Storm the Wall, People!

So I've been watching Storm the Wall for the past week, which is a huge intramural event at UBC. There's a swim, sprint, bike, run, and then a 12 foot wall to scale at the end, generally done in relay. The sorority has a few teams, and then there's iron man, ironwoman and super ironman/woman. Those entail doing the whole thing by yourself, and then scaling the wall with various degrees of assistance. Ironman - one guy at the top. Ironwoman - a person at the bottom. Super ironwoman - a person at the top. Super ironman - no one. Super ironman is ridiculously impressive. I mean, all the ironpeople are impressive, but watching someone conquer a twelve foot wall alone is incredible.

A girl from the sorority is doing ironwoman, and watching her go over the wall on Monday was amazing. She is honestly the best athlete I've ever met; there's no sport she seems to not be good at. She's competing again, in the final, tomorrow at 12:30, and I'm so going to be there. It turns out that one of her competitors is an old friend from highschool, so I'll be cheering two girls on. Wooo!

20Q

Go here and try to stump the computer. I did it, with Copper (II) Sulphate. I knew those years of chemistry would come in handy!

Back to Normal

It's funny, I don't remember when things began to be "normal" again. I just realized today that while I still think about it all a lot, still wonder and hurt and wish, life is...normal. I don't wake up upset, the first thing I think isn't "I'm still alone" anymore; my thoughts aren't even really tinged with that pang of sadness that used to follow me around. I don't know when it started, it seems so long since I've been like this, this free.

That's not to say it isn't there; it is. Sometimes, just waiting for the bus or washing my hair, somehow my mind will wander down that path, where all those questions are still there, waiting for answers. But I know I won't answer them, that I probably don't want to. And a minute later, it all goes away, and I'm back to wondering when the damn bus will arrive, or why my brother's shampoo is so strongly scented that my towels are permeated.

I can listen to sad songs, now. I get sad, but not noticeably more so than I would have before. And when I daydream, as often as not, it isn't at all involved. I don't get that almost painful impulse to call. When something good or bad happens, I automatically think to call T or Girly, not him.

I still avoid certain things, certain places. But some of that is just out of habit now. Maybe eventually I'll stop avoiding them. But for now, this is enough. This is better than enough. This is perfect.

Everything but the Formal

Night Before
Pack bags for tomorrow, taking care to double-bag the dress in nondescript opaque bags, for fear of maternal disapproval at skirt length. Look at skirt yourself, and wonder what the hell you were thinking. Go over mental list five times, so as to Not Forget Anything. At each pass of the list. Remember something new. Halfway through the sixth pass, think "blow this". Go to bathroom.
Look in mirror. Notice that at 21, you have creases in your skin. realize that while you don't have any $5000 creams to erase wrinkles, you do have Photoshop. Make a mental note to screw posterity and smooth all creases with the wonders of digital altering. While forming this plan, suddenly notice that your eyes have slightly different eyelids, and therefore are of different shapes. Wrack brain, find nothing about how to fix facial asymmetry, curse parents for the clearly inferior genes you were given. Stare at your eyes longer and longer, getting increasingly annoyed, until your brother walks by the bathroom, walks back, and asks
"What the hell are you doing?"

"Painting my toe nails"

"...Right."

Paint toenails.

Day Of
Kelly Clarkson screams "Since You've Been Gone" at 6:00 am. You curse the radio, roll out of bed, crawl into the shower and proceed to scrape a blade over your skin while still half asleep. You get dressed, and grab the prepacked bags. Get on bus, go to work. Watch clock obsessively until you are free to go. Run out door to catch bus, and walk briskly to hair salon while scanning windows for cute handbags for formal. Reflect that this moment of multitasking "handbag" and "hair" is probably more air-headed than your entire year thus far. Prove yourself wrong by spending the rest of the walk reminiscing at the other ditzy things you've done since January.

Get hair done by fabulous gay hairdresser, and discuss boys, and how they are overrated and clearly not worth anyone's time. Agree that if only sexuality was a choice, you'd both choose women. Hair done, you are told by another stylist (female) that your hair will turn you into a sex machine, and that classy promiscuity relies only on the hair style. As your stylist swipes your visa, he says matter-of-factly "it's true."

Limo
A tricky game of photo-op musical chairs is played, with the added challenges of low ceilings, moving floors, alcohol and short dresses. Hilarity, and photos, ensue. Suddenly the limo stops, throwing you into the torso of your friend's date, and throwing the random guy who missed his limo into your hand, sending a half-empty glass of champagne flying, to land perfectly upright on the floor, devoid of any champagne. Your neighbour thanks god the window was open, while a pedestrian finds himself sprayed with eau de henckel trocken. You all look out the window, and spy fellow formal-goers. You have arrived.

