Broca's Area

Only one stop today, no M and M’s and we went to the LCBO yesterday. Jon got a new laptop, and the store we got it at is next door to the LCBO so I went yesterday. I am marking essays. Isabelle doesn’t want to talk about work. Isabelle is teaching French and art today. Plus, she got some blinds and rapid tests. Most people wore masks. We stand for Democracy, we stand with Ukraine.

The Ontario government, in all its wisdom, has ended the mask mandate. I still wore a mask today, as did the vast majority of shoppers. Work continues. The war continues. We talked a bit about it today. You can take your whataboutism and shove it. No M&M’s today. They’re removed the social distancing reminders from the store, as you can see in the picture. Somewhat chilly today but pleasant enough.

I think it’s spring! The war continues, but we didn’t talk about it this week. Isabelle is working on an experience visiting her studio/gallery. Maddie and Ross are visiting. Ken is visiting and we should be doing a Tangential Convergence today! Mask mandates are lifting soon. Dunno what I think about that. Wait, I know exactly what I think…. It’s Jon’s birthday soon.

Minus thirteen and 15 cm of snow, that’s what greeted us today. I didn’t want to have to shovel any more, but I had not choice. Mask mandates end soon, which is probably a bad idea. The war rages on, we’re with Ukraine all the way. My Russian friend got out. Isabelle has a chilly art walk today. I gave tests all week, and consequently marked tests al week.

The war continues. Art continues. Work continues. Masking continues. I’m pretty used to the masks, but if they work well they send up smiling like someone’s mouth, my mouth, pretty quickly. It’s hard to concentrate lately, gee I wonder why? The sign never changes. Not a bad day, supposed to start getting above greeting soon. We stand for democracy, We stand with Ukraine. Слава Україні!

Nice day today. You can even feel the sun’s warmth! Now, don’t get too excited, it’s still -14 or something. ISABELLE GOT A GRANT. She seems good at getting grants. My break week is over. The sign doesn’t seem to change. Oh yeah, Russia invaded Ukraine. Way to go tough guy. I’m gearing up for a conference. A virtual one. Isabelle has all kinds of stuff planned for her gallery, THAT GOT A GRANT.

Isabelle keeps coming up with good titles. It snowed, again. I have shovelled the driveway 68 times so far this year. Isabelle has a pretty cool art virtual event this afternoon. I had a jean jacket with a big patch on it back in the 90s. I think punk and grunge clothing styles emerged from people having no money. I. have never stolen jeans out of a donation bin for Isabelle. I caught my mask on one of my earrings.

Yesterday it was 1, today it is -22. Super Bowl tomorrow, I don’t really care, Isabelle cares less. Jon likes it. Shopping was fine, no supply chain issues. Oh yeah, I didn’t note the sign, but it is still Git cards, gift cards, gift cards. Bag today, but free club soda! I had my first in. person teaching week, it went well. Isabelle continues to art.

Cold one today. Isabelle got some bread ties (or tags as they call them) from a friend (and listener) in Australia! I think she should sell bread tie art. Twenty-eight thousand apiece. I’m mad. I don’t think trying to understand Nazis is important. The stores were not that busy as we went early. Isabelle has a virtual opening at her micro gallery today. I’ll be making sarcastic comments. The work is inspired by a. lot of things, including the Brian Cox who isn’t in Succession.

A little later than usual today. Isabelle has been learning photoshop. The thing about that ‘‘convoy’ is it is run by actual Nazis. Some people are cool with that. Isabelle got some feedback on a grant application this week. I taught from home again this week. I order masks. It’s my thing that I do. I had a vision once. So did Isabelle. Monster snowbanks!

That’s Isabelle talking… Isabelle is getting bread ties from Australia. She makes art with them. I order masks as a sort of. hobby now. We’re back face to face in the classroom on Feb 7. I forgot to get Jon’s beer, so we had to go to the beer store, so you get a nice tour of the beer store. I have shovelled the driveway 50 times so far.

-28 is cold. I don’t care what temperature scale you are using. My first week back teaching online, went well. Isabelle has some great stuff coming up at her micro gallery. It was fun hearing her process. Saw two people today with their noses not covered. Idiots. Wore an N95 to shop today, so there’s that. Seems like there were fewer people out than usually, but that may be because we went shopping about 30 min earlier than usual. Did I mention how freaking cold it was?

Back on our Saturday schedule. No LCBO trip this week, we’re good for booze. We checked Tom’s house for the last time. I’m not really ready for my sabbatical to end. I wonder how the term will go. Some people leave their noses out of their masks. I am cynically and cautiously optimistic. I actually said ‘if we put a man on the moon’ without irony.

Yup, another Wednesday cast. We’ll be back to normal Saturday. I lost my points, then I got them back. Jon is doing online school for a bit. I hate MS Teams with every fibre of my being. Isabelle go another grants! The stores were quiet. No bag or box! The sign is not offensive.

Another excellent title from Isabelle. Christmas has come and gone. Isabelle has been arting. She also made a video, and here is the link. I’m getting ready for the term. Happy New Year, or, end of this year! I thought the worst thing about the twenties was going to be flapper themed parties. I was wrong. Isabelle is a big fan of Highway Through Hell.

WEDNESDAY! THE WHOLE WORLD HAS COME UNGLUED! Well it turns out that Saturday is Christmas, so yeah, we shopped today. Also, we had Jon along! The three of us had our third shots today. It snowed a lot. This is our Christmas episode. We both like Christmas carols, and we’re atheists. This is my first Moderna, after two Pfizers. Oh and of course, Merry Christmas.

Early one today, because tomorrow will be a nightmare, and Isabelle has a thing. I saw a maskless family. Long lines in the store. Weather has been weird. Pretty windy today, yesterday was nuts. Isabelle is making hats with a machine. Do people play lead or rhythm harp? Isabelle will learn how to play violin.

Horrible mix of rain and snow and sleet and ice and awfulness. Packages are slow. I get my workouts in by shovelling the driveway. Isabelle is working on cool art projects, as she does. It probably snowed 20 cm in the time I was in the grocery store. There are Tim Hortons everywhere.

We have very few traditions on the podcast, one of them is recording when we get our tree! So, we recorded when we got our tree. It was not an epic poem this year, it was pretty easy! I even thought about bringing out the little base thing to screw it on to the tree before bringing it into the house. So, we have a tree! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!

We explain the lack of an episode last week. We brave a lot of varied weather, snow squalls, ice pellets etc. Isabelle sometimes makes ‘cookies’. We have a good discussion about high school. We’ve had a big two weeks to catch you all up on. Christmas Tree special coming soon I imagine. Three stops today as Jon wanted something from M and M. I also bought M&Ms….