My life is rather dull. Stable and happy, but dull. I find myself with little new experiences to share with the world because I am currently at a stage where I am doing the same things over and over. I don't want to say in in a rut, because I'm really not. It's just that stage in my life. I'm school, not close enough to being done to look for a job and all the drama that comes with that, but so far in that there is little that surprises me. I have my lovely, though little, circle of friends and my collection of creative outlets that keep me sane. I actually kind of like it, even the boredom. For most of my life I never experienced this kind of stablity. It makes for a content Michela, but a boring blog.
So until I come to the next stage in my life, "The Uncharted Mind of Michela" is going to sleep. I'll be back when my life is more interesting than watching paint dry. I'll continue to update "Michela Knits" in the mean time. Or drop me alin on myspace (I should warn you though, I am a facebook addict, so I'm not on myspace that often) myspace.com/michela84
One last happy thing. G:"Say Goodnight, Not Goodbye". Such a hopeful, happy little saying. And remember, I'm not gone forever! Just for now :)
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Monday, January 7, 2008
New Year
Christmas came and went. It was good. Everyone got along, and I had a super amount of fun on boxing day. That's about it. I won't be that person you gives a list of what I got and what I did. I got stuff I liked and I had fun with my family. That's the important thing. Oh, and I went to Church, so no hell for me this year, I fulfilled my duty.
So now it's a new year. Hurrah.... I never got in to the whole new years thing. The date changes, that's it. It's like going Hurrah! Lets get drunk because at midnight it will be Tuesday. Because of this, I don't really celebrate it and I don't make resolution. Real change happens the moment you decide to do it, not weeks later on a random date. Those changes never stick. It's the reason gym memberships explode in January, but come mid-February, the place is empty again.
Despite this, I had a moment of change this week. Two actually. The first my mom. She likely has diabetes. She's been put on a special diet to see if it can be reversed because it could possibly be one of the med's she on, but the point is, I now know I have the genetic gun and the bullet for the disease, and I'm not stopping myself from pulling the trigger with my poor eating habits. I skip meals, I snack, I eat foods I shouldn't because I'm on campus and too poor to buy good food, I don't get enough veggies. All bad things. In an effort to avoid my mothers fate I made a few new rules for myself.
1. At least one proper meal a day (I'm a realist. I'm a student and I can't cook three meals a day). It must include at least 2 veggies, a protein and a dairy.
2. I am only allowed to buy food on campus once a week. This is so I can keep having lunch with my awesome anthro crew on Fridays. Coffee doesn't count. Neither do granola bars. Chips, cookies, bagels from Timmy's and candy bars do.
3. Drink more water and less juice. I don't drink soda, so at least I have that going for me.
4. Try and avoid snacking, particularly at night.
5. Some for of breakfast before class so I don't get hungry before it's time to go home. Even if its just a glass of milk and some crackers, its better than vending machine crap.
So far I've done well, and I already have more energy, but that might all be in my head. Yesterday was interesting because my stomach rebelled at all the extra veggies. I had waaaaay more than usual. I normally eat about 4, plus a glass or two of juice a day. Yesterday I had four at dinner alone, plus the ones I had lunch and breakfast. Apparently it was a slight stock to the system and it wasn't happy. I'm fine now and had the same amount today without feeling sick. Who knows,. maybe it was because I just didn't wash that zucchini properly.
The second moment was just a few hours ago. I was bored because its late Sunday night and there's nothing to do and I stumbled on a random blog. It's written by a late-20something girl who is everything I fear becoming/remaining. She complains about being overweight but does nothing to change it, bemoans her siblings success in regard to her own perceived failures, still lives with her parents, wishes she were married or at least had a serious boyfriend ("Like ever!" in her words), and spend her evenings and weekends at home watching a ridiculous amount of TV shows and movies which she then blogs about.
I saw parts of my self reflected in this blogger. She seems like a sweet girl who has self esteem issues and a slight fear of society, so she hides in TV and her family. Granted I have a few up on this girl, such as education, a completely consuming drive to leave my mothers home the moment I graduate and be independent, and a lack of patience with TV shows these days. There's hope for me yet, but I need to take steps to not become what is easy, but rather to who I want to be. Even if I am terrified. Even if they are hard. Even if I wish I had opted for the easy route. I just don't know how to do this yet. Give me time, I'll get it.
Happy things E (I'm skipping the second F. The first one was fine):
Elephants. Love them! Since I was a kid! But only African Elephants. I think Asian Elephants are ugly. I used to collect elephant things, that collection is currently in a Rubbermaid container in the rafters of the garage.
So now it's a new year. Hurrah.... I never got in to the whole new years thing. The date changes, that's it. It's like going Hurrah! Lets get drunk because at midnight it will be Tuesday. Because of this, I don't really celebrate it and I don't make resolution. Real change happens the moment you decide to do it, not weeks later on a random date. Those changes never stick. It's the reason gym memberships explode in January, but come mid-February, the place is empty again.
Despite this, I had a moment of change this week. Two actually. The first my mom. She likely has diabetes. She's been put on a special diet to see if it can be reversed because it could possibly be one of the med's she on, but the point is, I now know I have the genetic gun and the bullet for the disease, and I'm not stopping myself from pulling the trigger with my poor eating habits. I skip meals, I snack, I eat foods I shouldn't because I'm on campus and too poor to buy good food, I don't get enough veggies. All bad things. In an effort to avoid my mothers fate I made a few new rules for myself.
1. At least one proper meal a day (I'm a realist. I'm a student and I can't cook three meals a day). It must include at least 2 veggies, a protein and a dairy.
2. I am only allowed to buy food on campus once a week. This is so I can keep having lunch with my awesome anthro crew on Fridays. Coffee doesn't count. Neither do granola bars. Chips, cookies, bagels from Timmy's and candy bars do.
3. Drink more water and less juice. I don't drink soda, so at least I have that going for me.
4. Try and avoid snacking, particularly at night.
5. Some for of breakfast before class so I don't get hungry before it's time to go home. Even if its just a glass of milk and some crackers, its better than vending machine crap.
So far I've done well, and I already have more energy, but that might all be in my head. Yesterday was interesting because my stomach rebelled at all the extra veggies. I had waaaaay more than usual. I normally eat about 4, plus a glass or two of juice a day. Yesterday I had four at dinner alone, plus the ones I had lunch and breakfast. Apparently it was a slight stock to the system and it wasn't happy. I'm fine now and had the same amount today without feeling sick. Who knows,. maybe it was because I just didn't wash that zucchini properly.
The second moment was just a few hours ago. I was bored because its late Sunday night and there's nothing to do and I stumbled on a random blog. It's written by a late-20something girl who is everything I fear becoming/remaining. She complains about being overweight but does nothing to change it, bemoans her siblings success in regard to her own perceived failures, still lives with her parents, wishes she were married or at least had a serious boyfriend ("Like ever!" in her words), and spend her evenings and weekends at home watching a ridiculous amount of TV shows and movies which she then blogs about.
I saw parts of my self reflected in this blogger. She seems like a sweet girl who has self esteem issues and a slight fear of society, so she hides in TV and her family. Granted I have a few up on this girl, such as education, a completely consuming drive to leave my mothers home the moment I graduate and be independent, and a lack of patience with TV shows these days. There's hope for me yet, but I need to take steps to not become what is easy, but rather to who I want to be. Even if I am terrified. Even if they are hard. Even if I wish I had opted for the easy route. I just don't know how to do this yet. Give me time, I'll get it.
Happy things E (I'm skipping the second F. The first one was fine):
Elephants. Love them! Since I was a kid! But only African Elephants. I think Asian Elephants are ugly. I used to collect elephant things, that collection is currently in a Rubbermaid container in the rafters of the garage.
Friday, December 21, 2007
blankness
Christmas is 4 days away. Now I should be mildly freaked because I have yet to finish knitting one a gift, there is half decorated gingerbread house on my dining room table, I haven't done laundry in nearly two weeks and I'm booked up between now and the 28th. I'm not freaking though because of the simple fact that I ONLY have one project to finish, the gingerbread house of baked, build and half decorated, laundry is easy and I have finished all my Christmas shopping. I didn't have much to buy this year, thank goodness, but it still took a while because my grandparents are quite the challenge. But lets be honest, no one has an easy time shopping for grandparents. I went the practical route thus year. Gran wanted double sided photo frames in silver, grampa wanted socks. Seriously, socks. They man lives in Barbados, on a golf course, own a race horse, and own suits worth more than every article of clothing I've ever own, EVER, and when asked what he was hoping for this Christmas, he said socks. The first conversation went like this:
Me: So Grampa, what did you tell Gran you wanted for Christmas
Grampa: Peace
Me: Well she might have a hard time wrapping that.
Grampa: But its what I want.
Realizing I had reached a dead end. I turned to my grandmother. I asked her what grampa wants because Gran knows everything. She said socks. My impossible to shop for, has everything, hates clutter grandfather wants socks in light brown and dark brown. So that's what grampa is getting. Four pairs of socks. Had I known earlier I would have knit him a pair. Oh well, maybe next year.
I'm off, time to do a load of laundry and make some royal icing for the gingerbread house
Me: So Grampa, what did you tell Gran you wanted for Christmas
Grampa: Peace
Me: Well she might have a hard time wrapping that.
