The short weeks, to me, are a good chance to work on some smaller projects. You know, the ones that will only take a day or two, or less, but that aren’t important/time sensitive enough to get on the radar in a regular week. It can mean that I feel like I accomplished something in the shorter weeks, and necessary work gets done, but it still makes them feel disjointed, somehow.

So, I’m back in the swing of things… sort of. Next week, maybe.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to belong to a place.

I went on a job interview recently to a province I have never lived in before. The interview came up very very quickly after I applied for the job, and it surprised me. The job is very interesting, but I hadn’t really had the opportunity to research the city before going. While the city itself was pleasant and the people friendly (I wasn’t there long enough to get any more of an impression than that), what has struck me the most since the interview is that I haven’t ever really considered what it would mean to not be a resident of the City of Winnipeg.

How’s that, you ask? Haven’t you lived in a couple of other cities, much further away than the one mentioned above? Yes. I have. But I haven’t ever had to really cut ties with Winnipeg any other time I’ve been off on adventures. I went to France on an exchange program. I lived in Montreal while going to school. I had a summer job in Ottawa (twice). Through all of that, I’ve also been a resident of the province of Manitoba. I voted here. I used my Manitoba Health card. I had a Manitoba driver’s license and auto insurance (benefits and curses to that one, for sure!).

It’s not just the hassle of changing health cards and driver’s licenses that I’m talking about… It’s about the mindset. It’s about the deeply ingrained “Winnipeg-ness” that permeates anyone who grew up here. I’m sure there’s a similar feeling for other people who come from other places. I remember once, listening to the Vinyl Café, and hearing Stuart McLean explain it perfectly (he, of course, was talking about Montreal, but it’s the way I feel about Winnipeg) : “Montreal is my mother tongue.”

My life, up til now, has been more or less analogous to going to a French immersion school. I live in Winnipeg (English), but get to immerse myself in other places (French) on a regular basis, without ever having to really cut ties. Moving now, as a working adult, would be more like waking up in a world where everyone I know now speaks Italian, and having to adapt. You get some of the way things work, and can probably figure out what everyone is talking about (I do speak French, remember), but still spend a lot of the time confused until you figure things out. And eventually, you realize that you haven’t spoken English in quite a while.

I belong to Winnipeg, and Winnipeg, in its own way, belongs to me. Wherever life takes me, whichever place I end up in, and however amazing that place is, in its own way (and I’m sure that each and every place is amazing, once you live there), I suspect that moving might set me adrift for a while.

Turns out that I didn’t get the job, so I don’t have to think about it for now.

My original plan was to try to make it short enough that it would be conceivable for me to read everything on it in a 12-month period. I can see now that that is quite simply not going to happen. Too many books, too many authors, too many genres interest me. Of course, I could always change the parameters, and make it about a particular subset of books (books I should have read in high school but didn’t, for example).

Instead, I’m going do a final cut and post the whole shebang asap. Sure, it’s 600+ items. But if I never post it, it will never get read. I don’t usually go in for the New Year’s resolution (too easy to make and break, and never really had anything particular to resolve that I thought I could/would actually stick with for a year or more), but I think (assuming I can take some of the days I have off over the holidays to get the list in order) that 2012 will be the “Reading List Resolution” year.

It is impressive how a seemingly little change can effectively change the whole feel of your life…

I joined a jazz band in October. It’s great, I’m pretty much back up to having enough stamina to make it through an entire rehearsal now without my lips wanting to part ways from the rest of my body (It used to be so easy… why did I ever stop playing?), and my music reading skills are getting sharper again. You’d think one day a week wouldn’t be that big a deal… but it makes me feel a lot busier. Unlike most of the other things I do outside of work, it is every week, same time, same place. (Is it just me, or does that feel a little like a “same Bat-time, same Bat-channel kind of sentence?)

I also technically joined a gym. The City of Winnipeg offers a pretty great deal for certain groups, including employees of MPOW, on fitness passes. I paid for it in September, and it was activated at the beginning of November. However, since I 1) am lazy, 2) was impressively busy in November with a couple of big volunteer activities that I had been working up to, and 3) have had a series of horrendous colds since Halloween, I haven’t really taken advantage of it, which is a shame, since I love to swim (and will tolerate other gym-based physical activity when I get to it). Here’s hoping the last of this cough goes away over the next few days so that I can get to it!

All that to say that life really is what happens… when you’re busy making other plans.

Currently, the full list sits at just barely under 600 items – far too many for me to reasonably attempt to read in a year, even if I wasn’t working and could devote all of my time to reading. Especially considering that some of these books are very, very long (War and Peace, Ulysses, David Copperfield, most of the science fiction and fantasy, to name but a few).

So I’ve been weeding the list. I’ve crossed off the books I’ve read since graduating from high school. For authors who have several books appearing on the list, I’ve chosen one that will be kept on my list (the others likely to be read later, especially if I actually enjoy said author). For the big names, I’ve tried to keep their most well-known work, but that is sometimes really difficult (F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Dickens, Dostoevsky, D. H. Lawrence in particular were tricky). I’ve also deleted any picture books for kids that made the list, and chose to remove the non-fiction books that were on the ALA list of challenged books because they were about human sexuality in some form. Not that these books aren’t worthy of being read, just that I had to do something to get this list under control!

