ear stabbings

Went cycling with David. It was cooooooold! We sat on the sunny rocks by the lake past Humber Bike Bridge and watched the waves (big!) break on the shore. I told David the story of when Jeff and I went to Hawaii and Jeff went body surfing and how it was so easy to pick him out because he was so pale compared to everyone else, and how I almost drowned when I tried body surfing myself. I offered David a quarter to go body surfing in Lake Ontario, but he said no.

Got my ears pierced last night! After dinner at the Pickle Barrel (Urban Tapestry's hangout these days) at Centerpoint Mall, Jodi and Allison took me to beauty salon in the mall. Free ear piercing with the purchase of studs. I chose my earrings, settled into the chair. Across from me, a father was getting his ear double-pierced...his sons were paying for one earring each as a birthday present. I would have been more amused if I hadn't been so nervous. Then it was my turn.

The Ear Piercing Woman used a felt tip marker to mark the spots on my earlobes, gave me a mirror to approve. Then she called the other Ear Piercing Woman (who had just finished with the father) to help with me.

"It's easier if you get both ears done at once, trust me," she told me. One positioned herself on each side of me, and then each of them took the Ear Staple Gun (I'm sure there's a proper name for this instrument, but it sure did look like a staple gun to me!) and held it up to one of my ears. I felt like I was trapped! I looked at Allison and Jodi for reassurance, but they were laughing at me!! What loyal music partners they are!! Allison wished she had brought her camera.

Ear Piercing Woman #1 said, "Okay, ready? One...two...three..." A loud CLACK and a brief pinching sensation in my left ear. What happened with the other one?

"Sorry," said Ear Piercing Woman #2. "You moved." Then she did my other ear. And that was it. EPW#1 turned the chair so I could see my newly-studded ears in the mirror. I checked closely...no spurting blood, no ear cartilage dangling. Hey, that wasn't nearly as bad as I thought.

So I have to keep these "trainer ear studs" in my ears for the next six weeks. Turn them twice a day, dab both sides with alcohol. After that, I'm allowed to change my earrings ("But do it right away or your ears will close up on you!"), but have to make sure I have earrings on at all times for a year...
all for the sake of vanity.

I find the whole ear piercing ritual fascinating, a sort of rite of passage for most women and some men, a secret club in which the membership fee is a moment of pain and the desire to attach foreign objects to one's anatomy (of course, there are all those other piercing clubs, but I'm not ready to go there :)). Part of me feels as if I've caved to the norm, but the other part can't wait to go shopping for cool earrings!

Did some babysitting yesterday. I took Sara to a coffeeshop after the playground and we had hot chocolate and cookies. She carries Dolly Kajolly everywhere with her. If I haven't mentioned her before, Dolly Kajolly is a battered-looking doll that Sara has had for about three years. VERY battered-looking. She looks as though she has a very deep (and slightly grey) tan, but the tan is really dirt. Her hair used to be blonde and in two neat braids. Now it's matted and grimy, and her bangs stick up like little horns, sculpted into place by dirt. She is much loved. Excerpt from my conversation with Sara yesterday:

ME: Annie loves you a lot.

SARA: I know! (nods head in agreement)

ME: Do you love Annie?

SARA (fervently): I love Annie very, very much.

ME: That's nice.

SARA: But MOST of all, I love my Dolly! (hugs Dolly)

I sense disaster approaching when Dolly inevitably falls apart (looks like she's close to that now)...loses an arm, a leg, an eye, whatever; the eyelashes of one have already fallen off. Or is (horror of horrors) lost. Ruth and Kaarel bought a replacement Dolly identical to the original years ago, but of course she looks so unlike Sara's current Dolly that Sara would see through the deception immediately. We'll see what happens.

To all those going to OVFF this weekend: hope you all have fun! Hug Diana for me!! And please do post a report on how it went.

Thanks to Beckett and Gary, who sent me some pics to post on my blatherings since my scanner doesn't work! I'll be posting those over the next while (the one today is from Beckett, taken just outside the CN tower... from left to right: Taunya, me, Alisa).

To all you Canadians: HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EH? Have a great weekend, everyone!