august 1, 2002.

Well, I've done my monthly screwing about with the design; this happens to be a design that I like, so I didn't mess with it too much. That phrase, "it's finally her day," has been resonating with me ever since I re-read my wedding entries. (It's what my uncle said to me in the receiving line - 'well Amoret, it's finally your day.') Removed from that context and put into this, everything changes. I think it conveys a certain amount of superhero ominousness, if that's not too silly. Then again, I'm a grown woman who's been married for almost two years and still refers to herself as Rocketbride - what's silly compared to that?

We visited the local health food store today in search of Rescue Remedy. It's a herbal formula that is intended to soothe and strengthen in moments of stress, and I think of it as preventative medicine for the year ahead. I'm sure it's no substitute for exercise, good diet and the occasional night of clubbing hedonism - but if it'll get me through the first week it'll have paid for itself.

We also bought some lemon-garlic spread, as the label advertised it as a low-fat, sugar-reduced mayonnaise replacement. Mayo, like Diet Coke and KFC, is one of those things from which I'd like to completely wean myself. I experimented with mustard to this end, but I fear that I overestimated my enjoyment of mustard based on our visit to The Main. The only problem is that this product is being discontinued, so if I get hooked I'll quickly be SOL.

Overall, it was a very good trip to the health food store. Even though we only bought four things, a visit to the shelves is always educational as the food labels contain tiny stories about why this product is virtuous/delicious. (Whenever I browse I get the urge to snatch up products I have no use for, just so I could give them away. I have to be very careful not to get suckered by my desire to be holier than thou and/or trendier than thou.) We've always wanted to be regular customers of this establishment, but our starving student budget just doesn't allow us to support fair prices for quality ethical food. We're hoping that next year's combination of student loan lucre and mad teacher paycheques will allow more and more forays into the health food world...because we want to be all about the $7 seaweed snacks.

(I think now is the point at which to reveal the fact that I am under the influence of Rescue Remedy even as I write this. I think it's affecting my lucidity, although that of course doesn't bother me. I'll have to edit when I come down.)

"Can't talk...coming down..."

Convoy notes: although it is true that Valgarth has left for Gomorrah in advance of our sassy wagon train, we learned last night that Sister Silver (our favourite Quaker) will be moving back to the city for a year and thus (drumroll) she will be joining the convoy in two weeks.

I know, I know. Our convoy has had more rotating cast members than 4th season Buffy. I've given up hope that any draft is the final draft...but since I'm kind of flower-happy right now (as noted above), I'm not terribly worked up. We'll help everyone we can help, but the convoy will roll when the convoy will roll.

Today is the Boy's "weekend," so after lunch we treated ourselves to a lengthy stop-over in the harbour park. Our original plan was to walk the dykes, but since I felt generally weak and cranky despite a Luna bar (yay health food store!) we just hung around the gazebo instead. It was a perfect Wolfvegas day: sunny, hot, windy & smelling of the Bay. Picture-perfect enough to satisfy a battalion of tourists, but scorching and wild enough to remind us that the weather is always the boss in Nova. It was just beautiful, and I only wish that I'd remembered my camera when we set out.

The unfortunate part is that I forgot my kalanchoe plant on the porch this morning, and by the time we got back to the house some of the leaves had been scorched white. D'oh. The websites say that the plants love lots of direct sunlight, but I can't see white leaves as a result of love. It's kind of depressing, as I've managed to keep this plant alive for almost a year and that's a world first for me. Sigh.