that. It is also extremely adaptable (see Monthly Nicknames). Over the three years since its debut, it has developed into a nickname I wanted to own--not just one that was bestowed upon me without my consent. 

Eventually, "Manta Ray" proved too long, too unwieldy, and I became just Manta. Manta, your host and illustrator of More Than This Provincial Life; Manta, Los Angeles native, turned invasive species; Manta, about to graduate from McGill University; Manta, double major in Bio and English; Manta, who no longer responds to the name "Angela" without a few seconds' delay.

Manta who will be leaving Montreal in a little less than a month, and indeed exploring more than what has been, for the last four years, 

this provincial life.

Momma Manta

Dear darling fantastic awesome mother,

We should be brunching together this morning, but instead I am 2,000 miles away and it is snowing and I am drinking tea alone instead of with you. I can honestly say I wouldn't be where I am or who I am without you. My love of animals comes completely from you. You always make time for me--I don't know why you put up with me sometimes. I couldn't have done anything without knowing you were there supporting me, offering up your advice. I hope that you can take a little time for yourself today, although I know you'll probably be working. And that's the other thing: you are without a doubt the hardest working person I know. Take a break. Watch some "Mad Men." Drink a cup of tea. And have a very happy Mother's Day!

Much love, 
Your daughter, who is missing her momma today

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Singing the squirrel blues...

Squirrel who hangs out in the tree next to my balcony:
I think this is an accurate visual representation of my mood today.

1,000

This is a picture about how there are too many pictures of me on the internet. Meta!

Some girls have all the luck

I think what she meant was "I just saw your future husband, John Krasinski, on the subway and I gave him your number--hope that's ok with you. He said he'd give you a call later tonight."

I'm waiting, John.

I'm everywhere


Haley decorated our kitchen door in my honour.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Manta pie

Happy birthday to me.

Also

Today is my pal Emily's birthday! Emily (of Emily Peal: The Blog fame) and I have known each other since forever, because our dads were working together, and bragging about their new babies, and then they realized their new babies were born ON THE SAME DAY. And so...the saga began.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMILY!!!!!!!

Today it is my birthday

And this is what I want:

Oh, you thought I was talking about the library? Well, yeah, that too.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Runcible spoon?

Yet another "Owl and the Pussycat" doodle. 

Monday, May 3, 2010

Dream #2

Last night, I rescued a platypus from my swimming pool.
I think my subconscious, as well as my conscious, is concerned with marine wildlife currently being affected by the horrific oil spill in the Gulf. I wish I could go help.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Tale as old as time

So as of yesterday morning, I decided to start writing down my dreams again, in the hopes that I will over time remember them better. I've heard that's a thing. Anyways, last night I dreamt that I had adapted "Beauty and the Beast" for the stage (never mind that it's been done already) and it was going to be performed at McGill tomorrow (tomorrow being Thursday night, of course) and I was playing the Beast (of course). Most of the dream consisted of me frantically running around trying to figure out outfits, because in addition to never having rehearsed the play, we did not have costumes. The end result? A black blazer, fake vampire teeth, and my hair in two buns on top of my head (like ears!)

And then I nearly walked out of my house without an outfit for when I turned back into a hot prince.

*

I just realized that this must be why, playing with my hair today, I put it into two buns, which I never do. Snarked Katie: "What are you, a Spice Girl?" 

Also, Note: This doodle is from like, fifty billion years ago (and by fifty billion, I mean like, three). But I just found it! I don't know why it says "Curls" on the side of the chair. Maybe it was a description of the style, or maybe I was trying out a pseudonym. Your guess is as good as mine.

(You can tell they're meant to be because they have THE SAME HAIR)

Saturday, May 1, 2010

But in a good way!

An ad that Alex picked up at Buns (hamburger joint, not strip club) and left on our kitchen table. The description on the back reads: 

"If I had to describe Original Sin's music in words, it's like having your body pulled limb from limb and slammed down on the floor as hard as possible....but in a good way."