piecemeal

We discuss the co-op as a social institution to provide highly sustainable conscious living options framed in an alternate economic system, we discuss our lifestyle in terms of providing an energetic socially dynamic community, we mention the delights of chore load-balancing, or the therapy of constant laughter.

But don't underestimate the power of damn good food.

6 delicious nutritious dinners a week, brunch on Saturday; international vegetarian and vegan multi-course meals, fresh bread and desserts, home-baked granola for breakfast - and each of us only cooks (and cleans) twice a month. Forget fetching papa's pipe and slippers: I vigorously vote that the embrace of kitchen scents are the best greeting at the door in the evening. (Not to mention a nonsense conversation around the dinner table rating as the best painkiller ever.)

I love tasting the new foods folks try out, rejoicing to see my favorite flavours in new incarnations, and pushing myself to discover or develop new recipes for 14-person meals that strike me more as a celebration than a chore. Kate's famous meals took her all afternoon and presented us with the quandary of whether to photograph or dig into the intensely beautiful cuisine laid out for us. It wasn't just intensely YUMMY, it was intensely artistic.

But I must say, as nice as the lack of responsibility for food prep is... I have fun too on nights where we have a gap in the calendar and everyone gathers in the kitchen for an impromptu meal pieced together and enjoyed together.

email to the house, 5 august

Glenn came into the room tonight carrying clean laundry. "Would it be unusual to, like, have a squirrel in your house?" Apparently he accidentally scared off an unidentified scurrying object which skittered down the hall with more energy than our cats can muster. In honor of this exotic incident, I thought I'd post an email I sent in August. This has been a reoccuring battle, to BJ's dismay.

So this morning I chased a squirrel out a few times. The weird thing was he seemed to have paper in his mouth.

I said to him, "Squirrel, is THAT what you'e risking a trip into our house for? Get the fuck outta here you knucklehead." Admiring my guidance counseling, he zig-zagged over to the heater then agreeably leapt out the window where the fan is.

I went down the hall but a few moments later heard some rustling in the common room again. Walkin down the hall, I spotted no Haymarketeer in the social area... but zeroed in on the squirrel, who was (I kid you not) squeezed next to the board games beside the orange couch and tearing off Sesame Street wrapping paper with its paws and mouth. "All right you little bugger! Get OUT!" And I chased him out the window. He dropped his crumble of gift paper so I threw it out the window after him (I'm not being cheap about the paper, just enforcing the no-squirrels policy). He paused and looked at the paper with curiousity, but decided not to fetch it and bounced off.

I turned the fan on high, so the engine and noise would scare off squirrelly scavengers, and came to alert y'all via email. I made it to the second paragaph before I had to chase the creature out of the room AGAIN.

The squirrel can get in even if the window is open an inch. Please close the windows when you are not in the room.

Thank you,

The Squirrel Sheriff

Even vegetarians don't appreciate rodent invasion (Horton was a housemate):
the Rat Hunters last winter.

the new math

"You don't talk to me like that," Sophia said as Ciara strongly encouraged her to ruin her dinner appetite and taste the vegan lemon poppyseed dessert, "unless you have a whip!"

Ciara laughed. "I have cigarettes and a delicious cookie, bitch, that's equivalent to a whip."

autumn sunday

Glenn had never carved a jack o' lantern before.

Plus the carving knives came with a free glitter pen, hello.

sitting in a tree

sex therapist sophia, keith, ben, german lisa

There have always been couples in Haymarket, but similar to the wealth of scrumptious food we've been sharing this season, I think the couples scene is currently flooded with some particularly impressive, enjoyable extensions to the community.

I speak from the privileged position of recently acquiring a beautiful roommate myself.