My Nose is Chapped. Ow.

You know how for every cold and flu, there's always that one day where you don't think you could possibly feel worse? When you wake up at 4 am, because your eyes are all hot and sore, and your nose and throat feel like they're sunburned?

That was today.

Since noon, I've used half a box of kleenex (I know because I opened that box at noon), drank 5 pots of tea (in an effort to shake this stupid cold), and coughed enough to make that guy with tuberculosis at the back of the class cringe and put on his SARS mask.

Goal for tonight? Sleep. I plan on putting a damp facecloth in my room to promote air humidity, and maybe using an extra pillow so that I can breathe more easily. If that doesn't work, I'm bringing on the drugs.

Coordinated!

Yesterday, being Friday, we had a dodgeball game. People, I am proud to announce that I have grasped another aspect of the game of dodgeball; catching. If you catch the ball, not only is the person who threw it at you out, but you get to bring one of your fallen comrades back in. And on Friday? I caught the ball three times. I was an all-star, I tell you.

I love how when the game was over, everyone was like "whoa, you were awesome!". I mean, there are some girls on our team who do that several times over, consistently. You know who you are, athletes. But since I'm generally a bit of a spaz, I get major praise. It's like Calvin said: "the lower I keep people's expectations, the less I have to do to impress them". Of course, I'm not keeping people's expectations low on purpose, so that's a little different.

(Also, I now have a dress for formal, and it is HOT)

Encounter of the Evil Kind

Snapshots of my Tuesday:

As heard while reading in the Student Union Building at UBC (my thoughts in italic)

Girl 1: I mean, what is her problem? She's so upset all the time, like "Oh god, he broke up with me!" I know she's my best friend, but, I mean, get over it! It's been a week!"

A week? She's upset because her friend isn't over being dumped in a week?

Girl 2: Oh, I know, and all she does is mope around and cry. It's sooo annoying. How long were they going out for, anyway?

Girl 1: Three years. Ugh, I can't believe she's so annoying.

Three years?! Of course she's upset! Jaisus!

Girl 1: Who could we set her up with? What about John?

Girl 2: No, he's too good for her.

Girl 1: Yeah, same as Tim and Peter. Ugh, I wouldn't want to inflict her on anyone.

This is your best friend? I joke about going to hell, but you probably have a penthouse suite of torture waiting for you!

Girl 1: You know what we should do? We should take her out and get her totally drunk, and the first guy who hits on her, we'll send them home together.

WHAT?!

Girl 2: We should totally do that! It'd be so funny!

Girl 1: I know, and it's totally normal. It's called "getting over someone".

Actually, for her it's called "rape". For you, it's called "endangering your friend's life" or "whoring out your friend".

[As I get up to leave]

Girl 1: So, let's toally do that this weekend!

Couple next to me, to each other as I leave;
Girl: My god, do you hear these girls?
Guy: I'm trying not to.

In conclusion, I feel really sorry for their friend, and am extremely thankful that I have better friends than she does. Ech.

Quote of the Week

"Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love."
- Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

Whirlwind Weekend

This'll be a long one, folks.

Friday night was anchorsplash, a swimming competition with all proceeds going to charity, put on by another sorority. I went to cheer the aquatic girls on, and we won, and placed second, which was very impressive. Part of it was a synchro competition, which we also won handily. If only I could swim pretty. Sigh.
It was a lot of fun, although I didn't go out afterwards, as I had to work in the morning, and wanted to go out Saturday night.

Saturday night had a rocky start, with me getting a deeply unpleasant phone call that left me in tears, and then having ten minutes to get myself together enough to go out. I briefly considered not going out, but decided sitting at home would be exactly what I didn't need. Anyhow, I went out with a friend, her boyfriend, and a bunch of people I'd never met before. We went to Crush, a club on Granville. I'd never been before, and it was a little different from clubs I'd been to in the past. There're couches everywhere, it's brighter and more constantly lit (no flashing lights, no strobes), which i enjoyed. Less enjoyably, it has a dance floor the size of a sedan. Anyway, I spent the night talking with the group, and in addition to losing my voice by the end of the night, had a great time. It was definitely exactly what I needed after the horrible beginning to the night. I got home at around 3 am, and promptly passed out until my alarm went off.

At 7 am. Yep, had to get up for work. Work was insanely busy yesterday, with people lined up for 5 hours straight. My voice was not thanking me for the money made; it launched a strike after around 2. Luckily, we closed at 4, so I wasn't the voiceless server for too long.

