Can-Con...

I thought I couldn't go to Can-Con this weekend. Turns out I can!

Happy about this...

Les noms canadiens...

Many years ago I read a Dick Francis novel which had a French-Canadian character named Baudelaire. His first name was normal enough, and I've forgotten it; but his surname stuck in my head because it sounded so very un-Canadian to me. I've never heard of a Canadian named Baudelaire. Which doesn't mean I've heard every name there is in Francophone Canada; I know they can't all be named Lalonde, Paquette, Thibeau and Derouin. But. I've never checked a phone book... So, curious, tonight I looked up Baudelaire online with www.canada411.com and got no results for people in Montreal or Quebec City with that name.

Come to think of it, I've only ever heard of one person in France with that name, though it's probably not so unusual there.

I suspect Dick Francis just picked the name because he liked it; or because he liked Baudelaire's poetry. I certainly do.

I was thinking about it because I was reading Jilly Cooper - another British author - and she introduced a Canadian character name Eric de Genestre. Again, I blinked: it sounds very unlike a Canadian name to me. And again, when I looked it up, there's no one of that name in Montreal or Quebec City. When I googled for it, I got mostly Italian references: de Genestre, or de Genestra, seems to be an Italian name. Cool. Goodness knows there are plenty of Canadians with Italian names, but the book referred to him as having a French accent. Also possible - there are plenty of people with Italian names living in Québec and other Francophone areas. But still. Every rationalization makes it a little more of a stretch.

I understand that neither Francis nor Cooper are Canadians, and they probably never visited Canada, and I shouldn't be caught up on a detail, but... couldn't they at least pick a name someone in Canada would really be likely to have?

Am I right? Or am I simply speaking in ignorance?

Late night flail...

Serendipity is the order of the day.

I mentioned I was going to Can-Con, right? I hadn't expected to, but something wonderful happened and now I can go.

Something else wonderful happened: a friend offered me a treadmill. One of my very own, that I could use in my apartment, watching TV, and I could use it before work which I can't do with the one in the basement. That's important. Generally speaking, if I don't do my exercises early in the morning before all the distractions kick in, I don't do them.

At first I said, "I'd love it, but I really don't have any space."

"Think about it," said Lynne. She gave me the measurements.

I thought about it. And I realized that if I moved my filing cabinet, I had a space exactly the right size and dimensions. Practically tailor made. All I had to do was move it and a few boxes and a table. Easy.

So I told her yes - if I could find people to help me move the treadmill. It's too heavy for me and Lynne's husband, doing it alone, and we don't have a vehicle.

But that's logistics. The important part... I can have a treadmill. To use all winter, when walking outside is unfeasible.

Now, Lynne would like the thing gone from her place this weekend. I'm trying to find people who can help me move it - fingers crossed! (Do you know anyone who could help? I can't afford to hire movers any more than I could afford to buy the thing new.) I'm hoping to be able to move it Sunday morning.

So I was sitting here studying French, and doing yoga, and reading, and I thought, "Wait a minute. I'm going out tomorrow night. Can-Con starts Friday. I'm working full days. I have French Saturday morning, and then I'm back at the con. I'll hardly be home at all between now and Sunday and there's all that stuff still in the corner where the treadmill will have to go."

And here I wanted to go to bed early.

So I emptied the filing cabinet, and moved the boxes and tables. I decided to discard the filing cabinet - I really don't need it. Many wires leading to and from my computer desk had to be disentangled. That formerly nice neat desk area is now otherwise... but I'll sort it out eventually. The corner is clear and ready. I even swept the floor. Goodness knows when I last thoroughly cleaned that corner... I swept up a little silver reindeer that must have come off a Christmas card.

So now I'm tired but satisfied. And ready for whatever happens.