One of my favourite things to do in January is send my family in Ontario photos of how green and alive everything is on the west coast and listen to them whine in response.

Like this:



But then I let them whine for as long as they want, because it's only fair. I don't do this to the stepsister most like me, though, because we both get serious seasonal affective disorder symptoms and I know she's having a rough time this winter. She's desperate to move to LA... I'm in full support of this, because then I would have a 100% guaranteed couch down there!

But back to where I do live. British Columbia had a province-wide (but totally non-disruptive and completely voluntary) earthquake drill. At 10am last Wednesday we were all supposed to listen to the radio and its background "music" of simulated earthquake sounds (seriously) and dive under tables.

...never mind the overwhelming advice to the contrary, which states one should "duck and cover" beside large furniture and not under it to take advantage of the likely pockets that will result from collapsed buildings.

...oh well?

I knew about this only because we had a poster delivered to the restaurant that I thought was hilarious and took home after. My boss asked me if I was going to do the drill and I told him there was no point, since I live in a basement apartment and will be dead from everything falling on me regardless of where I hide.

In the end though I was too curious and did turn on CBC radio at 10am that day to listen to the drill announcement. It was pretty boring. To make it more fun I pretended to scream:



Also last week at work a photographer came to take photos for a forthcoming review. My boss announced halfway through that I had to take photos as well, for his possible promotional use, and the magazine's photographer was kind and patient enough to let me do it. We did give her all the freshly-made food to snack on and take home!



I've also decided I need more conventions in my life so I'll be going to Emerald City ComiCon in early March! Probably only for the Sunday (last day) due to work & my Saturday anatomy class, though I'll get to Seattle on Saturday evening. I love going to cities I've never been to before! And I'm really especially excited to see the lovely Rambo again, I can't believe it's been well over a year since our roommate summer! I miss that lady muchly.

I'm hoping to get in another Vancouver weekend before that though! We all beat the winter blues in our own ways, don't we?

OH... can you recommend documentaries on early 20th century immigration to the US from Europe? I'm looking for topics like the overpopulation of the Lower East Side in NYC, or the development of Chicago's highly segregated neighbourhoods, things like that. Books too, but I'm really looking for anything with actual footage from the times and places they speak of.