And after work, it was Oscar night! I went to Tessa's, for a lovely evening of snarking and snacking. In the snarking vein, I am not nearly as enamoured with Hilary Swank as the Academy seems to be, nor do I think her dress was "daring" or "elegant". In fact, there really wasn't a single dress all night that made me "wow" an actress. I think the most gorgeous red carpet look I saw this year was Oprah's makeover of a chicken farmer. Also, Beyonce? Shut UP. Not only did you succesfully wear three hideous outfits during one event, but you managed to perform a song so badly that everyone I was with simultaneously thought "Dammit, they couldn't get Celine?" I don't think I've heard such an awful "French" accent in my life.

The Oscars were quite short, thank god. I was in bed and asleep by 10:15. Amazing how tired you can get on 4 hours sleep. So that was my weekend. And now begings the week.

Co-co-ri-co!

That's what a rooster says in french. Last night I went to Roosters, a bar in Abbotsford with a cowboy theme. It was actually quite a lot of fun, and afterwards, a friend and I watched Queer Eye until 6 am. So...late night. And yes, I am very tired. Especially as I was up at 10, and went for a walk with another friend at 12:30.

It was gorgeous today, sunny and even kind of warm, which hadn't really happened thus far, so I went and bought a really cute shirt from American Eagle, and I'm quite impressed with my purchase. I also found out that the iPod Mini prices have just been lowered, and am therefore now coveting the mini even more than before. I just need to pick a colour...

Quick Note

It's been a weird couple of days. So much has been happening around me, and I feel like I'm only caught up to, at most, half of what I should be doing. It's not school stuff, or anything that I'm obligated to do on paper, but I still want to do it, and when I can't, it makes me feel almost insecure, somehow. It's all very odd.

I went to the doctor today, to see what the blehs have been about. My doctor basically thinks it's a virus, or anemia. Of the two, I'd prefer a virus, but I'm not so sure I believe that it's something so minor. Anyhow, I had a blood test, so I guess I'd better wait until the results come in before I start psyching myself out.

Quote of the Week

So, I've totally neglected the quote of the week for oh, 4 months? Here it is, making a comeback:

"Tears are the safety valve of the heart when too much pressure is laid on it."
-Albert Smith

Sunday Night

At my house entails me writing an essay while wishing I was taking a nap.

Last night, I went out for Tessa's birthday. It was a lot of fun, and I had some extremely tasty food while I was there. We went to Two Parrots, which...is interesting. It had a charming combination of not-tacky-enough-to-be-cool decor, horrible service, and variable food. My burger and fries were great, but others ordered things less...enjoyed. And service really was awful. The server "couldn't hear", was a bit rude, and seemed to begrudge every request we made. However, we still had fun, and that's all that really matters.

Well, back to the essay. Time for me to finish this thing off.

(Tessa has hot hair. To go with her hot self.)

Bare Necessities

In addition to the viewing of The Wedding Date yesterday, I also bought some underwear from La Senza. I was going t link to the ones I got, but the pictures they have are ugly. Anyway, they're cute and comfortable, and just what I needed.

I booked a doctor's appointment for Tuesday, to see what the hell my weirdness is all about. Hopefully they'll have some answers. It's probably a good thing I'm going; I haven't seen the doctor in a while, and there are a few things I want to ask about.

Today is paper day! Which means that I have a date with the library. Ah, Fridays. They're so crazy!

Two Movies, Two Reviews

Movie One: Hitch

I quite liked it. It was funny, cute, never so shmaltzy you wanted to shoot yourself in the foot... The actors were all pretty good, the writing was funny, and everyone really got into the roles. I mean, Will Smith was still Will Smith, but the problem with having people that famous in your movies is that they'll always be "Big Name Star", so I could forgive that. Also, Amber Valleta is gorgeous, and the clothing was very very pretty.

Movie Two: The Wedding Date

This one was, in my opinion, pretty bad. It was oddly choppy, some of the actors had awful delivery, and the movie never really gave you enough time to understand why these two were falling in love. Debra Messing's character was just weepy and neurotic, while Dermot Mulroney's was in theory supposed to be incredibly hot, and instead was just kind of...bland. Of course, I find him about as physically attractive as, say, a goldfish, so that could bias me a little. And some of the clothes were hideous.

Verdict: Go see Hitch. Skip Date.

The Young Are Scary

So I was walking to the bus yesterday, when I spied a pair of girls walking down the street, dressed in the all too popular style of "highschool skankanista". It's a look that's been disturbingly prominent lately; while I find it sketchy enough that girls my age dress like that, one of the girls apparently got cold (big surprise), and pulled on a "Grad 2005" hoodie. My reaction? "Well, at least they're in Grade 12, it's not some 14 year old", which is in itself a sign of how bad it's gotten. Then I saw the letters on top of the "05". They were "QE". That's an elementary school. These girls were at the oldest, thirteen, walking around showing thongs, tummies and "cleavage".