For other authors, more… material… concerns made the decision. I love buying books and supporting good causes, so every year, I spend some time (and more money than I mean to!) buying books at the Children’s Hospital Book Market. I tend to buy books that are nice looking (hardcovers, quality printings) – ones that I could never afford to buy new – and ones that I think I should read. So, there are quite a few authors on my list whose work of choice is just going to be the one that I own.

For a couple of authors, I’ve left more than one book on the list. This is usually because the books are ones that are a) relatively short, and b) ones that I’ve been meaning to/wanting to read for a long time. Or, at least, ones that I cannot believe that I didn’t read when I was younger (Judy Blume is one of these authors). Other times, it’s because I really don’t know how to choose one book (usually because I’m not familiar with the author), and plan on making my decision based on what’s available in the library when I go. This is the case mostly with the books I took from a list that a friend of mine gave me, who reads a lot more contemporary French books than I do (my reading in French has usually been school-based, and tends towards the classics that I have so studiously avoided in English).

To facilitate my final decision-making, I plan on checking the library to make sure that these books are part of their collection before I finalize this list – it makes my task a little easier if I know I have access to these books without having to buy all of them. With the exception of titles that were known to me (and that I’ve wanted to read for a while), if I can’t get the book from the library, it is likely to be dropped from the list. That will be the primary reason why an author whose name is on the long (very very long) list will disappear from my final list. I already know of one that will be gone, and I’m hoping there won’t be too many more, but that’s work for another day.

Right now, as it is sunny and (relatively) warm for the first time in over a week, I’m going outside.

Happy reading!

First – today is the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s historic flight. Man’s first steps off our planet caught the imagination and the inspiration to reach for the moon – and it only took 8 years to get there. If only we could harness that energy once again, and start reaching back out into space. Meanwhile, take a look at Google’s doodle for today. It’s awesome.

Second – it’s National Library Week (in the United States… I still take it as my own. I <3 libraries too). There are, I am sure, a ton of events all around us to celebrate this. Even CNN is getting in on the act – this is a pretty cool articleabout how librarians are pretty cool in general. It’s really too bad that the author doesn’t mention Brandon Sanderson‘s book Alcatraz versus the evil Librarians. Any profession that can be the evil overlords of the universe has got to be pretty freakin’ awesome.

Finally – and the reason this post is short, and not the book review that I will be working on later – it’s DEBATE night. I watched both the English and French debates last election (and would have voted for Gilles Duceppe – I was in his riding – except that he wants to break up my country) and am planning on doing the same this time. And, while I don’t watch hockey, I’m glad that the French-language debate got moved – I’m busy on Thursday night, and wasn’t sure I would be able to watch it. Follow #elxn41, #db8 and #cdnpoli on Twitter if you want to see the feedback from Canadians in real time.

And so, going back to paying attention to the debate. It’s on!!

Anyhow, because of this, the list that I’m compiling has become so large that I am going to have to cull it before posting – it’s already got four times as many books on it as I read last year, and I have less time.

So, it’s going to take me a little longer to get it posted. When I do, I’ll put the full one up as a PDF so that you can get a look at the full list. And I’ll explain how I chose which books to keep on the challenge list and why the others got culled.

Meanwhile, until the list gets posted, I’m still looking for suggestions to make it more diverse!

That was 4 months ago, and I still hadn’t gotten all my furniture sorted out. I had ideas about what I wanted, but hadn’t taken the time to go looking, or really worried about it that much. I figured that when the time was right, something would show up.

About 6 weeks ago, I started looking again. I stopped at furniture stores when they were convenient to other things I was doing. I looked online. I even looked at 2nd hand stores and antique shops, hoping that something great would come up. (I am a Winnipegger, after all, and we are always looking for deals)

Both the coffee table that I bought a few weeks ago, and the accent chair I bought yesterday (and got into my car, to the surprise of the guys working the loading dock) were found in the clearance sections of local furniture stores.

Now, I know what you’re thinking – clearance furniture? Isn’t that pretty banged up? Well, in the case of the coffee table(s), they looked pretty dinged up. The chair has a couple of scratches, but nothing that wouldn’t have showed up in a couple of months of even moderate use. But the deals were way too good to pass up.

Those tables? Regular price (and they were still available from the store, so I could have paid regular price) was SIX TIMES what I paid. Even when I thought they were going to have to be refinished, that was a good deal. And I like working on things like that, so it’s not like it would have been an onerous task.

The chair? I paid only just over half-price, and while I’m not sure if any of the scratches can be fixed, I’m not too worried. I’m sitting about 5 feet from it now, and I can’t see them, even though I know where they are.

I polished the tables, and bought a stain pen to fill in the worst of the scratches. And, lucky me, while they aren’t perfect, they look pretty damn good. It was a calculated risk, and one that, had it gone the wrong way, could’ve had me sanding and staining tables in my dad’s garage until the river crests. Instead, the tables look great, and I’m sure they’ll get banged up worse the next time I move than they actually were when I bought them.