Grampa: But its what I want.
Realizing I had reached a dead end. I turned to my grandmother. I asked her what grampa wants because Gran knows everything. She said socks. My impossible to shop for, has everything, hates clutter grandfather wants socks in light brown and dark brown. So that's what grampa is getting. Four pairs of socks. Had I known earlier I would have knit him a pair. Oh well, maybe next year.
I'm off, time to do a load of laundry and make some royal icing for the gingerbread house
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Update: SUCCESS!
SUCCESS! The time is 2:08 am EST on December 13 2007, and I am done my ginormous research project! AND! It's done a full 36 hours before the due date! AND! its a whole page over the required amount meaning I have made serious progress as a student.
Tomorrow....er..... today, all I have to do is edit, and write a measly 1200 word take home exam. But now I'm just jinxed it but I don't care! I too happy being done the ginormous research project to let anything bring me down. Seriously, if there were any mike's hard in the house right now and it weren't past 2 in the morning I'd be downstairs doing a serious happy dance.
Happy Thing: Finishing ginormous papers! Boo ya!!!
(OK I cheated a little, I'll do another F next post)
By the way, if you aren't watching Pushing Daisies yet, what the crap is wrong with you?! Start now damnit!
If you are: first, you are awesome. Second, Holy Crap! Did you see that coming?
Tomorrow....er..... today, all I have to do is edit, and write a measly 1200 word take home exam. But now I'm just jinxed it but I don't care! I too happy being done the ginormous research project to let anything bring me down. Seriously, if there were any mike's hard in the house right now and it weren't past 2 in the morning I'd be downstairs doing a serious happy dance.
Happy Thing: Finishing ginormous papers! Boo ya!!!
(OK I cheated a little, I'll do another F next post)
By the way, if you aren't watching Pushing Daisies yet, what the crap is wrong with you?! Start now damnit!
If you are: first, you are awesome. Second, Holy Crap! Did you see that coming?
Monday, December 10, 2007
Starting to relax a little...
I have 14 of 20 pages written for my final research report and half a take home exam done both of which are due before 2 pm on Friday. Now normally the thought of having to write about 10 pages of quality text AND editing about 30 pages plus doing bibliographies in the span of about 3 days in case I am not quite freaking. Why you ask? Because on Thursday I had nothing written. I did all this writing in 4 days and if I can do that and still manage to see a crappy crappy movie (The Golden Compass, Do yourself a favour, save your money), decorate several dozen cookies and assemble a gingerbread house. If I can do all that, than I can write less than 10 pages, edit 30, write two short bibliographies AND make a roast beef Christmas dinner on Wednesday night. Yes, I am making a Christmas dinner on Wednesday. That because we won't get to spent Christmas eve or Christmas day with Donna and Tay so we are doing it early.
Now since I have spent most of the week researching and writing, I have done nothing worth blogging! No really. On Saturday I escaped with Angela and went to Wimpy's to have the most awesome American omelette ever, see the Golden Compass, had a purple haze at Kelsey's (was super sour and awesome. I want another one), then walked around Indigo for half an hour. On Sunday my sorta-cousin came over and we decorated the gingerbread cookies I've been making obsessively and put together a gingerbread house. It's still not decorated though. I think I'll do it on Friday, after the papers are in.
Oh, and I knit a glove. Yeah, one glove. I'll work on the second one later.
Yeah, that's my fascinating life this week. Don't you want to be me?
Happy thing! This week is the letter E and I admit, this one had my stumped for a little while. Then I came to my senses and remembered that I love elephants! Seriously, I had a total brain fart moments cause when I was a kid I had a major obsession with elephants. I still have a soft spot for them. Specifically African Elephants, (Asian elephants are ugly) they are just too cool! I think its the ears. Or maybe I watched Dumbo one too many times. Or maybe it was because they were the animals I was watching when a camel spit on my sister at the Houston zoo when I was 5 and I found it to be the funniest thing ever (Jenn didn't didn't think so and cried for more than half an hour). Who knows, but I have an unreasonable affinity for elephants
Now since I have spent most of the week researching and writing, I have done nothing worth blogging! No really. On Saturday I escaped with Angela and went to Wimpy's to have the most awesome American omelette ever, see the Golden Compass, had a purple haze at Kelsey's (was super sour and awesome. I want another one), then walked around Indigo for half an hour. On Sunday my sorta-cousin came over and we decorated the gingerbread cookies I've been making obsessively and put together a gingerbread house. It's still not decorated though. I think I'll do it on Friday, after the papers are in.
Oh, and I knit a glove. Yeah, one glove. I'll work on the second one later.
Yeah, that's my fascinating life this week. Don't you want to be me?
Happy thing! This week is the letter E and I admit, this one had my stumped for a little while. Then I came to my senses and remembered that I love elephants! Seriously, I had a total brain fart moments cause when I was a kid I had a major obsession with elephants. I still have a soft spot for them. Specifically African Elephants, (Asian elephants are ugly) they are just too cool! I think its the ears. Or maybe I watched Dumbo one too many times. Or maybe it was because they were the animals I was watching when a camel spit on my sister at the Houston zoo when I was 5 and I found it to be the funniest thing ever (Jenn didn't didn't think so and cried for more than half an hour). Who knows, but I have an unreasonable affinity for elephants
Monday, December 3, 2007
I <3 my ugly boots
I cracked and bought me some Ugg knock offs. Rest assured, the selection of these ugly ugly boots was based purely on practicality; they are super warm, comfy, and tall so I can take on even the tallest snow bank without ending up with wet feet.
I resisted, really I did but yesterday (or maybe it was Saturday, I don't know) Toronto got a dumping of snow and I had a moment of clarity. I had to go in to the downtown core to pick up a book from the Indigo at Bay and Bloor (the very same Indigo that I went to for the HP7 launch). IT seems that the City of Toronto is just as bad at plowing its streets as its suburbs are. During the half a block walk from the car to the front of the store, I walked through 3 puddles and over 2 snow banks. Needless to say I had very wet and cold feet. I was not a happy girl.
So I cracked. I put it off for as long as possible, but I realized that I needed to buy boots especially since the weather network is predicting the coldest winter in a generation.
Greeeeeeat.....
Thank God I only have class 3 days a week next term. And I have me some ugly ugly super warm boots.
This entry's happy thing is brought to you by the letter D. Double Pointed Needles. Its a knitting thing. For knitting in the round, perfect for socks and the top of hats. Both of which I love knitting more than anything else in the world.
I resisted, really I did but yesterday (or maybe it was Saturday, I don't know) Toronto got a dumping of snow and I had a moment of clarity. I had to go in to the downtown core to pick up a book from the Indigo at Bay and Bloor (the very same Indigo that I went to for the HP7 launch). IT seems that the City of Toronto is just as bad at plowing its streets as its suburbs are. During the half a block walk from the car to the front of the store, I walked through 3 puddles and over 2 snow banks. Needless to say I had very wet and cold feet. I was not a happy girl.
So I cracked. I put it off for as long as possible, but I realized that I needed to buy boots especially since the weather network is predicting the coldest winter in a generation.
Greeeeeeat.....
Thank God I only have class 3 days a week next term. And I have me some ugly ugly super warm boots.
This entry's happy thing is brought to you by the letter D. Double Pointed Needles. Its a knitting thing. For knitting in the round, perfect for socks and the top of hats. Both of which I love knitting more than anything else in the world.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Cookies, Cookies, Cookies
Two posts in one week?! Has the world come to an end?
No, I'm just a procrastinator and blogs are a wonderful tool for the procrastinator. So is baking by the way, which I have been doing a lot of. Cookie baking to be exact. Cookies for Christmas. It started last week because I have finals and its spilled over because I've been have certain flavour and texture issues. I found an awesome Gingerbread recipe in one of my mothers numerous cook books. It was simple and heavenly. No, my problem is my shortbread recipe.
I should probably explain the story behind my shortbread. Its award winning. Granted it was small community contest, but the point is I won a cooling rack because my shortbread is awesome. Its so awesome because years ago I went though nearly 10 pounds of butter trying to recreate my grandmothers shortbread recipe that she used to make for her Christmas parties. I had to tweak it quite a bit cause Gran has a cookie press and I don't. I needed to find a balance between the super butteryness of a spritz cookie and still have it stable enough to be a sliced cookie. It took me freakin' forever but in Winter of 2003 I did it. And I only make it once a year, for my grandfather at Christmas.
I am fiercely protective of this recipe. Apparently it is a family trait, my great grandmother was just as protective of her doughnut recipe. She went as far as to give her churchgroup recipe book the wrong recipe so people would stop asking her for it. I am just as paranoid so I share my shortbread recipe with no one. Seriously, not a soul on this planet knows the recipe and until about 20 minutes ago, that included me. I refused to write down the recipe because then it could be stolen. I figured that I had spent so long working these cookies, I would never forget it. Yeah, I'm an idiot. I forgot the ratios, so I've been spending the past week trying to remember how to make these cookies. After 4 batches and 6 pounds of butter I got it right!!
Grampa gets cookies this year! And I've written down the recipe and hid it so well I'm wondering if I'll be able to find it again but that's OK because I'll remember the recipe this time....