What in the world is wrong with our society, that 13 year olds girls are dressing like it's 40 celsius out, and are starving their rake-thin bodies for fear of being fat? When did girls in elementary school start dressing like that? When I was their age I didn't even know that kind of clothing existed, and that really wasn't that long ago. What happened to being a kid? When I was that age, I ate the lunch my mom packed me, and played square ball and tag. And that was about the only thing that didn't set me apart from the other girls in the class. These girls were going to buy lunch five blocks from their school, and were discussing how hot Ryan from The OC is. The young are scary, and somehow, our society made them that way.

Withdrawal

So, lately I've been feeling a little odd. I feel detached, away from the rest of the world, and I don't like it. It's weird and unsettling, just floating through the world like nothing's really there. And my motivation has taken a nosedive. But I can't shake it. I have no idea where it's coming from; I haven't changed or started any medication, nothing huge seems to have happened. So whatever it is, should you come upon it, tell it to drop by my door. Me and it are gonna dance.

Ah, That 14th Day of February...

So, it's Valentine's. This is the first Valetine's I've spent consciously single; all the other "single" ones, I'd never experienced a Valentine's day that wasn't alone. Gotta say, it's not that bad. Of course, it's not like I broke up with the ex yesterday (thank goodness). So anyhow, Valentine's hasn't been the horrible affair that it tends to be projected as for the single set. Woohoo!

Work, while slow on Saturday, was crazy yesterday. Which is awesome, but man was I tired. I ate dinner, and passed out. It's amazing how quickly a weekend flies by when you work through it all. Now I just need to get some research for my paper done...

Off to cook dinner and get some work done. Happy Valentine's, all!

Work, And Play!

It was sloooooww in work today. I mean, if there'd just been two of us, it would've been fine, even brisk. But with 3 people working the front, we were all looking for stuff to do. On the bright side, we were totally on the ball the whole time as a result. Also, I got my first paycheck, which was awesome!

Last night, T, N and I went to the mini Richmond Night Market that was on for Chinese New Year (which was on Wednesday, so Happy New Year!). It was awesome, as all night markets are. This was smaller than the summer version, but still had tons of weirdly useful and unusual useless things to offer. T and I bought beach bags that are so cute. Mine is yellow, with pink and white accents, and a big lemon on it. T's is pink, with a ladybug. And they were only $10! N bought a cigarette holder, won a free umbrella, and purchased some food. T and N were both sucked in by the man at the Magipad booth, and bought themselves each portable heating pads, so they can be "hot for the rest of their lives". I love the night market.

Whew

I wrote three midterms this week (hence the lack of posting). And finally, I am done. Other than that, I really haven't been up to much; just been me and the library. The good news is that it's Reading Week next week, which means I get a break! Woo! That being said, I'm exhausted.

The weather is amazing out, I feel like I should be sitting outside reading. Unfortunately, while very bright, it is also very, very cold.

Well, it's time for me to try to get some research done. Ah, the library. It's been so long. Not.

Worky Work Work

So, speculation of where it is I'm working seems to be running high, with wild, unwarranted rumors flying all over the place. Except from Tessa, who visited me on Sunday. No, it is not believed I am working for an escort service, as my opening sentence seems to imply. I am indeed working in a cafe, that will continue, on Never Reason, to be nameless. Please note that if any of you correctly name my workplace in a comment, it will be deleted. This isn't because I hate it, I actually quite like it. The people are really nice and fun, the customers are friendly, and the atmosphere is bright and cheery, just what I like. However, I do not want to be Dooced (scroll to the bottom, where it says DOOCED in green, if you don't know what I mean), and therefore the workplace will try to remain as anonymous as possible.

Had a midterm tonight, for infancy psyc. There are a lot of things I didn't know about pregnancy. For example, other than the obvious things like tabacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs, regular use of aspirin and caffeine can harm your baby. In fact, there are over a hundred over the counter drugs that could have negative effects on a fetus. And Accutane, a drug used to fight severe acne, can have extreme effects on a baby; it's the most severe widely-prescribed teratogen (fetus-harming agents) since Thalidomide. Luckily, the dangers of Accutane are known, and it's contraindicated for pregnant women. It also comes with massive warnings about pregnancy, and tells you to use two forms of contraception. Unfortunately, there are still hundreds of births affected by Accutane use in Canada every year, due to lack of knowledge and insufficient use of contraception. Definitely something to work on.

