Brennan's Life: November 2014

Sunday, November 23, 2014

TOW: Reading books that reflect your life

Sometimes books find us.

When I was younger, I used to peruse Coles bookstore, looking for a book that spoke to me. And believe me, I looked through nearly every book, trying to find 'my kind of books.' And it wasn't always apparent to me which ones were 'mine.'

Some stories never have, and never will, speak to me. I was just recounting to my friend Liz how I dropped the book The Luminaries within the first 30 pages. I didn't realize, when I first started reading it, just how bored I get with certain fiction genres. (I definitely feel like bored town gold rush and stories focusing on mining or oil don't interest me.) She was sympathetic in many ways. I am sure she feels that way about many books I recommend to her. Probably at least part of the reason our attempt at a book club failed. (Note: Room is not a nice novel to have as a first book club novel. Child abuse doesn't really appeal to some people as a conversation topic.)

I used to be in love with Mercedes Lackey. She was everything to me. I read and re-read her novels. The Sword of Knowledge was one that I kept coming back to. (Even though she was a co-author with another person, her voice came loud in clear in her style of writing) In no way, was there ever an actual, physical sword that had magical powers within the book. I kept wishing for it to be there, though. Each reading, I looked again, to see if I could find the Sword of Knowledge, somewhere within in the pages. It wasn't until many years later, with much reflection, that I realized that the sword was knowledge. The book was actually about magicians, people with weak arcane powers that in all honesty, were more scientists than magicians. And that made them powerful. Knowledge was more than power, it was a weapon, and it was often the character who used it as a weapon was the one that was least expected to use it as such.

For years, I have been looking for magic in the real world, not unlike the character in the book I am currently reading. The Magicians, by Lev Grossman. When I was younger, I found it in fantasy novels. When I matured a little, I found it in God. When I faced adversity as I became older, I found it in myself. The main character goes through many phases of unhappiness, and is often left questioning his own existence, even when he has nearly all the power in the world.

I sometimes feel that I have all the power in the world, and nothing to do with it. I have time. I have opportunity. And yet I do not find what I need to find and I am not becoming the kind of person I need to be. Like in The Magicians, the main character feels like he constantly misses the mark (and often he does). Because even with all the power in the world, it doesn't mean that life turns out like a certain kind of fairy tale.

And that's because as often as you choose stories, those stories choose you. You make choices, decisions in your life, and yet no matter what, we have narratives that we weave through those stories. When I was really down during my early twenties, I found The Alchemist. When I was discovering who I was in high school, I was in love with The Catcher in the Rye. When I decided to do a master's thesis in philosophy, I was attracted to the very antithesis of my desires in Augustine. And I became that antithesis while trying to think through a difficult problem in my life, and within the sphere of reason and religion. I am still thinking in that sphere, as a fallen human being, one with a chaotic, sinful nature requiring grace.

Though we cannot always choose which books, which stories, which tales and fables will make us who we are, many of us struggle against the monotony of daily tasks to realize something different than is displayed to our five senses, something real and tangible, yet not necessarily affecting our direct lives.

It's often these kind of stories that keep us safe, keep us warm at night.

Sunday, November 02, 2014

How I made my Halloween costume

So, if we be friends on Facebook, you might have seen this photo:

I'ma-say-one thing:

BORK BORK BORK.

Here's my journey to make the costume:

First, I went to King Fabrics, where I found a beautiful white faux fur. I thought it would be a good idea to attempt to dye it. After consulting several costume and design expert friends of mine, I went ahead with this little experiment.

I bought a tub to dye the fabric in, and I dyed it out on my front lawn in near freezing conditions.

This was the type of dye I used. It looked really good in the water, like it would take to the right colour. However, this was the end result:

I learned, after consulting several comment sections on professional dye websites, that non-natural fabrics will not hold dyes properly. Which turns out to be true! When I applied even a little bit of water to the fabric, it turned right back to white. You can see a bit of it on the edge to the right. there. What I learned from this: Don't dye anything other than cottons and simple tshirts, etc.