On to Happy Things! I could cop out and just say cookies, but that would be too easy. The newest happy thing is my Coat. Yes my new red wool coat. Its red. Its wool. Its flippin' awesome! Its a double breasted pea coat from Torrid. I bought it in Buffalo last month. Wanna see?
http://www.torrid.com/torrid/store/product.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302032102&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442165990&bmUID=1196476318852
Isn't is just so pretty? It makes me so happy on so many levels. Its warm, its red, its pretty, and it looks grown up!
I'm off to study for my last geography exam ever! Seriously, I am never taking another geography course ever again. That too makes me happy.
No, I'm just a procrastinator and blogs are a wonderful tool for the procrastinator. So is baking by the way, which I have been doing a lot of. Cookie baking to be exact. Cookies for Christmas. It started last week because I have finals and its spilled over because I've been have certain flavour and texture issues. I found an awesome Gingerbread recipe in one of my mothers numerous cook books. It was simple and heavenly. No, my problem is my shortbread recipe.
I should probably explain the story behind my shortbread. Its award winning. Granted it was small community contest, but the point is I won a cooling rack because my shortbread is awesome. Its so awesome because years ago I went though nearly 10 pounds of butter trying to recreate my grandmothers shortbread recipe that she used to make for her Christmas parties. I had to tweak it quite a bit cause Gran has a cookie press and I don't. I needed to find a balance between the super butteryness of a spritz cookie and still have it stable enough to be a sliced cookie. It took me freakin' forever but in Winter of 2003 I did it. And I only make it once a year, for my grandfather at Christmas.
I am fiercely protective of this recipe. Apparently it is a family trait, my great grandmother was just as protective of her doughnut recipe. She went as far as to give her churchgroup recipe book the wrong recipe so people would stop asking her for it. I am just as paranoid so I share my shortbread recipe with no one. Seriously, not a soul on this planet knows the recipe and until about 20 minutes ago, that included me. I refused to write down the recipe because then it could be stolen. I figured that I had spent so long working these cookies, I would never forget it. Yeah, I'm an idiot. I forgot the ratios, so I've been spending the past week trying to remember how to make these cookies. After 4 batches and 6 pounds of butter I got it right!!
Grampa gets cookies this year! And I've written down the recipe and hid it so well I'm wondering if I'll be able to find it again but that's OK because I'll remember the recipe this time....
On to Happy Things! I could cop out and just say cookies, but that would be too easy. The newest happy thing is my Coat. Yes my new red wool coat. Its red. Its wool. Its flippin' awesome! Its a double breasted pea coat from Torrid. I bought it in Buffalo last month. Wanna see?
http://www.torrid.com/torrid/store/product.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302032102&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442165990&bmUID=1196476318852
Isn't is just so pretty? It makes me so happy on so many levels. Its warm, its red, its pretty, and it looks grown up!
I'm off to study for my last geography exam ever! Seriously, I am never taking another geography course ever again. That too makes me happy.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
huh? what?
"Finals. Papers. Panic. Readings. So far behind. What to do! what to do! Need sleep."
That's whats been running through my mind for the past week and a half. I have just over a week until finals start, then I have 10 days in which to finish all this terms work including a 20 page research report that I have barely started the primary research for. Sometimes being an Anthropology major sucks. I love it even when I hate it though so I can't really complain. All I can say is thank goodness I haven't had to work in the past few weeks, My boss has done one of three things.
1. He's taken pity on my fellow research assistant and I and decided to wait until the new year to load us up with new data since we both have a lighter course load next year.
That's whats been running through my mind for the past week and a half. I have just over a week until finals start, then I have 10 days in which to finish all this terms work including a 20 page research report that I have barely started the primary research for. Sometimes being an Anthropology major sucks. I love it even when I hate it though so I can't really complain. All I can say is thank goodness I haven't had to work in the past few weeks, My boss has done one of three things.
1. He's taken pity on my fellow research assistant and I and decided to wait until the new year to load us up with new data since we both have a lighter course load next year.
2. He has forgotten that he hired to RA's to do his bitch work, so we're still on pay roll even though we don't actually do any work
3. He is just as big a procrastinator as I and doesn't actually have anything to just us yet.
Now it's quite possible that its option one. After all he is a very nice man and took pity on my during finals/mid-term this summer when I was up to my eyeballs in school work plus spending 24 hours a week in classrooms and another 30 doing course work. It would be awesome if its option 2. I'd just keep getting overpaid (cause I am grossly overpaid for what I do but apparently that's starting salary so I won't complain) until my contract runs up in April. But it's likely 3. I've come to realize that most profs are permanent students thus are just as big procrastinators as the ones they teach. IT doesn't really matter as long as I don't have to work until at least December 13. December 13 is my freedom day. My last final is a taken home and its due that day and since my research report is due in 14th at the latest, I will have it done bu then and save myself the bus fare.
Since I have been spending the last 3 weeks doing nothing just school work (4th year is kicking my ass), I haven't had a social life. I did see Enchanted last night. Cutest movie ever! Love and Adore! Now I was very tired and in desperate need of a brainless happy cheesy Disney McDreamy moment so I may have enjoyed it far more than the average person but it was still quite good. Next on my movie list is August Rush and Fred Claus. Possibly the Golden Compass but the jury is still out on that.
Now to concluding this rambling blog of stress. My Happy This brought to you by the letter B.
Blue Raspberry Sour Starburst. Random, I know, but deeply embedded in Michela-Lore. I shall share the story that will probably end up being longer than the actual blog. My OAC year of high school nearly killed me. OAC for the vast majority of the population that doens't know what it is, is basically grade 13. In the old Ontario curriculum there were two diplomas; The basic grade 12 diploma which you got if you were going directly in to the workforce or in to college, and the OAC diploma which you got if you did an extra year of high school and were planning on going in to university since Canada doesn't have standardized tests like the SATs or ACTs. Entrance is based on your grades in your final year of school. To be an OAC student you had be have at least a C+ or B in the required courses from the previous year and you were stuck in school for an extra year. My OAC year was the last one before it was phased out.
I have never been a very strong student. I work my ass off for my grades. Even the C+'s (I am proud to say I haven't got anything lower than a C+ in University. Quite an accomplishment I think). In OAC I was not only trying to get in to university, I was competing with nearly twice the number of people because the OAC class and the 12 class were both applying. Needless to say I was stressed and pushed myself too hard. I got sick a lot, didn't have time for a social life, and developed a panic and anxiety disorder. Yeah it sucked.
There was a bright spot though. A lot of the people in my grade fast tracked. They took summer school, or an above required course load, and finished a term or even a whole year early, so by the time second term came around, there were only about 75 OACs left and most of us had been going to that school since grade nine so we all knew each other. We'd show up to class in sweats or even PJ pants. Girls didn't bother with make up or styles more complicated than a messy pony tail. guys didn't bother with hair gel or shaving. It was awesome. We were all comfortable just being ourselves. After all who the hell did we have to impress, we were the top of the food chain and had bigger things to worry about lol.
Everyday in fourth period I had World Geography, my favourite class with my favourite teacher. It was a small class, like less than 20 people, compared to the 35 in some other classes we had to share with the grade 12s. I sat next to my good friend Angela, and everyday one of us would buy a pack of sour starburst from the caff to give us little sugar jolt to get us through those last 2 periods of class. I got the Orange ones, Angela got the Grape, and we would split the Cherry and Blue Raspberry ones. But the Blue Raspberry were the best because of one very special trait; they would turn your tongue blue better than any other candy on the market, even tongue painter chupachups (anyone remember those). So we'd pop one in at the beginning of class when the teacher was giving the lesson and quietly suck on it until it was gone, then we'd compare tongues. Who ever had the bluest one won. There was no prize, no punishment. the loser didn't have buy the starburst the next day, and the winner didn't extra candy. It was pure bragging rights ( for the record I won more than Angela).
Eventually the other girls in the class got in on the action and there would be multiple packages bought everyday and shared in class. On supply teacher days and video days we'd bring crafts (one girl knit, not me I hadn't quite mastered that yet, one made bracelets, Angela did origami, I made little beaded bags). It was awesome and I miss it and to this day I think of that class and those people whenever I have a Blue Raspberry Sour Starburst and I smile.
Friday, November 9, 2007
I enjoy the little things
I've always known that small things amuse me, but today it struck me how much joy I derive from the little things in life. Here are a few things I noticed between 11:30 this morning and 5 this afternoon that make me very happy:
I love that my new red coat that keeps me warm when its freezing but not too warm when its just cool. And my pretty black ballet flats with the ribbon bow on the front make me want to dance down the sidewalk on the way to class. The delicious smell of Apple Cinnamon Tea after a long break-less lecture. The feel of soft yarn as I knit (especially when I knit in class). That satisfying squish of a new piece of gum. Remembering that I have friends who so desire my presence, that they track me down in tutorial because they are hungry, but don't want to start lunch without me. Laughing at nothing with the same friends. Walking through the rotunda in Vari Hall and feeling so small, but at the same time a part of something so big. Customer service reps who take my complaint seriously, courteously and with the promise to resolve the issue. The first 12 bars of Keys to the World by Richard Ashcroft. Coming home and seeing my mother in a good mood.