The Five D's

I actually have no idea what the five D's are; they're from Dodgeball, a movie I haven't seen. I do know one of them is dodge. Anyway, as you may have deduced, I played dodgeball again yesterday (it was the one hour I had all Friday free of meetings or studying). As of yesterday, it has been established that while I'm pretty good at the dodging, I am abysmal at the throwing. A. Bys. Mal.

At work I've been slowly trying all the muffins they offer, and I have to say, Raspberry Poppyseed is definitely my favourite so far. Mmmm. So...try one! I am also now able to steam milk. Why yes, I am a genius, couldn't you tell?

Alright, back to the textbooks.

Two Things Important, Two Things Trivial (In That Order)

1. Happy Birthday Evi! By the time I finish writing this, I'll hopefully just catch the end of the brthdate. Hope you had a great one!

2. We took my mummy to the airport tonight. She's going to Taiwan to visit her family for Chinese New Year. I think she's pretty excited; she hasn't been back since I was 4, so that's...seventeen years. That's a long time to be away from the place you grew up in. She has seen (most of) her family more recently, but it's still been quite some time. Anyway, have a great time mum! And say hi to everyone for me! And happy new year!

3. I got my hair cut today. It's very pretty, and I love it. It's nothing drastic at all, it's just a little shorter and a lot neater. As usual, Jason did an excellent job.

4. I have a new cell phone. I don't find it terribly pretty, but it doesn't cut out after five minutes of talking time, so I'm happy. And the battery is a marathon runner! Impressed.

Really, Really Important

Go to this site, enter your postal code, and see what your MP thinks about equal rights for marriage. Write them a letter telling them to vote in favour, it doesn't have to be long, but write it. If they're already voting in favour, tell them thank you, and good luck. This is too important for us to ignore.

New Addiction

Supernanny. So good. If I ever have kids, I want her to come help me out right from the beginning.

I'm taking an infancy psyc course, and today we watched a video of a birth. That is not an aestheically pleasing picture, people. I understand that it's beautiful and all, but does anyone really disagree with me when I say that the beauty is all very metaphorical? Yikes.

The prof seems convinced that we're all going to get accidentally pregnant, which is a little unsettling. She kept telling us what not to do, in case we're pregnant, and how we should make sure we're properly nourished, and that we should take prenatal vitamins. That last one was a joke, I assume, but seriously, it's like birth control in a class. The kicker was her comment after the video;

"Your vagina is never the same, girls. I know mine isn't."

The Road To Insanity

This is me, for about a week every month. I love hormones, don't you?

1. You wake up in the morning, at first, you feel all hazy, warm and comfortable. A passing unpleasant thought slips in. You are now anxious, sick with it. You feel your blood pressure rising. You get out of bed, because you can't sleep anymore. It's 5 am. On the bright side, all the old 80's cartoons are on TV right now. They distract you somewhat from the unpleasant thoughts.

2. 8 am - The anxiety-caused rising has also screwed with your digestive system. You cannot eat, and feel mildly nauseated. You are now tired, anxious and unfed. You curse existence, and go to get dressed.

3. 9 am - You look in the mirror. Anxiety levels spike once more. Your hormones are laughing at you. They aren't even trying to hide it.

4. 10am-12pm - Try to carry on your day as usual, taking care of all the things you need to do one by one. The morning's thought stalks you, until you can't keep it out anymore, at which point it takes up permanent residence in your mind, in a big, garish castle you never even knew was there. But it knew. Oh, how it knew. The hormones move in too. They hold a housewarming party.

5. 12 pm - It's lunch. You suddenly realize you haven't eaten in 15 hours. You rush to the nearest food vendor and buy one of everything. Acquaintances stare as you mow down your third subway. Good friends simply smile knowingly.

6. 1 pm - You're still hungry. You know that caffeine and sugar would cause the thought-hormone residence to GROW. You eat sugar anyway, because if you don't have caffeine, how bad can it be? You ignore the maniacal laughs from the castle.

7. 3-6pm - Very, very bad.

8. 6:30 pm - You go home. You hate yourself, your sex, and the fact that the goddamn hormones KEEP LAUGHING. Your brother calls, and tells you that everyone is busy, so you're home alone for dinner. You hang up, and burst into tears. Nobody loves you. You're an awful, unworthy person that deserves to be alone, and always will be. You don't even have a cat that loves you. You turn on the radio, crawl into bed, hug your giraffe stuffed animal, and weep quietly to the strains of "Toxic", because you can't find the damn remote.

9. 8 pm - You're hungry again. You go downstairs to get some food, and see you have two missed calls on your cell. People called you! You aren't universally hated! People like you! Wait, what if they're calling because they're angry? You start to bite your nails. The castle has just gained another bedroom, and the hormones and the thoughts are now Trading Spaces.

