Random Memories

I bought an electric grill the other day and I cannot contain my excitement. Since moving to Vienna 7 years ago I have dreamt of having a terrace so that we could finally have a bbq. Since this probably won't be happening for many many years, I decided to pick up an electric grill and it is amazing. Last night we fired it up (turned the knob and plugged it in) and made some burger. I honestly feel that my quality of life has tripled. Look, I'm a somebody now. The burgers were great, the slightly toasted buns were great and we accompanied our feast with a viewing of the bachelorette.

When the Husband and I first moved in together in Toronto 9 years ago, we lived in a tiny bachelor apartment near Queen Street. It was an amazing location but a horrid apartment. It was about 15-20 square meters and on the groud floor with windows facing out onto the back entrance to the apartment building. We had to cover the windows so that people would stop going up to the window and staring in. It was dark. We never bought furniture and instead waited until the end of the month when people would throw out their sofas and chairs and what not. Boy were we excited and constantly fighting off our Chinese neighbours (we were close to China Town) for crap old furniture. We paid 800 dollars a month for our little hole and we truly loved it.

On our first night all we had was an ancient tv from Goodwill which had those push buttons on the side to change the channel. The reception/ cable connection was a nightmare and we would have to stay very still in odd positions to get a consistent picture. It wasn't until the Husband accidentally poured water onto the tv while watering our bonsai tree that we went out and bought a newer second hand tv- now with a remote- that we realised our lease included full cable. Oh the joy! Our first joint show when we first moved into together was, you probably guessed it, The Bachelorette. This was the one with Trista and Ryan and it is nice to know that they are still married and with children living, I believe, in Colorado.

In recent weeks I have had a weird bout of Canadian homesickness and I have resorted to watching Breakfast Television online to get my Toronto fix. When they do the weather report I get all sorts of confused. Perhaps next year we will make the journey over- it has been 4 years since I have had a slice(s) of Pizza Pizza and an Ice Cap. Perhaps my homesickness is due to having the kid and the fact that I lived abroad and always had an idealised view of my home country.. and the fear that he won't get to experience so many things there that I had to wait until I was in my 20's to enjoy- like a Blue Jays game.

So to get over this nagging feeling of heimweh I need to think about having my awesome new electric grill, having a balcony, watching The Bachelorette without commercials and knowing it is socially acceptable to drink sparkling wine at 10 in the morning- and not having to pay 800 dollars to live in den of darkness.

Le sigh, eh?