That's a lot of things in less than 6 hours. It was a lot of things I needed to notice today. I've been having a stressful few weeks. Not new stress, all of it is school related which I am thankfully used to at this point, but enough stress to make me feel a little down. Add a stolen cell phone to the mix and the discovery that my beloved iPod, Georgie, has lost nearly 50% batter capacity meaning I'll have to replace her soon, and I was feeling rather bummed this week.
Things are better now though. I replaced the phone, with a much prettier model, and reminded myself that Georgie still gets nearly 8 hours of battery life out of a single charge meaning she has enough life inside her to keep going for a few more months before I'll have to send her away (at which point I will cry). At the the mix my list of simple little happy things and I am feeling quite good.
In the spirit of this, I am going to do something I've posted on a bunch of other blogs. At the end of every entry, I'm going to do an ABC of happy things. After 26 blog entries, I'll have a list of 26 happy things to remind me (and you, if you keep reading) of some of the things I may not always notice, but are always there.
A: Apple Juice. I love apple juice. Its sweet and a little tangy and reminds me of being 6 years old and playing with barbies on the front lawn.
P.S. Halloween was a hit. did 6 pumpkins including Oogie Boogie. Voldemort, A Werewolf, A Dragon, and from The Nightmare Before Christmas, Zero, Jack Skellington, and Oogie. They were all popular, but Voldemort was the favourite this year.
I love that my new red coat that keeps me warm when its freezing but not too warm when its just cool. And my pretty black ballet flats with the ribbon bow on the front make me want to dance down the sidewalk on the way to class. The delicious smell of Apple Cinnamon Tea after a long break-less lecture. The feel of soft yarn as I knit (especially when I knit in class). That satisfying squish of a new piece of gum. Remembering that I have friends who so desire my presence, that they track me down in tutorial because they are hungry, but don't want to start lunch without me. Laughing at nothing with the same friends. Walking through the rotunda in Vari Hall and feeling so small, but at the same time a part of something so big. Customer service reps who take my complaint seriously, courteously and with the promise to resolve the issue. The first 12 bars of Keys to the World by Richard Ashcroft. Coming home and seeing my mother in a good mood.
That's a lot of things in less than 6 hours. It was a lot of things I needed to notice today. I've been having a stressful few weeks. Not new stress, all of it is school related which I am thankfully used to at this point, but enough stress to make me feel a little down. Add a stolen cell phone to the mix and the discovery that my beloved iPod, Georgie, has lost nearly 50% batter capacity meaning I'll have to replace her soon, and I was feeling rather bummed this week.
Things are better now though. I replaced the phone, with a much prettier model, and reminded myself that Georgie still gets nearly 8 hours of battery life out of a single charge meaning she has enough life inside her to keep going for a few more months before I'll have to send her away (at which point I will cry). At the the mix my list of simple little happy things and I am feeling quite good.
In the spirit of this, I am going to do something I've posted on a bunch of other blogs. At the end of every entry, I'm going to do an ABC of happy things. After 26 blog entries, I'll have a list of 26 happy things to remind me (and you, if you keep reading) of some of the things I may not always notice, but are always there.
A: Apple Juice. I love apple juice. Its sweet and a little tangy and reminds me of being 6 years old and playing with barbies on the front lawn.
P.S. Halloween was a hit. did 6 pumpkins including Oogie Boogie. Voldemort, A Werewolf, A Dragon, and from The Nightmare Before Christmas, Zero, Jack Skellington, and Oogie. They were all popular, but Voldemort was the favourite this year.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Halloween Approcheth
I love Halloween. But sadly it comes at midterms (at least midterms for my half year courses. Which most of mine are this year) so no parties for me this year, but that doesn't stop me from letting the awesome out all over some very lucky pumpkins. Here's a preview.
There there would be Oogie Boogie on the Moon from the fantabuoulous, zombiepumpkins.com. Go there, buy a memebership and join te awesomeness.
More pumpkins later this week. 5 more to be exact. Possibly 6.
now I'm off. I have a Method paper to finish and coupons to print for the big Buffalo shopping excursion on Tuesday.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
End of an era.
I lost a friendship tonight.
I knew it was coming. I actually planned on initiating the conversation myself, but I wanted to do it in person. I felt I owed this person that much. They beat me to the punch and decided that instant messaging was good enough to end a three year friendship that, at one point, was very important to me. It ended in an exchange of messages that left me so angry I was literally shaking and then that was it. The anger is gone. While I am sure that I will lose other friendships as a result of the ending of this one, I am still not angry. Just saddened that it ended this way. I overestimated my former friend’s capacity to be accepting and understanding, a mistake I will try and avoid in the future. Now I just feel sorry for them for reasons I won’t elaborate further because, honestly, I said my piece and the public doesn’t need to know the particulars. Besides I could argue my position until the day I die, but it won’t change anything.
I had really hoped that this person and I could be quite mature about the situation, and not discuss it in blogs and such. I over-estimated them. Well I don’t feel much like taking the high road anymore. I’ve done it a lot. I’ve kept my mouth shut when things were said that pissed me off, I’ve tried to hold my tongue when rants were uttered for the thousandth time and I accepted stupid little comments about my flaws as a person (all of which I am perfectly aware of and do not need reminding of) all for the sake of preserving a friendship. After all, those who wish to have long term friendships must learn to have short term memories.
When I was a teenager I used to go to church several times a week. I won’t lie and say I went because I was uber religious. I went because my friends were there and it was the one place my mom would let me go and hang out without her supervision. I did learn a lot about my faith and friendship while I was there. I picked up quite a bit very useful advice from our youth pastors that has helped me everyday since he shared it with us. One of the things he told us was that we cannot go through life expecting things to be completely fair. Sometimes you will end up with the short end of the stick and that includes in friendships and we have to remember that not every friendship is an answer to your prayer, but rather you are the answer to someone else’s or at least you are there to do something God needs you to do. He taught us to believe that there is a purpose behind every action we do, and a reason why people enter and exit our lives. While we do not understand God’s purpose, we have to accept them and believe that we learned something, even if it was a lesson we care not to repeat.
So to that person who used to be my friend, just know that I am not angry; holding on to anger hurts no one but yourself, and acceptance is the only way to be at peace with your life (a lesson I tried to impart on you. My greatest hope for you is that you will learn it before your anger and frustrations destroy you). I am a little hurt that you did not believe I deserved that same respect I had for you, however, I am over it. I will readily accept what I cannot change and that is a lesson I learned, in part, from this friendship.
(And by the way, words do have the capacity to hurt me but I choose ignore the words of people who do not have my best interests at heart. That is a lesson I learned long before you and I were friends.)
I knew it was coming. I actually planned on initiating the conversation myself, but I wanted to do it in person. I felt I owed this person that much. They beat me to the punch and decided that instant messaging was good enough to end a three year friendship that, at one point, was very important to me. It ended in an exchange of messages that left me so angry I was literally shaking and then that was it. The anger is gone. While I am sure that I will lose other friendships as a result of the ending of this one, I am still not angry. Just saddened that it ended this way. I overestimated my former friend’s capacity to be accepting and understanding, a mistake I will try and avoid in the future. Now I just feel sorry for them for reasons I won’t elaborate further because, honestly, I said my piece and the public doesn’t need to know the particulars. Besides I could argue my position until the day I die, but it won’t change anything.
I had really hoped that this person and I could be quite mature about the situation, and not discuss it in blogs and such. I over-estimated them. Well I don’t feel much like taking the high road anymore. I’ve done it a lot. I’ve kept my mouth shut when things were said that pissed me off, I’ve tried to hold my tongue when rants were uttered for the thousandth time and I accepted stupid little comments about my flaws as a person (all of which I am perfectly aware of and do not need reminding of) all for the sake of preserving a friendship. After all, those who wish to have long term friendships must learn to have short term memories.
When I was a teenager I used to go to church several times a week. I won’t lie and say I went because I was uber religious. I went because my friends were there and it was the one place my mom would let me go and hang out without her supervision. I did learn a lot about my faith and friendship while I was there. I picked up quite a bit very useful advice from our youth pastors that has helped me everyday since he shared it with us. One of the things he told us was that we cannot go through life expecting things to be completely fair. Sometimes you will end up with the short end of the stick and that includes in friendships and we have to remember that not every friendship is an answer to your prayer, but rather you are the answer to someone else’s or at least you are there to do something God needs you to do. He taught us to believe that there is a purpose behind every action we do, and a reason why people enter and exit our lives. While we do not understand God’s purpose, we have to accept them and believe that we learned something, even if it was a lesson we care not to repeat.
So to that person who used to be my friend, just know that I am not angry; holding on to anger hurts no one but yourself, and acceptance is the only way to be at peace with your life (a lesson I tried to impart on you. My greatest hope for you is that you will learn it before your anger and frustrations destroy you). I am a little hurt that you did not believe I deserved that same respect I had for you, however, I am over it. I will readily accept what I cannot change and that is a lesson I learned, in part, from this friendship.
(And by the way, words do have the capacity to hurt me but I choose ignore the words of people who do not have my best interests at heart. That is a lesson I learned long before you and I were friends.)
Friday, October 12, 2007
Holiday countdown!