10. 8:30pm-12am - You call the missed calls back. They want to know how you are! They want to hang out! You are the most blessed person alive. But you look awful. You decline going out, ask if they'd like to come over and watch movies instead. They say yes, because they are the best friends in the world. You watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and CSI. The inhabitants of the castle cry foul, and vow vengeance tomorrow. You don't care. Tomorrow is another day, and Warrick Brown is hot.

PS Thanks Tessa (and I know, I went to your house).

Sports Update

Have you ever been on a sports team where there are specific people that quite obviously carry the team? Your team all knows, and wait with bated breath until they show up, the other team knows, and gets visibly nervous when the "good" ones have the ball, the ref knows, and watches more closely.

Until today, that's been our futsal (indoor soccer) team. We have two key, key players. One is our goalie, a foot-thick brick wall with mobility, and one is...pretty much everything else. I'm not saying that the rest of us have suddenly overtaken them (trust me, we really, really haven't), but today, there was less random flailing on our parts, and more actual passing, directed kicking, and even scoring my other players. And we won, 8-3. Our goalie was of course crucial, and the key 'everything' player scored 6 of our 8 goals, so without them we definitely would've lost. But we didn't lose, and we didn't have many idiotic giveaways that resulted in failure, so yay!

In other "sports" news, intramural dodgeball yesterday killed me. It's not that I got pelted or anything. I think I started dodging too vigourously or something. Anyhow, whenever I need to use my thighs, I feel like I'm going to fall over. It's odd how you never realize how often you use muscle groups until they're stiff.

Poison, and Antidote

Poison

The infuriating duplicity going on in the US Newscasting business, as described in an excellent hour of The Fifth Estate called "Sticks and Stones". Ann Coulter (for those of you who don't know, an extreme right-wing conservative), when discussing the war on Iraq with Bob McKeown, says "Canada fought with us in Vietnam, what is so different about this war?"

Bob McKeown: "...We did not send troops to Vietnam."
Ann Coulter: "I believe that you did."
Bob McKeown: "...No, we didn't. Korea, Second World War, yes. Not Vietnam."
Ann Coulter: "I think you're wrong. I'll get back to you on that."

Hey, Ann Coulter! No, we didn't.

Antidote

Watching Christine Todd Whitman, author of It's My Party Too, speak on The Daily Show. Finally, a Republican representative that I could speak with without having an apoplexy. The Daily Show as a whole was exactly what I needed, with its irreverent look at the world.

Also, visit This Is Not Over. I'm not American, but you'd better believe I'll link that.

Almost Friday!

And man am I ready. Although I have no good reason to be looking forward to the weekend, it's just as busy as the week was. T got back yesterday, so I'm back at home, with the food and my own pretty pretty bed.

I went to Dressew yesterday with two friends, and looked at pricing for a new craft idea I had. It looks like it may end up being surprisingly reasonable, so that's good. I love it when inspiration strikes, don't you? I'd describe it, but it's a secret until I test it and see if I like it.

Quote of the Week:

(In reference to a tuxedo shirt) "A step down from a tuxedo, a step up from a plain t-shirt" - Stephen Colbert, on The Daily Show

Not Today, I'm Swamped.

That was what Girly and I heard yesterday, while trying to run a fairly straight-forward errand. It was irritating, but also hilarious. And highschool kids? Still awful, awful dressers.

I've felt so isolated living at T's house. Her internet has been down for the past two days, and she doesn't get any newspapers, so I haven't been able to hear anything about the world, except on TV, and I've decided that I really don't like that very much. TV news, with the exception of The Daily Show, which isn't really news, seems so empty to me. "And now, we interview a man who drove by the scene of the crash!" Is that really necessary?

Last night I watched The Whole Nine Yards, which wasn't bad. I didn't enjoy Rosanna Arquette as Sophie, her affectations annoyed me, and not in the way they seemed to intend to. But other than that, it was okay. I'd give it an overall rating of "meh".

It turns out that I have a ridiculous amount of stuff to do this week. So woo activity! And now, to dinner. The lost meal.

Shouldn't It Be Sunday?

I feel like I'm a day ahead of reality. So much has happened in the past few days, I'm entirely convinced that it's Sunday, and that I'm horribly screwed for school tomorrow. Fortunately, there is no school tomorrow, with the exception of a futsal game (woo!).

Yesterday I hung out with Girly, and then went to play dodgeball, which was ridiculously fun. I do, however, need to learn to throw. And the second team we played needs to learn to not throw. Especially not at their opponents' heads, when the opponents know they're already out, and are walking off the court. Uncalled for.

