So, where have I been? Well, just here, turning my computer on once in a while and playing Hearts.

I have returned to Montreal in August. I live in a residence for people with mental health problems. There are eight of us (nine when the other girl comes back from the hospital).

Once I got a table to put my computer on, I called a company to get an internet connection. They required a prepayment, so I did that, and faxed a confirmation. Then I waited. And waited. In the past month, I spoke with three or four different people from the company, had my order canceled a couple of times, was given two different appointments that were both canceled for various reasons, etc.

Their system just can't accept that multiple people living at the same address could want separate internet connections.

I finally got a connection with a different company, activated today. The guy worked around the system, so that, while the bill will be sent to my home address, it is written that I live next door.

I was bloody relieved when I turned my computer on and was signed in to MSN. AT LAST! Needless to say I am pissed at the other company and will obviously ask to get my prepayment back.

In the meantime, I have a new boyfriend. He is one of the residents here. I don't feel very well, rather depressed. And the web has gone on without me. I have many things to catch up on.

On the 14th of this year, I went with my mother to eat at my sister's. We decided to bring some chocolate to my sister, so we went to a gift shop here in the village (yes, it is large enough to not only have one gift sop, but two!). As we were looking around, a man came in. He told the cashier about how his girlfriend had demanded that he brings her flower and that they have a romantic dinner. That made me feel very bad for the poor guy.

Flowers are nice and they smell good, but I like gifts to be spontaneous. Telling your boyfriend that he must bring you flower removes all the fun and romance. It just makes it a choir. Kind of like "honey, can you buy milk on your way from work?".

I never liked Valentine's Day, because I see it as commercial bullshit. Now I will like it even less in dread that I might eventually have a partner, or a friend, who considers it an essential celebration, and who thinks that a partner not doing anything special is a bad partner.