And the best part about buying clearance furniture? No waiting. I had to wait almost 6 weeks for my couch to come in. And that chair I bought yesterday? If I’d ordered a new one, it was guaranteed to be here mid-June at the EARLIEST. Instead, I loaded it into my car, and had it positioned in my living room within the hour.

My Living Room

Now, just to do something about that big blank wall…

Also, in the past, I’ve kept up a pretty robust list of holds at the public library (30 was not uncommon, though thankfully they never all showed up at the same time). But that is also winding down – I’ve only got 2 left. And this isn’t to say that I won’t read more like these as well

So, my new book challenge is to start in on the list of “good”* books that have been recommended to me over the years. I have a list in my head, and it roughly parallels most “Best Books” lists, and the high school curriculum (I took Business English over Literature, and haven’t read many of the books that most students read in high school – silly me!).

However, as I am not going to start this until I’ve finished the books that I currently have out from the library (some newer books, and some vacation guides), I’d like to get your input: what books do you think I should read?

I’m going to take the time over the next few days to actually compile that list, and then it will get posted here. Once it’s posted, I’m giving myself a year to read as many of them as I can, and write reviews to share here. And, I challenge anyone who is interested to join me in this endeavor. Create your own list, or work off the effort I’ve put into mine and use it. Let me know in the comments if you’re trying to keep up, and I’ll make sure to let you all know where I’m heading next, so you’re not surprised.

*”Good” being in quotation marks as it is a terribly subjective term, and can denote anything from “This was so good I couldn’t put it down, even though the editing is questionable and the writing is lackluster at best” to “This is a piece of quality literature that all people should be required to read”

All of this combines so that I am currently officially labeling myself an “undecided” voter for the first time in my life (all previous addresses were in the same riding, the one I grew up in, so the issues were familiar). Now, I’ve always been interested in the political process (if you don’t participate, you can’t complain, after all), but being “undecided” gives me a different perspective – one that has led me to seek information far more actively than previously.

Case in point: I’ve never been willing to devote entire evenings of my time to politics before, but, if I had heard that Stephen Harper was going to be in Winnipeg, I would have gone to the Conservative event on Tuesday (if it fit into my work schedule, which I’m not sure about). And I did go to the Liberal town hall with Michael Ignatieff tonight.

I’d say that it was enlightening. Thoughts and notes about the evening:

1. They should have chosen a larger venue – but I think that would have meant moving the event out of the St. Boniface riding that it was targeting.
2. Michael Ignatieff is far more engaging and charismatic in person than he has ever come across in the media. He seemed to be comfortable on stage answering questions from and interacting with the audience.
3. French language was a big issue in St. B (Canada’s largest francophone community west of Que.), and Ignatieff didn’t disappoint. His French, while not perfect, was engaging, and far better than I had remembered previously. He even made fun of himself a couple of times when the words escaped him. Language issues were front and centre, and they were addressed all while bringing the conversation back to issues of unity instead of division (e.g.: education, health care)
4. Definition of the Liberal platform: while not a complete view of the entire platform (have to keep something back for the rest of the campaign), he defined it. And it was about time that the non-governing parties start doing just that. Politics of hope, optimism, principles, conviction are what the Liberals are striving for.
5. Academic-speak: talk of “deep language” and “short interrogative statements” may alienate. While in general Ignatieff was easy to listen to, he had tendencies to verge on “University Professor” persona instead of “Political Leader.” Not that they should necessarily be separate, but the former is not likely to win over those who only want the latter.
6. It would be nice if someone could find some adjectives other than “big” and “proud” to describe Canada. We know that already.

Issues touched on:

• Conservative MP Shelley Glover (the riding’s incumbent) foot-in-mouth gaffe when calling long-serving Liberal MP Anita Neville “past her expiry date”. Issues of respect.
• Long-form census (called the Conservative move on this a “bétise idéologique”, which was amusing to me)
• language of fear vs. hope (CPC vs. Libs)
• Guaranteed Income Supplements/CPP
• Contempt of Parliament
• Electoral reform (dodged the question, as it was not well-defined, and also a political minefield)
• Education
• Health
• & how the above 2 are linked (prevention, better care for families, etc.)
• Residential schools (well-linked to Education in general and to national unity)
• Infrastructure. (Housing and transit specific priorities)
• Help for veterans

and, impressively, it took until the last question of the night to get to…

• Kairos and Bev Oda

In the end, it gave me a far better idea of what the Liberal Party of Canada stands FOR, as opposed to what it is AGAINST. And it is definitely time for that.

Now, I’m looking forward to hearing from Jack Layton and the NDP, and Elizabeth May and the Green Party.

Come on, it’s time to convince me that you deserve my vote!

Sorry, Gilles Duceppe/BQ, I wouldn’t vote for you even if I could – that thing about the reason for the existence of your party being to rip apart my country just keeps getting in the way! Also, you don’t run candidates in my province.