In other news, I was transitioned today for NMC for the sorority, and I'm so excited! It's going to be so much fun!

Anyhow, I have babysitting to do tonight (not for T's Rubester, but for my nextdoor neighbours. Also, Rubester is a dog, not a baby. Just to clarify.), and dinner to eat beforehand, so it's time for me to sign off. Adios!

(A Bit) Incommunicado

So for the next few days, I'll be living at T's, dog and house sitting. As such, I won't really be able to write too much, but I do have a few things to say. One, sushi is a wonderful wonderful thing. Two, Sand in my Shoes by Dido is a wonderful song. And three, dodgeball is fun, but frustrating when you can't throw!

This Makes Me Laugh, And I'm Not Sure Why

"Why do seagulls fly over the sea?"

"If they flew over bays, they'd be bagels."

- Courtesy of Penguin Chocolate Biscuits

10:38 am

Ever had those days where even though you've actually been productive, it wasn't productive enough to curb the edge of anxiety telling you that you have work to do? That's how I feel right now, after spending one and a half hours printing off course notes. I don't even have anything big coming up this week, just a lot in the next two, and it's already getting to me. So...apparently, an offshoot of the wanting good grades, for me, is becoming a stress-ball. Unfortunate, really.

My mum made congee (like a chinese rice-porridge) last night, because she had to get fillings done, and soft food is always dental-work friendly. I looove congee. Not the kind in restaurants, that stuff is too salty and seasoned. My mum's is the best ever, and it's made only with rice, water, a little garlic, and sometimes some dried scallops. It's heaven. And I had it for breakfast this morning. Mmm.

In other news, it's still gross outside. Raining buckets. Apparently people in lower-lying areas have had to sandbag areas, as we've had over 2 inches of rainfall. And that was as of yesterday evening. Lord knows how much we've had since. I may have to start building an ark. Even if it doesn't turn out necessary, it strikes me as an excellent excuse to get some pets.

Whip Out The Galoshes

Well, until this morning, the view outside my window was something akin to a winter wonderland. A few days stale, with that ice crust forming, but still, it was white on roofs and lawns all over the city. And it was quiet outside.

This morning I woke up to rain. Loud, heavy rain hitting the roof outside my window. I was conscious engough to think "uh oh, this is going to be ugly" as I looked out the window, and it was. It was gray, with bits of slushy translucent white seeping all over the ground. Ech. Bye Winter Wonderland. Hello water-filled streets and overflowing sewer grates. Thank god our house is on top of a hill.

The weekend was interesting. Friday night I went to watch movies with two friends. We ended up seeing Along Came Polly, which was actually pretty funny, even though I thought it was going to be There's Something About Mary-esque (a movie I despised). Saturday was a surprise party for T, and Sunday, I played futsal (indoor soccer) and had training for a job. I scored a goal in futsal! I never score goals. It was a little fluke-y, as I was actually too close to the ball, so instead of being able to kick it, it basically bounced off my pelvis. I'm sure there's a dirty joke in there somewhere. But the point is, I scored! Woo!

Alright, time to venture out in the rain, so I can get some studying done. Ech.

Whoa

So...lots of stuff has happened since I last wrote. Sorority elections (I'm the new New Member Coordinator!), a knee was dislocated (not mine), which resulted in a journey to the hospital. Upsetedness occurred, was overcome, and now pokes its head out occasionally.

Let's focus on the good stuff, shall we? I'm the new NMC! That means I get to teach all our new girls about the sorority, and talk to them about any questions or concerns they might have. It'll be so much fun! I've wanted this office since my first year in the sorority, so I'm really excited. I'm kind of like the chapter's guidance counselor, except without the nasty temper and chain smoking I remember from my counselor in highschool.

One of my classes now has a grand total of 14 people in it, which is interesting. It started with about 40, and students are dropping the class like a hot potato. But since I, in all honesty, kind of like it, I don't mind too much. Except I'm a little scared that everyone sticking around is supersmart, and that scaling will kick my ass. Well, we'll just have to see, right?

Excellent News, And Excellent Dinner

My dad has been employed. As of this coming Monday, he will be working the 9 to 5 again. Wooo!

In celebration, we went to a celebration dinner at La Notte. Such good food. And, as a hint for anyone who doesn't know, they have a special every Tuesday; all pasta dishes are $7.99. I had the spaghetti pescatore (seafood pasta in a gralic tomato sauce) and let me tell you, I was freakin stuffed. And I didn't even finish it! Also, our waiter was kind of hot. Anyhow, I definitely recommend it, especially on Tuesdays.

I've signed up for the unlimited yoga special on at Semperviva, and went to my third session this morning with T and her mom, AM. It was awesome, and I'll be going tomorrow morning as well, thank you. So I'm well-fed, will be active two days in a row (two days, people!), and my dad has a new job! Wooo!

