EPTI'm back for another Blog-day Wednesday! Two weeks in a row; I must be doing something right. My routine otherwise is all out of whack, but at least I'm keeping the main points in place. I'm eating mostly right, my workouts are going well, and I haven't ever been really late for work, and that's all that matters.
I figured that since I glossed over the "how we got here last week," I'd get a little more into the many many topics I have banked over the past 4 months. Today I'm going to talk a little about my new apartment, and a lot about my new favorite reading material: A Song of Ice and Fire.
1. Apartment Living
Searching for an apartment is balls, especially when you don't live anywhere near the place where you're looking. For the first 4 weeks of my job I was looking for an apartment in Toronto while living in Milton, Ontario. Milton is about a half hour drive from Toronto in no traffic. The morning commute in traffic - on public transportation, mind you - is 2 hours. It is for this reason that I started reading, even though I usually slept for an hour during the longest leg of the trip.
We moved in July 1, as I have said. The place is huge, I think. It's almost 1000 square feet, which is much larger than the average offering of 750 square feet. That means a lot of room to move around, and a lot of empty space to fill with furniture. Little by little we're making progress, but until we're done the process of furnishing the apartment has consumed me. I'm always looking at furniture that will round out my vision of how the apartment is supposed to look, and I can't wait to show it off to my house-guests in the future.
It's kind of funny how one's priorities shift over time as they come to realize what's more important in their lives. Let me tell you, you'll never truly realize this until you find yourself buying a clothes iron. I also take a great deal of pleasure in my after-work ritual: listening to jazz on my vintage stereo while washing dishes.
![[image loading]](http://interiordesignblogbylegacy.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/barcelona_chair_m.jpg)
I must have (a good knockoff) of this chair. It costs $6000 and there are two of them at my work.
2. Beating the Heat
This summer in Toronto is hot. So damn HOT! Maybe I never noticed it before because I've only ever been in and out of the city, but every day is 38 C, "feels like 43." Gods, it's awful, and not having an air conditioner is even worse. You have no idea. Some nights I'm walking around covered in sweat. It's unpleasant.
So I figured out how much A/C my apartment needs and told my roommate, and the guy says he's not getting one for his room. He can sweat his ass off, then. I'd prefer not to function like this, and I doubt anyone would want to hang out in my apartment with me without A/C.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/CqyNh.jpg)
Carried this baby home today on the bus. I can't wait to get it running!
3. A Song of Ice and Fire
Since I had so much time on the bus, I borrowed the books from my dear friend Lanfear and began reading about 7 weeks ago. She even has the older copies with the original covers. I'm now a few chapters into A Storm of Swords, and I'm really loving the series.
Having watched the show first, I find the depth that the books offer to be much more refreshing. It also offers a unique take on the show because it makes me wonder why they decided to do things one way or another.
Game of Thrones was more or less scene-for-scene with the first season of the HBO show, while Clash of Kings was much, MUCH better than the second season of Game of Thrones. So many characters in Clash of Kings get no exposure at all in the show. I pretty much had no idea who Roose Bolton was after watching the show, and now reading the books it is that much more clear. Of course I still hit points where I was like, "Aw shit, another Theon/Sansa chapter," but at least they were still better than Sansa in GoT. Obviously whenever I hit Bran/Arya/Jon chapters I'm like, "AWWWWW, YEAH!" Show Daenerys is also terrible when compared to book Daenarys.
I have so many theories about what's going on now that I've read the book. I really really really want to know what actually went on with Rhaegar and Lyanna, and what she made Ned promise. I have a guess, to be sure.
After A Storm of Swords I think I'm going to take a minor break from the series. My friend is currently reading 50 Shades of Grey and she said she'd lend it to me when she's done.
![[image loading]](http://features.cgsociety.org/gallerycrits/219459/219459_1203516332_large.jpg)
The Battle of the Trident - Robert and Rhaegar at the Ruby Ford: one of the most epic moments in the whole series, and there's literally no mention of it in the show.
Valar morghulis.
See you next week!
Tonight's music is my very favorite song. I listened to it every night walking home at 3 AM after studying all day and all night, and it is the PERFECT song for an empty city at night.
