rue-madame's Diaryland Diary

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Montreal is France with big boobs

If Montreal didn�t have such harsh winters, I�d move there in a heartbeat. Sure, it�s got a bit too much of a patchouli/crunchy edge and there�s a lack of serious fancypants shopping, BUT it still scores so highly in all of the other Liveable City categories (that TA and I developed) that I�d be willing to sacrifice my snobby designer needs. The Holt Renfrew in Montreal only carries the lower priced MJ line, and I need access to the black label even if I can�t afford it.

Things that make Montreal an ideal place to live:
- located near a body of water, in this case the St Laurent
- good public transportation
- walkable
- universities
- little neighborhoods with distinct flavors
- good markets with good produce, good cheese, good meat/seafood
- good bread and viennoiseries
- cafes and a caf� culture
- bubbling street life
- ethnically diverse
- great restaurants
- affordable
- great live music by bands I actually like

I don�t have our list handy, so I�m sure I�m missing something. But you get the point.

Highlights of the trip: dining by flickering candlelight on Boris Bistro�s terrasse while a combo played lovely samba, eating warm St Viateur bagels (truly the best), shopping at Mojo and Pharmaprix and Lush, strolling along the Canal de Lachine, eating at the Mojo-owner�s recommendation, watching fireworks in Vieux-Montreal, holding hands in a downpour, long baths in the hotel�s amazing bathtub, buying hard-to-find cds like this new compilation, loving too much attention from the hotel porter who looked un p�tit peu like Jason Schwartzman, seeing this movie and finding $1.25 on the way out!

:: And now for the boring health update ::

My left pinkie, as you know, has been giving me trouble. When I described what was wrong with it to my occupational therapist, she doubled the ultrasound treatment in that area and instructed me to refrain from fisting.

Excuse me????

Thank god I�m not into fisting. I am, instead, into following my little exercise chart and occasional submitting to iontophoresis (it�s a process that uses bipolar electric fields to propel molecules into underlying tissue.) I like that it feels like pinpricks, that I can actually feel something happening. Ultrasound is quiet and doesn�t deliver any strong sensation so sometimes I feel a little skeptical about its effectiveness.

I now have a splint on each wrist, as well as a little tiny splint on my left pinkie. I asked the therapist if these were Forever solutions and she said no. Eventually, I will taper off wearing these things as my inflammation disappears and my range of motion returns.

Thank god because with the splints AND the boot, I look like a walking disaster, a demolition man.

In foot news: the foot is fine. I only have to wear the boot for a week more, and boy am I relieved. You cannot imagine how many questions I�ve had to field about the goddamn boot. It�s gotten to the point where instead of gnashing my teeth and snarling, �Look, I�m an old fucking lady with bad feet and I had a bunion removed, ok?� I first say, �Oh that? Skateboarding.� If they look like they believe me, I let it die. Who�s to say I can�t ollie? If they look incredulous, I add, �Actually, I did it in my Extreme Yoga class.� One guy yesterday was so insistent with his �was it a foot or a leg injury?� business that I replied, �It was my foot. I had a bone split, moved over and now there�s a titanium screw in there holding everything together. I�m the Terminator!�

3:51 p.m. - 2005-07-07

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