Monday was Thanksgiving! I like Thanksgiving, not because I have a great love of Turkey (I don't actually. I prefer ham). No, I love Thanksgiving because it marks the beginning of my holiday season. I say mine, cause I count Halloween as a major holiday that requires planning and celebration.
I have already started planning my jack-o-lanterns, how I'm going to expand my display and potential costumes. I'll need two; one is needed for shelling out and another for Laura's Birthday party. I'm sticking with my Harry Potter theme. For the past two years I've made up my front yard like Borgin and Burkes from the books. Since I already have a rather large collection of gross, dark magic stuff all I have to do it replace broken stuff and carve the pumpkins. For that I turn to the greatness that is zombiepumpkins.com. It's awesome, I love it, and I'm hoping for many HP stencils this year cause of the new movie.
Halloween also means, Halloween movies. Halloweentown and the Nightmare before Christmas to be exact. Two brilliant examples of the genre lol.
As for costumes, I'm thinking Bellatrix LeStrange She's just so deliciously evil and slightly insane. Plus its an excuse to wear my black, ruffly, slight Victorian skirt and use my super amazing wand again. For those who don't know, I made Laura, Angela and I wands for the HP 7 book launch. They were all a big hit. We spent half the night casting spells at each other. Impedimenta and stupefy were the most popular.
Back to the subject at hand, which is my holiday season. After Halloween, I can start planning for Christmas. Christmas is kind of a big deal in this household. We start planning in August. I'm extra excited this year because we might be getting a real tree for the first time in 16 years! Over the summer out faithful artificial, that we got in 1997, fell victim to a watering hose leak and got all mildew-y. It was getting faded and insanely dusty anyway. Instead if getting another fake tree this year, my mother is considering getting a real one just for this year, then picking up a new fake one during the Christmas Clearance sales when they are like 90% off. Of course this means we won't be able to put up the tree until at least December, but its a sacrifice I'm willing to make.
I don't want to give too much away, but I've already started my Christmas knitting and crafting. (just a teaser, I learned how to knit ------- a few weeks ago....)Mwhahaha.
Now, I must finish because mid-term hell week has started, I don't have time to do anything just school and work until the end of next week. and even then I only have time for already scheduled events such as the aforementioned birthday celebration and pumpkin carving.
I have already started planning my jack-o-lanterns, how I'm going to expand my display and potential costumes. I'll need two; one is needed for shelling out and another for Laura's Birthday party. I'm sticking with my Harry Potter theme. For the past two years I've made up my front yard like Borgin and Burkes from the books. Since I already have a rather large collection of gross, dark magic stuff all I have to do it replace broken stuff and carve the pumpkins. For that I turn to the greatness that is zombiepumpkins.com. It's awesome, I love it, and I'm hoping for many HP stencils this year cause of the new movie.
Halloween also means, Halloween movies. Halloweentown and the Nightmare before Christmas to be exact. Two brilliant examples of the genre lol.
As for costumes, I'm thinking Bellatrix LeStrange She's just so deliciously evil and slightly insane. Plus its an excuse to wear my black, ruffly, slight Victorian skirt and use my super amazing wand again. For those who don't know, I made Laura, Angela and I wands for the HP 7 book launch. They were all a big hit. We spent half the night casting spells at each other. Impedimenta and stupefy were the most popular.
Back to the subject at hand, which is my holiday season. After Halloween, I can start planning for Christmas. Christmas is kind of a big deal in this household. We start planning in August. I'm extra excited this year because we might be getting a real tree for the first time in 16 years! Over the summer out faithful artificial, that we got in 1997, fell victim to a watering hose leak and got all mildew-y. It was getting faded and insanely dusty anyway. Instead if getting another fake tree this year, my mother is considering getting a real one just for this year, then picking up a new fake one during the Christmas Clearance sales when they are like 90% off. Of course this means we won't be able to put up the tree until at least December, but its a sacrifice I'm willing to make.
I don't want to give too much away, but I've already started my Christmas knitting and crafting. (just a teaser, I learned how to knit ------- a few weeks ago....)Mwhahaha.
Now, I must finish because mid-term hell week has started, I don't have time to do anything just school and work until the end of next week. and even then I only have time for already scheduled events such as the aforementioned birthday celebration and pumpkin carving.
Monday, September 17, 2007
And Life Goes On.
So Summer is over and Fall is right around the corner. Summer session ended, fall clases started and shock of shock, I actually like them. well the ones I have been to. I haven't been to my Friday class yet cause I didn't bother going to the first (Come on it was the first day and it was a second year course. I've sat through enough academic honesty lectures in my life thank you very much and I know where the library assitance desk is and I am well aware of the ins and outs of WebCT). I espeically like my Critical Ethnography course. We, the entire class, are going to help write an Ethnography of York. I'm excited. I'm going to try and remin involved after the term ends and in to next year because it is published. That's about all.
Now that thats in order, what about the rest of the two months I didn't post. I could sit here and write along rambling prose but I prefer lists.
1. Went to the Harry Potter 5 premire, it was good. I liked it. Luna rocked.
2. Went to the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows launch at the Indigo on Bay St. along with Laura, Angela and 5000 other Torontoians. It was insane. I loved every minute of it. Even thought it was so hot by 11 that the wig and cargigan were banished to the purse that broke at 10. Luckily I brought a cauldron to hold it all. We talked to an adorable set of sisters and a middle aged man who was some sort of Film Editor. And a student film crew followed us around half the night. Super funnes. I swear I didn't cry (That video recording was doctored.....)
3. Finished HP7 in under 14 hours, including those 7 hours of sleep I forced myself to take at 5:30am. I cried. A lot. At several different times. A few things shocked the hell out of me, but I saw others coming. I won't go in to detail for all 4 people on the planet who don't know who died. And I liked the ending, I don't care what anyone else says.
4. The Humanities class of death ended. Sadly I have yet to finish it. I got food poisoning a week before the exam and couldn't study or write. It's hard to use a coputer while spending half your days in the bathroom and the other hald desperatly trying to stay hydrated.Yeah, not fun. So I defered, and just finished the final paper this week. not my best piece of work but i'm sure I've done worse so I'll hope for the best. I'll be writing the final this week. Wish me luck.
5. The Summer job was extended and it is now a fall semester thing. Pretty sweet. It will probably last until January which is just fine with me.
6. Went to Maine at the end of August. Krista and I went to Old Orchard Beach twice where I swam, well walked, in the ocean, Freeport (also twice. Once at midnight. L.L.Bean never closes. It was fun. I bought an ugly coffee mug. During the Daytime trip we went to Bath and body works where I dropped a ridculous amount of money, Yankee Candle, and the Gap outlet. The Gap has plus sizes in te States! how cool is that? and the Burberry outlet isn't much cheaper than retail), New Hampshire which is home to the tax free shopping. Spent a lot of money at Bath and Bodyworks, Lane Bryant, and Hot Topic. With minor money spent at Torrid, TJ Maxx, and Victoria's Secret. Portland waterfront was visisted, and it smells like fish. A 'haunted' house was visited. As far as I know, no angry sprits followed me home. And I discovered that I can eat safely at Applebees!
Yeah, that seems like about everything of major importance.
Now that thats in order, what about the rest of the two months I didn't post. I could sit here and write along rambling prose but I prefer lists.
1. Went to the Harry Potter 5 premire, it was good. I liked it. Luna rocked.
2. Went to the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows launch at the Indigo on Bay St. along with Laura, Angela and 5000 other Torontoians. It was insane. I loved every minute of it. Even thought it was so hot by 11 that the wig and cargigan were banished to the purse that broke at 10. Luckily I brought a cauldron to hold it all. We talked to an adorable set of sisters and a middle aged man who was some sort of Film Editor. And a student film crew followed us around half the night. Super funnes. I swear I didn't cry (That video recording was doctored.....)
3. Finished HP7 in under 14 hours, including those 7 hours of sleep I forced myself to take at 5:30am. I cried. A lot. At several different times. A few things shocked the hell out of me, but I saw others coming. I won't go in to detail for all 4 people on the planet who don't know who died. And I liked the ending, I don't care what anyone else says.
4. The Humanities class of death ended. Sadly I have yet to finish it. I got food poisoning a week before the exam and couldn't study or write. It's hard to use a coputer while spending half your days in the bathroom and the other hald desperatly trying to stay hydrated.Yeah, not fun. So I defered, and just finished the final paper this week. not my best piece of work but i'm sure I've done worse so I'll hope for the best. I'll be writing the final this week. Wish me luck.
5. The Summer job was extended and it is now a fall semester thing. Pretty sweet. It will probably last until January which is just fine with me.
6. Went to Maine at the end of August. Krista and I went to Old Orchard Beach twice where I swam, well walked, in the ocean, Freeport (also twice. Once at midnight. L.L.Bean never closes. It was fun. I bought an ugly coffee mug. During the Daytime trip we went to Bath and body works where I dropped a ridculous amount of money, Yankee Candle, and the Gap outlet. The Gap has plus sizes in te States! how cool is that? and the Burberry outlet isn't much cheaper than retail), New Hampshire which is home to the tax free shopping. Spent a lot of money at Bath and Bodyworks, Lane Bryant, and Hot Topic. With minor money spent at Torrid, TJ Maxx, and Victoria's Secret. Portland waterfront was visisted, and it smells like fish. A 'haunted' house was visited. As far as I know, no angry sprits followed me home. And I discovered that I can eat safely at Applebees!