The Real Deal

Costume-the baking equipment: I went and got a baker's apron, and a back up paper chef hat, if I couldn't source a proper hat, at an asian restaurant wholesaler near my workplace. They had the right hats there, but not in the right colour. There was also Malabar costumes, which had the right hat, but it was $22! What! I ended up travelling to Amazing costumes, which is in the middle of nowhere Etobicoke, and managed to get it for $6.00 or so, though it was an hr long ride to go to amazing costumes, or whatever it's called. (Which I will go next year, to get my costume, because they have pretty much everything.) I bought the utensils at walmart.

Costume-The shirt and tie: Thankfully, I own a blue striped shirt, just the right kind! The bow tie, I bought a back up for $10 at Winners, but it wasn't the right colour. I posted on Facebook to source out winners to get a red bow tie, but it was several days later, and my friend Dez posted on my Facebook on how to turn a full tie into a respectable bow tie, WHICH WAS PERFECT, since I owned a shiny red full tie! DONE. (That being said, I had to apply tape in certain placed to get it to stay.

The Facial Hair (FROM THE BEYOOOOOND):

I went down on Queen street west, and found a 'back up fabric', that I thought was passable, for $5. However, the colour was too dark, and not red enough, so I wasn't happy with it. The next store I walked into, BAM! They had the exact colour I needed! However, I was forced to buy a yard of it, which meant it cost me about $12. (In other news, if anyone wants to make a faux fur hat....)

The moustache: Was actually much smaller than I expected. You can see the final result here. I made the mistake (several times) of making the 'stache so big it almost looked like a beard. And I also made the both similar shapes, which meant I had to be creative how I placed it on my face, or it would look off.

Eyebrows: The eyebrows were easy. Two pieces of square fabric, which I teased the hair up and outwards to make it look 'Swedish.'

Applying to the Face: I had considered creating a foam head, but I thought it would be too much work, and also, I suck at that kind of stuff. (Not to mention it would be too hot, and I wouldn't be able to really enjoy myself.)

As you can see, taping it to your face doesn't really work very well.

The final product looked good even with tape. I, in the end, used spirit gum, which is like a people friendly glue. I would say that you need to do a 'base coat and wear it for a bit, and then reapply. Half my stache fell off after a couple hours. (Because I only reapplied one side.) You really need to factor in sweat. Here's the final product with me with my friends out at DA CLUB. ^_^

And yes, that's a cop with a prisoner, and a chef with a hot dog. =)

All and all, this costume idea took me almost exactly 30 days. Not an easy task. Next year, it'll be something even better, I hope! =)

Trip to Ottawa

Weekend before Halloween, I went to visit my friends Graham and Kendall (and their little one, Ned) as well as Travis and Mal (who have recently moved to Ottawa)

This is me on a train! Happy times. Was a really nice ride to Ottawa, got to do a lot of writing.

Ottawa train station on a Friday night. Spooky.

Graham picked me up, and we picked up sushi from 168 Sushi. I commented how it looked like a strip club.

Here's us having a quiet meal because Ned is asleep. All of us were fading fast because we had long days. Kendal and Graham had been up late with Ned the night before.

They let me stay in Ned's room. Very cute. =)

We get ready the next day to visit the Ottawa War Memorial.

Look at this little rascal.

Graham posing with his happy face.

Fountain!

The crowd is here, paying respects to the fallen soldier, 24 years old who was shot to death by someone claiming to be part of ISIS. The police later confirmed that he was acting alone. I felt incredibly sad, but, also not proud, but something like it as I visited the monument. I always try and pay my respects when I come to Ottawa.

Parliament buildings.

The Centennial Flame, which confirms 100 years as a Confederation as Canada. The change is gathered from it and given to the winner of the Centennial Flame Research Award, to someone with disabilities doing research on persons of interest with disabilities, or activities of Parliament.