Yes, another list. Deal.

Signs you're back in your small hometown... all which have happened to me in the past week:

1. Every third interview you do with the TV station knows your mom. (I'll leave the reason why to your imagination...)

2. You go to cover a 6 car accident and find yourself chatting with one of the drivers-- you played softball with her daughter.

3. You hop into the bank ATM line-up and see your mom at the machine in front of you. When you say hi, you realize your sister's in line at the teller.

4. You go see the annual Shakespeare play in the park and recognize both Hamlet and Ophelia from your grad class.

5. While sitting on the patio at BP downtown, one of your old high school teachers walks by... with one of your classmates on his arm. And her belly is starting to show.

In the Big-ish City

So it's been a busy two weeks since my last post. I had two fabulous weeks at CBC Radio in Ottawa... there's something about sitting in the newsroom seeing your heroes on a regular basis: Rosemary Barton leaving for the Oliphant trial as I head in for work; Keith Boag talking about Jamaica at the morning meeting; Don Newman winking at me as I come back from lunch with a huge Laura Secord ice cream cone.

When I wasn't staring in wide-eyed wonder, I even learned a bit about current affairs radio programming. And managed to land a big interview for last week's show as well. So I was able to leave on a high note... yes, still a lowly intern, but I'm the little intern who could!

Trying to pack and say goodbye to everyone made everything pretty hectic... but I somehow managed to get everything packed and make it to my train yesterday evening. And while I know I'm going to miss Ottawa in the summer— the canal, the Market, the jogging paths— I was welcomed to Toronto with a gorgeous penthouse loft apartment in the Village by one of my fabulous roommates, vegan chocolate cake and a big, comfy bed. So maybe the Big Smoke won't be so bad after all?

... Of course, I had doubts when this morning I awoke to the fire alarm. With the roomie gone, I dazedly grabbed the keys and my bag. Suddenly, the penthouse didn't seem so glamorous as I made my way down the stairs...

Then the announcement: false alarm. Go back to your lives, citizens... Which would have been great had my keycard worked.

First morning in Toronto: locked out of my apartment in my PJs. And, of course they're the pink pajama bottoms that say "one tough cookie" and have angry-looking chocolate chip cookies on them.

Down to the rental office— it seems that my messy hair, pajama bottoms and sleepy look convinced them I wasn't trying to break in— and I got my new keycard. People on the street looked at me like I was a hobo. A hobo in really cool pants... I hope.

Tomorrow I start internship #2... and I get full-on radio software training! This should be an improvement over my yelling at Dalet when it wouldn't do what I wanted until Chris, the tech guy, got annoyed by my expletives and came to fix it for me.

Reading week =/= Reading

Since Friday, I have:

- Gone to see Jim Cuddy at Winterlude.
- Left Cuddy early to go to an all-ages metal show at Maverick's and see Adrian play.
- Left the metal show to drink beer away from 15 year-old Kanata kids.
- Ran into John Sergeant. Reminisced.
- Had the annual Valentine's dinner at Mamma Teresa's with the usual suspects...
- Likely been banned from Mamma Teresa's.
- Watched "Knocked Up". For the first time. Don't judge.
- Wondered why the single best scene of the film was cut out.
- Made chocolate pudding.
- Locked myself, the keys, and my phone in the apartment of a friend that I'm looking after.
- Consoled myself with chocolate pudding.
- Within 20 minutes, acquired Sasha to help me jimmy the lock with a right angle and a Shoppers Optimum card.
- Used the serendipity of our hooliganism to catch up on life over coffee.
- Had an impromptu dinner date at my place with Tejas after ditching her at coffee because of the apartment debacle. Finished the chocolate pudding for dessert.
- Went on a sexy skating date on the canal with Glo.
- Embarrassed myself on the canal with my utter lack of skating abilities.
- Ate beavertails to ease the pain of failure.
- Added copious amounts of Bailey's to my and Glo's hot chocolates to forget my epic skating fail.
- Went to a fantastic rock show at Zaphod's.
- Got double shots by accident thanks to Glo talking about my boobs... and a well-placed grab.
- Drank pints and enjoyed fantastic company in the window booth of the Brig.
- Spent the last third of the night trying to convince a friend that he should, despite his new relationship in TO, accept the married couple's offer of a threesome. Mumbled something about area codes. Was the picture of morals and grace. May have said "if I were your girlfriend, I wouldn't be upset... in fact, I'd be impressed. I'd probably high five you."
- Walked home with the Sarge. Compared winter trenchcoats.

So now it's Monday and I'm actually going to work. I'm going to be a diligent student and mark ALL of the first year papers and start pursuing my 20 years later story (because apparently I can't do "20 years ago, Meg was getting potty trained— a retrospective"...) I will finish up my MRP research and bibliograph (yes, now a verb) to my heart's content and be a picture of academic accomplishment. I will even pull out my reading glasses.

... well, until I head out for pints tonight.