Yeah, that seems like about everything of major importance.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Harry Potter Mania Begins
Tonight I am going to see HP5 which is the first event in the week that shall go down in history as Harry Potter Mania.
Next week is the book 7 launch (incase you've had your head under a rock for the past 6 months and didn't know that.) and I am going as Luna. Stay tuned for details and possible horribly embrassing pictures of me in a blonde wig brandishing a wand
Next week is the book 7 launch (incase you've had your head under a rock for the past 6 months and didn't know that.) and I am going as Luna. Stay tuned for details and possible horribly embrassing pictures of me in a blonde wig brandishing a wand
Friday, June 22, 2007
Wisdom Teeth aren't very wise.
I finished one of my summer classes and I am technically half way through my second one thought I have only written one of three assignments and don't maybe 1/5 of the reading.
None of that matters because I have survived the worst this summer could toss at me. I survived my first summer class, and I think I'll be getting a respectable grade in it since I got an A on both parts of the presentation, a B on the mid term and even though I got a C on the research paper I studied my ass off for the final so maybe, just maybe I'll do well enough o get a B or B+ on that. And when I say study, I mean study. Two friends and I rented a dorm room and stayed on campus the night before so we could study non stop. We reviewed from 1:30 pm until about 11:00 pm when our brains finally shut down and we were forced to go to bed, even though I didn't sleep because the room was either too hot or too cold, there was a street light flashing in my eye and the mattress was hard as a rock. Needless to say I got the whole dorm experience out of my system and I needed one massive cup of coffee in the morning just to make it to breakfast.
What? You think that wasn't so bad? I'm not done. I finally got paid. Yeah big deal It was important to me.
More importantly though, my registration date for the 07/08 year came. I was petrified. The two classes I wanted to take this year are the third year archaeology classes and they fill up in about 17 seconds. I set up my entire year around those classes. I even picked my final Gen. Ed. requirements around those classes. I was paranoid. I was at my computer at 1:29 refreshing until it would let me register.
I got in to both.
In fact, I got in to all my classes. Down the exact tutorial. I was a little wigged cause that has never happened before. Every year I've need some kind of over haul. AND as if that weren't enough I managed to pay my tuition deposit without hassle! I'm kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop. Until it happens though I'm going to enjoy how well my academic life is going.
Sadly life is not all school though. I had my wisdom teeth removed on Tuesday. All four. At Once. It hurt quite a bit. want to hear the ironic thing? It was only the bottom teeth that were bothering me. They were growing in at like a 45 degree angle towards the front of my mouth and causing pressure and one had partially erupted though the gum line so it was sore. The tops ones weren't causing me on iota of pain even though they were slightly vertically impacted. The bottom ones that have been the baine of mt life for months slid out like butter according to the oral surgeon. They each had a single partially formed root and were fully erupted from the jaw making them a snap to remove. Each one took about 5 minutes.
The top ones had not one, not two but three fully formed roots. Three. Fully Formed. And both were firmly embedded in my jaw bone. They needed to be drilled out. The teeth at caused my no pain on Monday had now caused my so much on pain on Wednesday that I was convinced the doctor had broken my jaw. I still can't chew.
I never thought it would happen But I'm actually sick of pudding, Milkshakes and Mashed potatoes. Today I was so desperate for protein (cause I haven't had a real meal since Monday at lunch time when I had a ham sandwich) that I chopped some chicken up in to teeny tiny piece and mixed it in with my mashed potatoes. yeah, that wasn't nasty at all.
Still, if that's the worst part of my summer, I don't think I'm going to complain much anymore. Its giving my plenty of time to knit, my mom and sister and totally spoiling me, I have some lovely heavy duty pain killers (since I'm allergic to Tylenol and this T3's aren't an option he he he), Laura came over and brought my Tinkerbell stickers! and I now have an excuse to sleep 12 hours a night without getting an grief! I defiantly wouldn't do the wisdom teeth again, but the perks helps make up for the pain.
None of that matters because I have survived the worst this summer could toss at me. I survived my first summer class, and I think I'll be getting a respectable grade in it since I got an A on both parts of the presentation, a B on the mid term and even though I got a C on the research paper I studied my ass off for the final so maybe, just maybe I'll do well enough o get a B or B+ on that. And when I say study, I mean study. Two friends and I rented a dorm room and stayed on campus the night before so we could study non stop. We reviewed from 1:30 pm until about 11:00 pm when our brains finally shut down and we were forced to go to bed, even though I didn't sleep because the room was either too hot or too cold, there was a street light flashing in my eye and the mattress was hard as a rock. Needless to say I got the whole dorm experience out of my system and I needed one massive cup of coffee in the morning just to make it to breakfast.
What? You think that wasn't so bad? I'm not done. I finally got paid. Yeah big deal It was important to me.
More importantly though, my registration date for the 07/08 year came. I was petrified. The two classes I wanted to take this year are the third year archaeology classes and they fill up in about 17 seconds. I set up my entire year around those classes. I even picked my final Gen. Ed. requirements around those classes. I was paranoid. I was at my computer at 1:29 refreshing until it would let me register.
I got in to both.
In fact, I got in to all my classes. Down the exact tutorial. I was a little wigged cause that has never happened before. Every year I've need some kind of over haul. AND as if that weren't enough I managed to pay my tuition deposit without hassle! I'm kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop. Until it happens though I'm going to enjoy how well my academic life is going.
Sadly life is not all school though. I had my wisdom teeth removed on Tuesday. All four. At Once. It hurt quite a bit. want to hear the ironic thing? It was only the bottom teeth that were bothering me. They were growing in at like a 45 degree angle towards the front of my mouth and causing pressure and one had partially erupted though the gum line so it was sore. The tops ones weren't causing me on iota of pain even though they were slightly vertically impacted. The bottom ones that have been the baine of mt life for months slid out like butter according to the oral surgeon. They each had a single partially formed root and were fully erupted from the jaw making them a snap to remove. Each one took about 5 minutes.
The top ones had not one, not two but three fully formed roots. Three. Fully Formed. And both were firmly embedded in my jaw bone. They needed to be drilled out. The teeth at caused my no pain on Monday had now caused my so much on pain on Wednesday that I was convinced the doctor had broken my jaw. I still can't chew.
I never thought it would happen But I'm actually sick of pudding, Milkshakes and Mashed potatoes. Today I was so desperate for protein (cause I haven't had a real meal since Monday at lunch time when I had a ham sandwich) that I chopped some chicken up in to teeny tiny piece and mixed it in with my mashed potatoes. yeah, that wasn't nasty at all.
Still, if that's the worst part of my summer, I don't think I'm going to complain much anymore. Its giving my plenty of time to knit, my mom and sister and totally spoiling me, I have some lovely heavy duty pain killers (since I'm allergic to Tylenol and this T3's aren't an option he he he), Laura came over and brought my Tinkerbell stickers! and I now have an excuse to sleep 12 hours a night without getting an grief! I defiantly wouldn't do the wisdom teeth again, but the perks helps make up for the pain.
Monday, May 21, 2007
It's Summer!
That's right! It's Summer! Not because its May 2-4. No, it's summer because I broke out the hot pink nail polish on my toes.
(Ignore the ironic case study in the back ground.)
Hot pink toe nails mean sandals, and sandals mean summer. Aren't they pretty?
Friday, May 18, 2007
By the Way
I'm too lazy to find a place ti stick this in my last post.
Finals grades came in. I got a C+ in Methods. Still Eligable for Grad School. Proof God Loves me.
(C+ in Caribbean Geo too. B in Media Representation and B+ in Anthro of Tourism. for anyone who absolutly must know. I did alittle happy dance a la Turk on Scrubs does when he is right)
Finals grades came in. I got a C+ in Methods. Still Eligable for Grad School. Proof God Loves me.
(C+ in Caribbean Geo too. B in Media Representation and B+ in Anthro of Tourism. for anyone who absolutly must know. I did alittle happy dance a la Turk on Scrubs does when he is right)
Another week and apparently I get pensive late at night.
Another week of summer has passed me by. And I have a midterm in 9 days. A midterm in a class I started last Monday. Yeah, It seems very strange to me too but whatever. I won't have to study because duh! I just learned everything 10 days ago. Hell, I start studying for F/W term finals earlier than 10 days before the exam. I'm not worried.
I am, however, quite worried about my Humanities class. I have come to realise that I am not a Humanities student. I am an Anthropology student, a Cultural Anthropology Student to be exact. There is a difference. Humanities students are all about hidden meaning and implied messages and future impact. I ain't. I look at whats done and the social/cultural root behind a practice, custom, word usage, etc... OK, yeah I have to consider implied messages, screw future impact! I am trained to look at every culture as a non-static entity that it constant interacting and reacting therefore is impossible to predict. I like it like that. Sure it means every 10 years everything I learned it outdated or totally discredited but whatever!
I swear I have a meaning behind this little random moment of strangeness. I am taking a course on Terror (Actually the Horror Genre of literature and Film) and Terrorism (yes, Georgie's biggest enemy) and I am so freaking out of my league because I am so in to Anthropology that I can't think like anything but an anthropologist.
