Canada the holiday thief, and other randomness du jour.

It’s been too long, so here’s a fresh serving of randomness du jour…

Today is Columbus Day. It is also Thanksgiving for America’s neighbors to the north. You can read up on the history of these holidays on Wikipedia if the curiosity strikes you. I did, and it turns out I might have jumped the gun on accusing Canada of swindling our national holiday. But I don’t feel like summarizing such a bland topic here, so I’ll proceed. 

Speaking of Turkey Day, however, I’ve been on the hunt for some canned pumpkin, but Poitiers seems to be fresh out. The beginning of October is always one of my favorite times of the year in California, when the weather gets real crisp, and people pretend the seasons are actually changing. I can almost feel that breeze right now, hear the rustling leaves of the pear trees in my front yard. It’s finally getting chilly here, colder than any October in LA, but there’s no Starbucks spiced lattes to be found, and I haven’t walked by a single shop with foil bats hanging from the ceiling or artificial spider webs tacked to every surface. It’s cheesy, but at least at home I know what month it is based on the excessive smattering of holiday decorations everywhere I look. With no pumpkins popping up on people’s stoops, and no possibility of whipping up some pumpkin muffins or pumpkin soup, I feel a bit adrift here.   

We did feast tonight, in honor of one Canadian and her Day of Thanks. Maple-marinated salmon, homemade mashed potatoes, cooked carrots and a salad stock full of veggies. It was the biggest meal I’ve eaten in a while and my tummy won’t let me forget that. I think I’ll be full for days. The Canadians and Americans plan to prepare a more traditional Thanksgiving feast as it nears the fourth Thursday in November. I’m going to be on the lookout for a can of fried onions, because green bean casserole is straight up obligatory on Turkey Day. My hopes are not elevated by any means. It’s ironic, that they’re called French’s onions…

In other news, I’m in the middle of registering for classes for the Spring : one more business class, two IR classes, and film symposium - hopefully! That’s the >300 person lecture that’s impossible to get into, but I swear speakers like Spielberg and Brad Pitt pop by every Thursday evening. And I will be a second semester senior. OK, T for timeout. Senior? I’m graduating? I read an email today from the USC Career Center which included a note, something like, “Seniors, these workshops are for you! Come meet employers and finalize your resumé and GET YOUR BUTT OUT INTO THE REAL WORLD!!” Something kind of like that. I’ve been reading these things for four years. Now they’re talking to me. But muahahaha I have three more semesters to go after graduation. Yeah grad school! I’m still safe for the moment.

I’ll wrap up with some photos from the past few days - things I’m diggin’, random weekend nights - pictures you probably don’t want to see, but I will want to have them when I look back on this blog later in life, so in they go.

> > > PHOTOS AFTER THE JUMP

France’s version of honey crisp apples? I’ll take it.This little guy accompanies me wherever I go. Although I recently learned the translation for cuttlefish is not included. Kinda glad I opted for a different selection on the menu that night. {Lighter for scale, dur.}It’s far too freezing for drinks and hors d’oeurves in Brad’s courtyard.First night post-detox : bread and cheese and chocolate and cachaça !Jilly love lamp?Fun nights always start at Rue de la Tranchée. But watch out for falling bags of ice water.

Goodnight for now, tout le monde. I’ll be back with news of gourds.