McSweeney’s List (13 September, 2023)
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This weeks’s Mc(Play)List is a bunch of songs about solitude.
This past weekend I had a staycation of sorts. My boyfriend headed home to Maritimes, and I had the place to myself, alone for the first time in four years. It's no secret that I enjoy making mere happenings into events, so looking ahead I thought of all the things I might do. These included such exhilarating things as cleaning out my closet, meditating, and catching up on some shows and movies. It would serve as a personal retreat to touch base with myself, see who I am these days when no one's looking. As is so often the case, the reality was different than the plan, but was exactly what I needed.
My first morning alone, I mostly stuck to my routine, which includes a lot of coffee, cartoons, and news. Yes, this is how I prepare for my desk job, don't judge me, you're weird in your ways, promise. The big difference was that I didn't have to worry about waking my boyfriend. We roll on quite different schedules, with me gone before he wakes up on my work days, and me soundly asleep well into his mornings on my days off. The fun addition was blasting Gogol Bordello at 6 AM. (My neighbours be damned, they've done us plenty dirty.) It definitely put some extra pep in my step to dance around while getting prepped.
Leaving the house, my OCD snuck up on me. I know she exists, but she visits far less than she used to, and I'm very comfortable with that. That morning though, knowing no one would be home, I turned back to check the door, and had to hustle to keep up with my connections.
"Proper" meals and mealtimes went immediately out the window. Now, that's a very me thing that I already knew about myself, but after four years of eating like a "normal" adult, I wondered if my stomach had given in to routine. Nope, the experiment proves that my stomach is a grazer (Editor’s Note: You’re really going with a cow metaphor here?), eating when it's hungry, and dodging mealtimes when it's not, formalities be damned. For instance, one night I ate cold leftover pizza while standing in the kitchen, then cozied up with a plate of fruit. Hashtag GirlDinner. Another night, feeling particularly dangerous, I put wasabi on my hosomaki. I'm living fast and loose over here.
While I did catch up on Below Deck Down Under (Editor’s Note: I really wish you wouldn’t tell people this, it’s hard to maintain your reputation to others when you admit these things.), I didn't get to my movie list. In fact, I was surprised to find how much time I spent in silence. I'm a background noise, unnecessary screen kinda gal from way back, but when I gave myself permission to act outside of my habits, the distractions seemed well, annoyingly actually distracting!
No, I didn't finish any grand projects. Hell, I didn't make it to the closet cleaning, let alone anything more life changing. I finally got to the dishes sometime Sunday night. Nothing had combusted as they sat there waiting for me (for days), but when I finally did them I realized that only a few years ago I probably would've waited until I was legit out of plates. I have to pat myself on the back for that one. (Editor’s Note: Cleanliness is close to Godliness.)
I didn't do yoga at sunrise (or frankly, at all), and the cat who is our freeloading roommate didn't take the opportunity to become a lap cat. Still, I was pleased with what I found when I checked in with myself. I noted how I'd changed in the past years, enjoying the time alone rather than filling it with people and things, for instance. I also noticed the things I can easily integrate into new habits: I can get ready with my headphones on, and rock out, I can get back to grazing (now with more fruit and less chips!). I can take forward the reminder that I value silence, a newfound pleasure, and a lovely gift. All it took was choosing to be and just observing what that means for me right now. And while I'm not saying I'm a new person, I do feel like I've unlocked some new rooms, and I'm excited to inhabit them.
Thursday!
In a beautiful bit of kismet (confidence be damned), a fab friend invited me to this and I was all, OF COURSE! Hosted by Gabe Khoury, with Abby Stonehouse, Vance Michel, and headliner Morgan O'Shea, it's gonna be a laugh riot. Pay what you can, so get you some giggles.
WHAT: Punx Can't Laugh
WHERE: Revolution 514, 4486 Coloniale Ave., Montreal, H2W 2C7
WHEN: Thursday, September 14, 8 PM
METRO: Mont Royal (Orange)
DETAILS: It's an old school invite. Come down.
On Now!
"Juliet Mackie’s latest body of work is a poignant and powerful tribute to her Métis foremothers. By weaving together fragments of memory, family stories, and photographs, Mackie traces the lives and legacies of the women who came before her…Mackie's artistic exploration not only pays homage to these remarkable women but also delves into their stories, dreams, and legacies. The act of portraying each woman, from her great-great-great grandmothers to her own mother, creates a space of remembrance and reconnection, where the artist and her relatives meet. Painting and beading are means of communication that allow Mackie to engage in an intimate conversation with her foremothers, to visit with them, reflect on the familial stories that have shaped her identity, and honour the impact they continue to have on her life."
Excerpt of text by Alexandra Nordstrom
WHAT: Matrilineal Memory: Juliet Mackie
WHERE: Shé:kon Gallery (BACA - The Contemporary Native Art Biennial Project Space), 5826 St-Hubert Street, 2nd Floor, Tiohtià:ke / Mooniyang / Montreal, H2S 2L7
WHEN: On Now through Friday, December 22
METRO: Rosemont (Orange)
DETAILS: Facebook
Calling All Treasure Hunters!
Not all garage sales and bazaars are created equal, and I have a hunch this one will be a gem. The Canadian Centre for Architecture is clearing out goodies like architecture books, art books, frames, furniture, and carpets. Sounds like a bunch of cool stuff I wouldn't be able to afford retail. I'm gonna need a bigger tote bag. Plus, entry to the CCA Museum is free for the day!
📷Michel Boulet, 2014
WHAT: CCA Bazaar
WHERE: Canadian Centre for Architecture, 1920 Rue Baile, Montreal, H3H 2S6
WHEN: Saturday, September 16, 11 AM - 4 PM
METRO: Atwater (Green)
DETAILS: Facebook
Pop On Over!
One of the last What The Pops of the season is upon us! Head on over to admire locally made art, meet local artists, and you know, exchange money for artistic objects.
Mirror Error Wares, hophopwoodsho, Christopher Plenzich, Kellie Huynh, Platinuum Mayo, toothwurld, Retro-Spection, Savanna Busia, Ebénisterie les Esquisses, Happy Tears, Lively Lines Art, Nesreen Galal
WHAT: What The Pop! Art Pop Up
WHERE: Centre Jax, 1439 Rue Ste-Catherine O, Montreal, H3G 1S6
WHEN: Friday, September 15, 4 PM - 8 PM & Saturday, September 16, 12 PM - 5 PM
METRO: Guy-Concordia (Green)
DETAILS: Facebook
McSweeney’s List drops every Wednesday with the best events to catch each week in Montreal!
