Selective Belief in Omens

Even though I went to sleep a good two hours earlier than usual at *gasp* 2 a.m., I managed to sleep-in late enough to miss my first and only class of the day. Comparative Public Law starts at noon and what time did I get up? Noon! Oh yes. Somehow, this genius thought that it would be a good idea to trust her body clock and not set an alarm. How could I forget that my sleep bank needed to be topped up by a few hours?

I think I was just too exhausted last night to really apply any logic. I even knew that Dave would be at the Lab really late working with colleagues on another insane problem set for his Harvard Physics class and prepping for “Hell Week” so I couldn’t expect him to call at 11. ARGH. In fact, poor Dave just called me at 3:30 a.m. Boston time. Insanity.

I’d like to think of us as some sort of power couple in the making; but clearly, we’re just insane. The power couple thing actually comes from a story I meant to tell y’all last month. What better time than now to tell it?

So Dave’s waiting at a Cambridge bus stop and a cute girl taps his shoulder and says, “This is going to sound weird, but are you Adrienne’s boyfriend?”

Dave’s like, “Um…yes, I am.” (And no, he didn’t have to think about the answer. Ahem.)

Then the girl explains that she is the lovely and smart Hillary Kaell* a long lost friend who frequently dined with me in the RVC cafeteria during our days as McGill Residences Floor Fellows. (That’s Don to the RVCers and other Canadian university alumni. And RA to the Americans. You know, like Noel from Felicity.) Okay, so Hill didn’t actually say that she was lovely and smart since she is humble and has mad social skillz, but she might as well have since her name implies those things. She was with her boyfriend, Jesse, who was also McRez staff back in the day. Turns out Hillary is at Harvard doing her Ph.D. while Jesse is doing his graduate work at MIT. Barbara, a mutual friend (and former RVC Don and Assistant Warden like me) who also just started her Master’s at MIT had introduced Jesse to Dave during their MIT orientation and the rest of this story is pretty easy to piece together.

Anyway, I told this story to Andrea (who like everyone else and their brother is doing interesting graduate work at a prestigious school. University of Edinburgh, if you must know.) and she was like, “Ooooh! Power couple! Just like you and Dave!”

I like this story because it reminds me of my early McGill days when I was perfectly in my element. Ah yes. There was a time when Julia would drop my name when she met new people because I was known and liked by more than the 5 loyal people who stuck around when I got depressed and shit. Anyway.

Depression sucked and the cure (meeting the love of my life and becoming a married Martha-wannabe who moonlighted** as a fag hag) didn’t exactly re-open my social circle; but I could have become a cocky asshole of a student politician instead. And nobody would’ve wanted that.

Holy shit! One of my all-time favourite songs, Video Killed the Radio Star by the Buggles just came on. Go iTunes go! Ooh and it looks like I Hate Myself For Loving You by Joan Jett is next in line. It’s going to be a good day afterall! Rock on, kids!

*I’m so going to get Hillary’s googling stalkers spiking traffic now. Hee. Hello!
**Evidence my brain is turning into mush: I had to think for 2 minutes to remember this word. I actually thought, “Twilighted? No…” It’s no wonder I needed 10 hours of sleep last night. My brain cells need to be regenerated!



5 Responses:


  1. makin' that snowsuit sound Says:

    Today I listened to the Smeared album, and it reminded me of your Sloan obsession and those concerts we went to, and how at the time we wore bellbottoms and corduroy pants were really cool. Remember how someone threw up and they had that guy with the flashlight illuminating it so that no one would step in it, and then some guy came along who wasn’t paying attention and he actually stepped in it and he SLID. So funny, I’m still laughing now. Sigh, memories.


  2. andrea Says:

    you two are the coolest power couple. adrienne clarkson and john ralston saul eat your hearts out!
    (and is it bad if it totally makes my day to be mentioned on your site? i am a blog fame whore!).
    i miss you 🙂


  3. Adrienne Says:

    Coop, I love you. I do remember all that. I hope that I never forget such wonderful things. I guess we’re lucky that we never went through a really horribly awkward teenage phase. I think that we can legitimately say that we were cool teens. Oh yes, our vintage cords bought from some smelly thrift shop in hipperthanthou Kensington Market. Rock.


  4. Adrienne Says:

    Dre, I miss you too! I would’ve loved to have taken part in your international Thanksgiving dinner. Trying to outdo your New Zealand run with your Scottish edition, eh? Sweeeeeeet. You are now famous among a 3-digits of silent readers! Silent readers, please say “hello” to professional blog fame whore, Andrea. You may call her “Andy” or “Dre” too.


  5. Bamboo Star » Blog Archive » The Madam is IN Says:

    […] my beloved friend and reader, Andrea who admits to being a “blog fame whore.” Heck, I’ll be the madam to all you attention-seeking hos if that’ll get me more attention. Val […]

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