I had to read a book called a Very Short Introduction to Terrorism. It was actually a good book. Informative and unpretentious I thought I understood it well.
I did. If I were walking in to an Anthropology class. I was completely unprepared for taking that knowledge in to a Humanities class. I was thinking about causes relating to shared culture specific knowledge, and oppressive social laws and interfere with cultural believes and all that stuff that I have spent the last three years learning how to do. The prof wanted use to Map, Position and Relate concept without looking at the things I am used to looking at like home culture of the perpetrator but rather looking at the target. Yeah, that's a strange concept for me, and I don't fully know what it means and I don't know how to do it at a university level. I walked out of that class feeling rather stupid, confused and self-conscious about my abilities as a student.
I was longing for the simplicity of high school, which I completely took for granted while I was there. That of course lead to a whole new line of thought.Like how I graduated 4 years ago next month. It doesn't seem like its been that long. I almost feel like if I went to bed and slept really hard I could wake up and realize that the last 4 years haven't actually happened and they were actually a very vivid sometimes horrible dream. That's not to say I wish them away though. The bad things made who I am today just as much as the good things. Maybe the even more because the bad things make you think and reflect harder
No, too many good things have happened to want them gone.
I found academic passion and it shocked the hell out of me. I never once considered Anthropology as a major when I was in High School. Today, I couldn't imagine studying anything else because I love it so. I know I will keep learning about it long after I finish my degree.
I met one of my bestest friend (hi Laura!) in my first year Geography class. . She keeps me on my toes and stops me from being a total hermit crab.
I went to DisneyWorld with my other bestest friend, Krista. Yeah, pretty insignificant to most people, but it was an important trip for me. It was the last thing I needed to do before I could get over my childhood. Yes, I do mean get over it. I was not a happy child. No one took me, so I saved my money for a whole year, I got on a plane, stayed in a hotel by myself that first night, and I went to DisneyWorld. I saw mickey and donald and Ariel and I rode on its a small world and the mad tea party. I fulfilled that childhood dream and now I can lay it to rest. And Expedition Everest was the greatest ride ever.
I've made it more than half way through an honours degree. Yeah its taking me longer than I thought, but I' doing it. I'm proving to everyone who said I couldn't that I can, even it I am horribly lost in that one course. It's keeping my humble. Not that I think I need help wit that. My Research Methods course did that just fine.
I learned that it id possible to be away from home and not get homesick. That was during my second solo trip. I went to Maine. That was an important lesson for me. It started me on my wings in a way my first solo trip didn't. That first solo trip was one of the bad things that I wouldn't do over.
I learned not to be afraid of the Epi-pen. The Epi-pen is my friend and it means I don't have to fear the world so much.
There are some bad thing I wish didn't happen. I wish I had realized my beloved dog, Abel, was sick sooner than I did. Then I might still have him, or at least some of the guilt would go away.
I wish I told the guy who got away how much I liked him instead of letting my hurt get in the way.
I wish I hadn't stayed home to go to a movie with a friend that last weekend my mom went to see my Aunt a few months before she died.
I wish I hadn't lost the sterling silver faux Tiffany Bracelet I got for my 18th birthday that my sister spent her entire pay cheque on. That bracelet meant the world to me.
I wish I hadn't bought that black H&M dress that I never wore and hangs in my pseudo-closet three years later with the tags still on.
I hate regret....
I am, however, quite worried about my Humanities class. I have come to realise that I am not a Humanities student. I am an Anthropology student, a Cultural Anthropology Student to be exact. There is a difference. Humanities students are all about hidden meaning and implied messages and future impact. I ain't. I look at whats done and the social/cultural root behind a practice, custom, word usage, etc... OK, yeah I have to consider implied messages, screw future impact! I am trained to look at every culture as a non-static entity that it constant interacting and reacting therefore is impossible to predict. I like it like that. Sure it means every 10 years everything I learned it outdated or totally discredited but whatever!
I swear I have a meaning behind this little random moment of strangeness. I am taking a course on Terror (Actually the Horror Genre of literature and Film) and Terrorism (yes, Georgie's biggest enemy) and I am so freaking out of my league because I am so in to Anthropology that I can't think like anything but an anthropologist.
I had to read a book called a Very Short Introduction to Terrorism. It was actually a good book. Informative and unpretentious I thought I understood it well.
I did. If I were walking in to an Anthropology class. I was completely unprepared for taking that knowledge in to a Humanities class. I was thinking about causes relating to shared culture specific knowledge, and oppressive social laws and interfere with cultural believes and all that stuff that I have spent the last three years learning how to do. The prof wanted use to Map, Position and Relate concept without looking at the things I am used to looking at like home culture of the perpetrator but rather looking at the target. Yeah, that's a strange concept for me, and I don't fully know what it means and I don't know how to do it at a university level. I walked out of that class feeling rather stupid, confused and self-conscious about my abilities as a student.
I was longing for the simplicity of high school, which I completely took for granted while I was there. That of course lead to a whole new line of thought.Like how I graduated 4 years ago next month. It doesn't seem like its been that long. I almost feel like if I went to bed and slept really hard I could wake up and realize that the last 4 years haven't actually happened and they were actually a very vivid sometimes horrible dream. That's not to say I wish them away though. The bad things made who I am today just as much as the good things. Maybe the even more because the bad things make you think and reflect harder
No, too many good things have happened to want them gone.
I found academic passion and it shocked the hell out of me. I never once considered Anthropology as a major when I was in High School. Today, I couldn't imagine studying anything else because I love it so. I know I will keep learning about it long after I finish my degree.
I met one of my bestest friend (hi Laura!) in my first year Geography class. . She keeps me on my toes and stops me from being a total hermit crab.
I went to DisneyWorld with my other bestest friend, Krista. Yeah, pretty insignificant to most people, but it was an important trip for me. It was the last thing I needed to do before I could get over my childhood. Yes, I do mean get over it. I was not a happy child. No one took me, so I saved my money for a whole year, I got on a plane, stayed in a hotel by myself that first night, and I went to DisneyWorld. I saw mickey and donald and Ariel and I rode on its a small world and the mad tea party. I fulfilled that childhood dream and now I can lay it to rest. And Expedition Everest was the greatest ride ever.
I've made it more than half way through an honours degree. Yeah its taking me longer than I thought, but I' doing it. I'm proving to everyone who said I couldn't that I can, even it I am horribly lost in that one course. It's keeping my humble. Not that I think I need help wit that. My Research Methods course did that just fine.
I learned that it id possible to be away from home and not get homesick. That was during my second solo trip. I went to Maine. That was an important lesson for me. It started me on my wings in a way my first solo trip didn't. That first solo trip was one of the bad things that I wouldn't do over.
I learned not to be afraid of the Epi-pen. The Epi-pen is my friend and it means I don't have to fear the world so much.
There are some bad thing I wish didn't happen. I wish I had realized my beloved dog, Abel, was sick sooner than I did. Then I might still have him, or at least some of the guilt would go away.
I wish I told the guy who got away how much I liked him instead of letting my hurt get in the way.
I wish I hadn't stayed home to go to a movie with a friend that last weekend my mom went to see my Aunt a few months before she died.
I wish I hadn't lost the sterling silver faux Tiffany Bracelet I got for my 18th birthday that my sister spent her entire pay cheque on. That bracelet meant the world to me.
I wish I hadn't bought that black H&M dress that I never wore and hangs in my pseudo-closet three years later with the tags still on.
I hate regret....
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Implusiveness
It's Saturday night. I'm young. It's summer. I have a killer skirt and slutty shoes in my closet. Yet am I out taking advantage of all these things? No. I had too much work to do. One of the perils of working from home I've learned. When you don't have a building you have to report nor a set time in which you have to accomplish a certain amount of work, its easy to put work aside in favour of things like homework and Grey's Anatomy (OMG! Did you see that last ep? Callie wants to have a kid?! She's known George like 4 seconds. Wait, that's another blog....)
So I have a new job as a research assistant. Doesn't that sound all impressive and smart? Trust me, its really not. I'm pretty sure a well trained monkey could do the work I was assigned this week. To the point. Its part time and I can work anywhere I can use my computer. In fact, my computer is the one doing the actual work. I don't think, I just click. I spend a large portion of yesterday trying to figure out how I could work with my toes so I could knit (I thought about this while working). Unfortunately I do not have very good dexterity in my toes, unlike my sister and her freaky monkey toes, and I had to sit there and click copy and paste literally thousands of times.
This mind numbing work is taking longer than the prof I'm working for thought. or maybe I'm just slow. I don't know. Its not really important. The point is I was behind and I had to get my work done today. So Here I am at half past midnight on a Saturday in May. probably the one weekend all summer where almost everyone I know is actually in the same city (Mother's day weekend has its plus sides!) yet I can't do anything. Major pout moment here.
I decided to put on my snoopy PJ's and work on my bed (for a ridiculous amount of money per hour might I add. I'm getting quite close to double what I did last summer for far easier work and no screaming children. That part I love. I love it enough to forgive the job for being mind numbingly dull. Its a good time to let my brain nap). Now since I am unable to sit and work in total silence, I turned on the TV and Dirty Dancing was on. Like any product of the 80's I had to watch. I admit it, I am a closet Dirty Dancing fan. I want a Johnny. I want to dance like a skank, and pour water down the pants of the ass hole and be the hero for not really doing anything more than a normal moral person wouldn't do.
