EP #1: Today’s question:  What is the meaning of life? My husband needs to know.

EP #3: I recently read how someone described their life project – it rang true for me.  
 “I have arranged matters so that I would be free to ______. It’s what I like doing.  Only personal independence matters.”     Fill in the blank.

EP #1: Hmmmn. Interesting. A writer I knew said that to me once. More and more I think that focusing your life on what you love makes sense. I’m only just learning this.  I think what makes life worth living are those small moments (sometimes big) where something feels, smells, looks, tastes so beautiful it stops you in your tracks. Sometimes when I’m walking outside on a spring/summer day there’s a fleeting moment when  I smell the summer of my youth. I like that.

Baby Princess: When you force yourself to smile throughout the day, it makes you happy.  Somehow, it changes your perspective and moments pop up all over the place.  But, I don’t think it works if you are a psychopath and such…or if you are evil.

EP #1: Like Dr. Evil or his sidekick? Right?

E.P. #1:  Happy New Year Princesses.   I thought that to inaugurate the New Year we should attempt something invigorating. How about snowshoeing?    Also, what are our wedding prospects???

EP #3:  Happy New Year Princesses!  I normally recoil from vigorous activities in the cold/snow but for you, EP #1, I will try this.  It’s a new year after all.  I think I even have equipment to borrow from a friend so count me in!  Thanks to your other inspirational new year goal, I am reading more and happy as a clam doing it.

As for wedding prospects, I think it’s encouraging that a certain web prince is planning to flee the family nest and carve a nest of his own – he’s bound to attract a future princess.  Also, our honorary prince seems motivated to return to HK soon, perhaps to revisit a special someone. 

PS: loving the recipes on your condofire blog.   Will be trying the Moroccan lentil soup soon.

EP#1:   Well. One of my other New Year’s resolutions is to be adventurous. Maybe not adventurous but open to trying new things. So I see E.P. that we are on the same track. I need a new book to read very quickly as I am fast approaching the end of the Elegance of the Hedgehog which is a great book. Great funny, witty, thoughtful as well as being an ode to art and parody of artifice and human folly.  I recently posted a new recipe. Lentil, Prawn Chevre salad with Lemon Garlic Dressing. Its’ redonkulously delicious.

I’m so excited you’re open to snow shoeing. Now we must convince the others, particularly Baby Princess.  H.P.  is getting married? Is this what I’m hearing?Ohh good god. That’s so exciting. Which web dweller is moving out?

 EP #2:   I am totally into snowshoeing. Bring it on!  Here’s a book that I thoroughly enjoyed:  Book of a thousand days By Shannon Hale.  It’s written for young adult readers, but the prose is clear and fluid. The protagonist is brave, strong and true, like the EPs.

EP #1:   I’d like to propose a princess rule:  If three Princess rule in favour, the last shall not waver.

Baby Princess:  I think I’ll have to go a baby shower at any time.

EP #1: Good morning EP’s.  It looks like I am going to the B & G tonight. I will be bringing my niece Savannah. Are all of you going?  EP #3 and I are hot on the trail of another possible spring wedding.

EP #3: I love that name Savannah – conjures up images of plantation homes, mint julep and blond ringlets.  Have fun tonight - EP #2 is going I think.  Have lots of fun – hope to hear all about it.  Going to see a Greek & Spanish film at Euro film fest.  

PS. Mr. X has tentatively agreed to meet AC’s friend in another week or so, though he’s adamant about not going for bubble tea.   I see this as a good sign – no more hiding his true colours.  Fly your freak flag Mr. X….now if only others would take the leap.

EP #2:  Yes, I’ll be at the B & G with some folks from LFS.  So see you there, EP #1 avec S.  Who’s Mr. X?

EP #1: Freak flag. That cracks me up. I have high hopes for all of this. These guys should start paying us for all the work we’re doing trying to marry them off.

EP #2: So Ms. Y was strictly platonic?  A word of caution mes cheres EPs, weddings are like unicorns and gossamer wings — you cain’t force magic.  No amount of coercion will Mr. X will turn him into Gerard Butler (the dead but uber romantic husband in “P.S. I Love You,” which was a bad movie anyways.

EP #3:  Whatever it was, it’s over (can’t say more, I swore on my mother’s grave). Yes, I am a romantic at heart and believe you can’t force chemistry but you sure can increase the odds.  That Gerard Butler movie is proof that romance isn’t dead, but may only come from someone who is dead.  (sorry for the bad jokes….must be the full moon)

Exiled princess #3: Good afternoon EP’s!   Baby Princess and I were out for a walk this fine misty afternoon and were in the middle of a deep conversation about our mutual irritation of catch phrases, in particular ones used in the work environment.  We bumped into Mr. A and Mr. K who joined and added to our list.  Here are some we came up with – feel free to add.

