Last Eleven Days in the Tdots.

Fuck, I still have so much to do.  I'm not even going to type it out here, because it'll merely make my stomach churn (Mexico already did, so I don't need a repeat of that certain bout).

Went down to Cycle Solutions today to have them look at my derailleur hanger and totally got made fun of (in the kindest of ways).  I told them I was a poor student; A., the manager there, told me to stuff it because he didn't believe a bit of it.  "You bring in your Cervelo in here and you tell me you're a 'poor student'?!  And, your WATCH!  Look at that thing!"  

Bumped into random people outside Jet Fuel Coffee, one of whom is T., who also rides for CS.  Ms. B. and I end up having coffee with T.  Crazy stories of him cycling down from San Diego to LOS CABOS, MEXICO (caveat: if you drive it, it merely takes, oh, 26 hours), and how he ended up riding / racing Mexican mountain / road racing events.   And, how he RODE to and from each of his world cup events in Europe later on that same summer.  As in, from Berlin, then over to London.  Crazy.  He put in 6,000 miles that summer alone.

Me: T., do you know why you're still single?

Him: Because .... I ride?

Me: mmhmmm!

I promised him that I'll try to have the OCA line up copious amounts of women for him when he wins the title again this year.  

The scuzzbag owner of the coffee shop also gave me the dirtiest head-to-toe checking out, too.  SCUZZY!

Ah.  I will miss the TO cycling scene.  A lot.

So, wrapping up a life in North America ...

...good news to report here.

I PAID OFF MY TUITION!

Let's just say it was a lot of money. Oxford requires FULL payment of the amount upfront; my friends who are attending Wharton and Chicago have the luxury of paying off their tuition in installments. Words cannot express my relief. It was easy to drop that amount of cash in one go ... all those years of saving, and then, *blink*, all gone. It's all for a good personal investment, that's what I'll say.

Anyway, what else is new? Running errands lots. Spending time in coffee shops lots. Cycling lots. As in, cycled down to Philadelphia from Toronto last weekend with Y. and F. It was kinda killer, but tonnes of fun. These two thought that they had "no game" with women, and was probing me for "tips." Apparently, the best line to use on a girl is:

Hey! Your hair looks different today. You must've done something to it.

If she didn't do anything to it, her response would be, "Really? Yes, I guess I did floof it up a bit more today."

If she DID do something to it, she would say, "Yes! I did! I'm SO glad you noticed."

Nothing but net value gains in both type of responses.

Other good moments include:

• When I squirted some ketchup and putting some salt into F.'s drink, and he drank half of the drink without even noticing it (I almost died laughing).
  
• During a state of dire straits during a rest stop and needed tampons (yes ...). I was gripping Y.'s arm, and was like, "Where are they?! WHERE ARE THEY!?!?!?!?!" His eyes widened and he murmured, "....condoms?"
• When I screamed at F. during a steep and killer 30-minute climb in PA, "Fred, I hate you!" . "And I MEAN IT!"
  

Anyway, some photos to prove the trip:

Y. and I zipping along somewhere in PA or NY.

Me, fast as lightning.


We got to Philly. Oooh yeah.

Three more weeks in Toronto. All kinda unreal. Wow. I can't believe I'm leaving this place for good.

Ahh, the break.

So, I am on break right now. I woke up last Monday, feeling neurotic as hell, wondering: "what do I do now?!" Anyway. Coffees. Enjoying Toronto. The lot.

As for heartache, it was mended, but turns out that the guy is a total dick. I feel so used.

Two more days at work.

One word: wow.

I'm kinda terrible at the whole thing, actually. Rolling into work at 9.45 a.m. Taking breezy, two-hour lunches. And then, leaving at 5 pm.

Currently, I am saddled under a pile of forms to fill. And a mosquito bite (bee sting?) on the inside of my right arm, where its diameter is expanding exponentially in size ... the only thing I miss at work are probably the nurses that are down the hall. I got a quick diagnosis of this welt: if it expands, go to the clinic tomorrow.

Well ... I kinda knew that already.

TWO MORE DAYS!

Last eight days of work.

The end is imminent. I thought this day would never come. I'M DONE MY JAWB IN EIGHT FECKING WORKING DAYS!


(cue parades and colours and streamers and balloons ... now).

It's gotten to the point that I ... just. don't. care. anymore. Rolling into work at 9.30 a.m. Two-hour lunch breaks. Leaving at 5 p.m. Punching work back to the unit ("Sorry, I just don't think I should do any follow-up work, since my departure is imminent.") It is fantastic.

Anyway, it'll be good. Cooking. Cycling. Cleaning. Domestiquing. Seeing friends. Making food for them. Sleeping in. Not worrying aboot time. Enjoying Toronto in the summer. Oh, and I also got a part-time gig, teaching cycling at some evil pharmaceutical company for the rest of the summer. Not bad!

I've also moved out of my last apartment and into Nahawna's abode for the next 2.5 months. So much better. For starters, we actually eat dinner together, and she is sane.

As for travels, the plan is to go to Hongkouver Island (a.k.a. Vancouver Island) avec Ms. B for a bit of a cycling trip, and maybe a quick jaunt to Centro Americano for five days or so. That's the fluid plan.

---

As for heartache, heart is mended. As usual, I was neurotic beyond repair. I heart.

Heartache.

We had a great outing last weekend, and was supposed to go out again on Thursday night. And then, radio silence ... what heartache. I actually fancy this guy, too.

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Just got back from a bike / dinner / dessert kinda thing with my Jet Fuel boy.

I am on cloud 9. Or 10.

Totally weak-kneed.

heart.