My favourite scene came on and I had to stop working. It's the one closer to the end where Baby and Johnny are dancing in in the white loft place and song where the singers say 'How do you call your lover boy?' 'I just call 'Come here Lover boy!' and such while Baby and Johny lip sych in a very flirty/dirty way, and Johnny is clearly ready to throw her against a wall have have his wicked way with Baby because shes a tease. Then that little nerd walks in on them and Baby and Johnny scatter and pretend to have have been having a regular dance lesson and that they aren't in Luuuuuuuuuuurve.
Anyway, that song got stuck in my head, so I looked it up on iTunes and found a 27 song 20th anniversary edition of the soundtrack with several remastered songs on sale for 9 bucks. 27 songs, 9 bucks. That ladies and gentlemen is $0.33 per song. BARGAIN! So I bought it. I wanted one song. Maybe two and I bought the whole thing on a whim. Yeah, I get impulsive when I'm trapped at home when I want to be out.
So I have a new job as a research assistant. Doesn't that sound all impressive and smart? Trust me, its really not. I'm pretty sure a well trained monkey could do the work I was assigned this week. To the point. Its part time and I can work anywhere I can use my computer. In fact, my computer is the one doing the actual work. I don't think, I just click. I spend a large portion of yesterday trying to figure out how I could work with my toes so I could knit (I thought about this while working). Unfortunately I do not have very good dexterity in my toes, unlike my sister and her freaky monkey toes, and I had to sit there and click copy and paste literally thousands of times.
This mind numbing work is taking longer than the prof I'm working for thought. or maybe I'm just slow. I don't know. Its not really important. The point is I was behind and I had to get my work done today. So Here I am at half past midnight on a Saturday in May. probably the one weekend all summer where almost everyone I know is actually in the same city (Mother's day weekend has its plus sides!) yet I can't do anything. Major pout moment here.
I decided to put on my snoopy PJ's and work on my bed (for a ridiculous amount of money per hour might I add. I'm getting quite close to double what I did last summer for far easier work and no screaming children. That part I love. I love it enough to forgive the job for being mind numbingly dull. Its a good time to let my brain nap). Now since I am unable to sit and work in total silence, I turned on the TV and Dirty Dancing was on. Like any product of the 80's I had to watch. I admit it, I am a closet Dirty Dancing fan. I want a Johnny. I want to dance like a skank, and pour water down the pants of the ass hole and be the hero for not really doing anything more than a normal moral person wouldn't do.
My favourite scene came on and I had to stop working. It's the one closer to the end where Baby and Johnny are dancing in in the white loft place and song where the singers say 'How do you call your lover boy?' 'I just call 'Come here Lover boy!' and such while Baby and Johny lip sych in a very flirty/dirty way, and Johnny is clearly ready to throw her against a wall have have his wicked way with Baby because shes a tease. Then that little nerd walks in on them and Baby and Johnny scatter and pretend to have have been having a regular dance lesson and that they aren't in Luuuuuuuuuuurve.
Anyway, that song got stuck in my head, so I looked it up on iTunes and found a 27 song 20th anniversary edition of the soundtrack with several remastered songs on sale for 9 bucks. 27 songs, 9 bucks. That ladies and gentlemen is $0.33 per song. BARGAIN! So I bought it. I wanted one song. Maybe two and I bought the whole thing on a whim. Yeah, I get impulsive when I'm trapped at home when I want to be out.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
I Can't Sleep...
and my stomach hurts. It's a bad night..
You know, once upon a time I had an actual website. Not just one of these blogger things, but an actual website that I made super cool layouts for. They were usually pink and involved some sort of retro theme. The first one was retro circles of varying transparencies in shades of hot pink, light pink, blue and green all on black background. The last one was based on the movie poster from Down with Love. It was heavily pink. I really wish I still had a screen cap of that layout. I have a copy of it somewhere but sadly it is on a floppy disc and I have no idea where I would find a computer that still has a disc inserter thing. There was also a rather cool jelly bean one. That one wasn't very pink.
That site was called Can't Sleep and I started it more 4 years ago while I was in the OAC. I called it Can't Sleep because I launched the site while I was ill with mono. I was exhausted all the time, yet unable to sleep because whole sections of my brain wouldn't shut up. It was a horribly frustrating time for me, so I decided to name my site in honour of that time. The full name was Can't Sleep: The Rantings of an Insomniac.
I miss it. I miss making the layouts, I miss coding them by hand, I miss the old school techniques of using notepad and FTP for running a site. Back then I had to use actual HTML codes to make paragraphs breaks or underline or insert links. Adding pictures to text required endless amount of resizing and cropping in paint or photoshop (I used paintshop pro 6.0 then 7.2 and later 8.0) then careful placement within text which often involved the hell known as tables within tables. And if I wanted spell check, I had to type the whole thing in word, then copy it to notepad while being careful not to break up the table or inline frame codings.
Changing layouts wasn't a simple operation requiring 4 minutes and 7 mouse clicks. It was a long process that took many hours or even days. You had to make the graphics, then cut them to precise measurements, then carefully place them in tables that fit those carefully cut graphics (which was my definition of torture. I still hate tables, they are PURE EVIL!) which usually took hours of figuring out why the columns have vi sable lines or why there is a space between images when there should be no space that you only figure out hours later was caused by an extra tap of the space bar in the exact wrong spot. There there was text coding and CSS style sheets to make the text match the graphics and cursors to match the text and alter the scroll bar colours so they didn't stand out like sore thumbs in your all black and pink layout.
After it was all done, back in the days before .php was common, you'd have to go through every page, and replace the coding so all your pages matched. A new layout never took me less than an entire day. And that was only for my inline frame layouts where I only had to replace the style sheets on the archive pages. The tabled layouts with no inlines took me entire weekends! After all that was done, you'd have to upload each file to an with an FTP program like my all time favourite, Coffee Cup FTP, and hope to God you didn't get timed out half way through.
I realize that about 95% of you have no idea what I am talking about, but to the 5% of you would there who remember life before blogger I ask, wasn't it worth it? Don't you miss the freedom and creativity of having a blog that was completely unique? I do, but sadly I have forgotten almost all HTML save for the most basic codes and I just don't have the time to spend on those lovely and reflective layouts anymore. C'est La Vie.
You know, once upon a time I had an actual website. Not just one of these blogger things, but an actual website that I made super cool layouts for. They were usually pink and involved some sort of retro theme. The first one was retro circles of varying transparencies in shades of hot pink, light pink, blue and green all on black background. The last one was based on the movie poster from Down with Love. It was heavily pink. I really wish I still had a screen cap of that layout. I have a copy of it somewhere but sadly it is on a floppy disc and I have no idea where I would find a computer that still has a disc inserter thing. There was also a rather cool jelly bean one. That one wasn't very pink.
That site was called Can't Sleep and I started it more 4 years ago while I was in the OAC. I called it Can't Sleep because I launched the site while I was ill with mono. I was exhausted all the time, yet unable to sleep because whole sections of my brain wouldn't shut up. It was a horribly frustrating time for me, so I decided to name my site in honour of that time. The full name was Can't Sleep: The Rantings of an Insomniac.
I miss it. I miss making the layouts, I miss coding them by hand, I miss the old school techniques of using notepad and FTP for running a site. Back then I had to use actual HTML codes to make paragraphs breaks or underline or insert links. Adding pictures to text required endless amount of resizing and cropping in paint or photoshop (I used paintshop pro 6.0 then 7.2 and later 8.0) then careful placement within text which often involved the hell known as tables within tables. And if I wanted spell check, I had to type the whole thing in word, then copy it to notepad while being careful not to break up the table or inline frame codings.
Changing layouts wasn't a simple operation requiring 4 minutes and 7 mouse clicks. It was a long process that took many hours or even days. You had to make the graphics, then cut them to precise measurements, then carefully place them in tables that fit those carefully cut graphics (which was my definition of torture. I still hate tables, they are PURE EVIL!) which usually took hours of figuring out why the columns have vi sable lines or why there is a space between images when there should be no space that you only figure out hours later was caused by an extra tap of the space bar in the exact wrong spot. There there was text coding and CSS style sheets to make the text match the graphics and cursors to match the text and alter the scroll bar colours so they didn't stand out like sore thumbs in your all black and pink layout.
After it was all done, back in the days before .php was common, you'd have to go through every page, and replace the coding so all your pages matched. A new layout never took me less than an entire day. And that was only for my inline frame layouts where I only had to replace the style sheets on the archive pages. The tabled layouts with no inlines took me entire weekends! After all that was done, you'd have to upload each file to an with an FTP program like my all time favourite, Coffee Cup FTP, and hope to God you didn't get timed out half way through.
I realize that about 95% of you have no idea what I am talking about, but to the 5% of you would there who remember life before blogger I ask, wasn't it worth it? Don't you miss the freedom and creativity of having a blog that was completely unique? I do, but sadly I have forgotten almost all HTML save for the most basic codes and I just don't have the time to spend on those lovely and reflective layouts anymore. C'est La Vie.
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