1.       At the end of the day….
2.       Reinvent the wheel
3.       Heads up
4.       Push back
5.       ‘Add meat to the campaign….sizzle to the steak’

Exiled Princess #2: ‘Low hanging fruit’.  ‘Moving forward’.  Let’s go out this Thursday.

Exiled Princess #1: Uhh I heard myself saying this today “I didn’t anticipate this kind of uptake.” HELLO WHO WAS THAT?  That needs to ‘pop’ a little more.  ‘We need to speak to the community, our constituents and key stakeholders.’  ‘It needs to be punched up.’

Exiled Princess #2: I’m delighted there will be an opportunity for a gathering of the intimate kind in the days (two to be exact) to come, affording us moments of enjoyment and libation (woo hoo, everyone say yay for libations!!!). I greatly look forward to speaking with all of you offline, even offside.  (That’s all I can pull out of my bafflegab stores for now, but will endeavour to pump up the volume, kick it up a notch, ramp things up by Thursday).

Exiled Princess #1: Princess #1 is in for Thursday. AND I’m wearing my princess coat for real.

Exiled Princess #4: That said, let’s make it for Friday.

Exiled Princess #1: Baby Princess, you out of da loop. We’re on for Thursday.
 
Exiled Princess #4:  Little innocent princess #1 – ‘That said’  is my hilarious contribution to the doublespeak/lame corporate phrasing.

Exiled Princess #3:  That said really baffles me – I know it’s short for That being said but Having said that
makes much more sense to me.  I guess people have to rephrase the old catch phrase.

Exiled Princess #1: I have an entirely new one for all of you. I’m officially changing the word ‘ridiculous’ to redonkulous’. What do you think. If you’re being redonkulous then you’re a redonkuloid.

Exiled Princess #3: Good to know what it means – I saw it used on a TMZ commercial – a girl’s big booty is described as ‘redonkulous’ –  I assumed it was a booty term.

Exiled Princess #2: Okay, that said, you ridonkuloids with the booties, is it Thursday that we’re meeting?

Exiled Princess #1: Okay redonkulums, we’re on. Having said that, is it 8:30 at 5 1/2 off Main?

Exiled Princess #3:  EP #1, your digits are twisted – it’s 5:30 at 8 ½ which is on 8^th Ave, first block East of Main, right Baby Princess?

Exiled Princess #2: At the end of the day, having said all that, we’re redonkulonking at 8 ½ (think fellini) off main street.

http://www.eightandahalf.ca/

Exiled Princess #1: I’m going to come and have some low hanging fruit!

HP Bond, Licensed to Thrill

Exiled Princess #1:  Princesses, I think spring is an excellent time to attend weddings. I’m wondering how we can advance Mr. X’s wedding plans AS WELL as get me an invite?

Exiled Princess #3: I nominate Honorary Prince Bond to assist – with his permission of course. He has great sleuthing/infiltration skills.  Here he is incognito.

Exiled Princess #1: Wow. He looks like a spy. Perfect. HP Bond, go forth and gather intelligence.

Exiled Princess #3: I see Mr. X as a traditionalist – here are few ideas:
1.       At office Xmas party, talk about how great Christmas engagements are
2.       If no Xmas proposal, try again before Valentine’s Day
3.       Any office party party: ask what sign Ms. Y is, when her b-day is (if soon, ask Mr. X what he’s getting her, etc.)
4.       Before any long weekend: suggest romantic getaway places
5.       leave jewelry flyers near Mr. X’s desk

Exiled Princess #1: Also, tell HP Bond to go out with Mr. X, get him drunk and ‘mentor’ him on how to take the next steps. Mr. X might be shy or not learned in the complex world of courting. Leaving flyers is a great idea!

Exiled Princess #2:  Perhaps someone needs to infiltrate Ms. Y’s workplace and get some good “intel” from her side of things.  Possible disguises – cleaning lady or man, coffee supply person, adult student who needs a “buddy” or nosy staffer.

Exiled Princess #1:  I was just thinking that. We need Ms. Y’s side of things.  HP Bond, are you willing to do double infiltration or just Mr. X  infiltration? Too bad we weren’t on this at the last staff shindig where Mr. X made you invite Ms. Y. Lost opportunity.

Exiled Princess #3: HP Bond and I are going out for some milk…..maybe we’ll make a stop at Ms. Y’s office.  Infiltration attempt #1, code word: MILK.  Signed,  Mata Hari and HP Bond.

Exiled Princess #2: HP Bond – license to thrill . . .

Exileld Princess #3:  Mission aborted. Ms. Y’s office was shut down.  Hope we don’t have a leak.

Exiled Princess #2: Well, HP Bond is always good at “securing the perimeter”  - esp. if there is chocolate involved, so that is the next move. Either that, or you’re going to have to take someone out!

At approximately 15:00 on the same day, this conversation took place….

HP Bond: I see you’re going to the Awards dinner next week – you know you can bring a friend?

Mr. X: I think we both know what friend you’re referring to.  She’s going away for a week.

HP Bond: And why aren’t you going with Ms. Y?

Mr. X: She’s going away with her family.

HP Bond: Shouldn’t you be getting to know Ms. Y’s family a little better?

Mr. X:  laughs awkwardly

To be continued………..

Exiled Princess #1: 

I was telling  a friend of mine about our drinks thing . She calls us the ‘exiled princesses’ which I also kind of like.  How about Exiled Princesses instead of Joy Division (since he killed himself and Joy Division refers to women who were forced into sexual slavery) Princesses means I would have a real reason to wear my princess coat and if you guys have any princess wear you could wear yours to our next outing??? Que piensas princesses?

Exiled Princess #3:

Exiled princesses escape to roam freely off campus to drink and be merry
to tap their heels at the Polish community centre
or bowl with aplomb in their princess regalia
or return to the land of polenta fries

Exiled Princess #1: And write whimsical poetry!

Exiled Princess #4: I’m going to cry.

Exiled Princess #2 : Can I be the frog? A girl frog that is. I’m not sure I’m the princess type. Perhaps, I’m more amphibian:
plopping onto lily pads
gazing at bugs ‘n things as they buzz by – perhaps hungrily?
yes, resting and croaking in moonlight
softly
harmoniously
‘cause I hang with a classy crowd
once called the JD’s
but now elevated to royalty
even if ersatz
so one can’t be too “toady”
but if I’m poisonous, I could perhaps help someone get a buzz
but more details I won’t go into since
you’re all princesses
of the sweetest variety
ribbet

Exiled Princess #3: So brilliant and funny. You can’t be a poisonous toad! Maybe a modern, strong princess like Pocahontas…

Exiled Princess #1: I’m saving all the EP poems. Amphibians are great things. I wish our landlord in our building would stop trying to kill them. But I think if you want to be a numero uno EP amphibian you have the freedom to do that. And we won’t try and kill you because we’re a tribe.

Exiled Princess #2:

Mark Boyle outside his off-grid caravan

Exiled Princess #3: Good morning EP’s.  Here’s an interesting article from the Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2009/oct/28/live-without-money.

Exiled Princess #1:  Not to be shallow or anything but this guy is built like a brick shithouse!

Exiled Princess #2: You too would be buff and ripped if you spent all your time growing your own food, cooking it, biking 30-odd miles to the nearest settlement, hauling water, washing your clothes in a bucket for aforesaid hauled  water, and turning over the humanure to make high-grade compost for your veggies.  

And since all you have to wipe your butt with is torn up newspapers, you’d probably be spending a bit of time handmaking a higher grade of toilet paper, perhaps mashing together discarded corn silk, dandelion fluff, worn out clothing fibres to craft a softer wipe as it were.

Exiled Princess #3: We should test the dandy-fluff/corn-silk/clothing fibre concoction and patent it – this could be the way out of the ivory tower.  “Dandy-fluff….soft on your butt, easy on the environment” .

Exiled Princess #4:   I don’t think I like camping.  Signed, Baby Princess.

Exiled Princess #2: Our tagline could be “a soft place, d’ya mind”.

Exiled Princess #1:  Baby Princess, you might not like camping but surely you can help with dandy fluff experimentations which should include cocktails!

Exiled Princess #2: Yes, they’d be eco-cocktails featuring our homebrew moonshine made from fermenting potatoes or squash in a found object like a discarded boot or an old barrel we scavenged from the side of a motorway (not “highway” since we’re situating ourselves in a UK eco-warrior story).  But all this hardcore sustainability chit chat is giving us a mighty big thirst, so we may need to have an EP meeting soon.

Exiled Princess #3: Baby Princess and I might be going to the pub at 1pm if other EP’s can join – waiting to hear if she can flee – she’s working on a deadline today.

Exiled Princess #2: I must decline, unfortunately, as my computer was down all morning and I have to catch up a bit.
Amusez-vous!

Exiled Princess #1: How about Dandy fluff, damn good stuff? Can’t join as I’m stuck at home today. Thanks for passing that on EP #3, we got a lot of roughage out of that!  Have fun with Baby Princess.