Cranium, Incredibles, and More!

Today, Girly and I went to see The Incredibles, and it was awesome. It has proudly upheld the Pixar tradition of movies I love. I know that they can't keep making amazing movies forever, but every time they do, I'm a little happier.

I also bought 2 CDs: Shania Twain Greatest Hits, and Afterglow Live by Sarah McLachlan. The first is one of the few greatest hits albums that I think chose the right songs, and the second I bought a) because I generally like Sarah McLachlan a lot, and b) Push. That song is incredible, and I think it'll probably be one of my favourite songs of the year, unless this year is incredible.

At Girly's, we played board games. We started with Articulate, which is basically like the British cousin of Taboo. A lot of fun. We then moved on to Cranium, which is excellent. Honestly, it's one of the few truly original board games I've seen. We had 8 people playing, making four teams of two. My team won (wooo!) after coming back from waaaay behind. I'd like to add that we were behind not because we were bad at the game, but because we only moved one space each dice roll for six turns in a row. Anyhow, in the end, our superior skill won out. Heh, not really, we got lucky too. But it's a great game. Playdough in a boardgame! Who would think of that?!

Feeling Noodly

So, other than academically, today was pretty productive. I went snowshoeing around the neighbourhood with my mom, I tutored, and I took my first yoga class that didn't include snickering 15 year old boys (ah, highschool. Not.).

The snowshoeing was fun (as you may have assumed, the snowiness is indeed persisting). We just wandered about, looking at all the pretty trees, and talking in a strwam of non-sequiturs, because it's hard to hear someone who's in front of you, and talking in the wrong direction. It was really quiet, except when the high school kids got out of school. Luckily, we were almost home by then.

Yoga was also really nice. I went with T and her mom, who've both done yoga before (I mean beyond my brief highschool experience). I think I did okay, although it did show me just how inflexible some of my muscle systems really are. Yikes. Fortunately, the session we went to was pretty relaxed. We went to a candlelight Hatha yoga session. There were candles everywhere, and soothing music. I am extremely relaxed, and feeling quite serene. No wonder people do yoga.

What A Day

Yesterday's climate of well-being was quite variable. Emotionally, it was clear skies everywhere, but around 10pm, it started to be medically overcast. Basically, my stomach rebelled against...me, and I was lying in a ball at home moaning, as a result, which I have to say, was so much fun, especially when I got to sprint to the bathroom. Wooo!

The beginning of the day was pretty nice. I went to Park Royal, and hung out with Jo. I have a new wallet (and have used some of my Roots gift certificate!). It worked out quite well, too, since my old wallet has a hole in the changepurse, leading to change flying everywhere. And while it is novel to have money fall at your feet, it stops feeling like you're that girl in the fairytale when it's your money, and it actually starts hurting people.

So hanging out with Jo was awesome, as always, and then we went to meeting, which was also nice, as I got to see everyone that I hadn't seen since before Christmas.

So...the day was pretty good, until my stomach wanted a revolution. But then this morning, I woke up, and there is snow! I love snow. It makes everything look pretty and clean, and it's fun! My philosophy is that if it's going to be so freakin cold out, we may as well get some of the white stuff too. And for once, we did! Yay!

Garden State

I saw Garden State last night, and I have to say that I loved it. The actors, the whole mood of the movie was great. I did think the ending seemed out of place, but it was on the whole extremely well done, especially considering that it was the first feature movie Zach Braff directed, and to my knowledge the first screenplay he wrote. Also, the soundtrack is incredible. I don't know if Zach Braff picked the music, but whoever did deserves some sort of reward.

In unrelated news, the Scarf of Alpaca has been started! I've decided to name it Packy.

Armed with Needles

So I seem to have mastered the moss stitch, which is a fancy way of saying that I can make a pretty pattern with bumps in regular places. Of course, this is in my cheap practice wool. Next stop, Alpaca! Wish me luck.

Saved! With Apples

Tonight, I went and had dinner with the lovely Tessa, and then we headed to her place to make (and eat, clearly) dessert, and watch a movie. We watched Saved!, which I'd never seen. I'd had mixed reviews of the movie, including a lot of bad ones, but I really enjoyed it. It was just the right mix of cynicism and romantic happy endings for me.

Dessert was baked apples, a favourite of mine, and the second recipe to grace Never Reason's pages. So, here we go:

J-Bird's Baked Apples (with happy accidents due to Tessa's lack of labeled spices)

Ingredients (to serve 2)
2 Apples (I prefer Granny Smith or something equally tart, but use your favourite baking apple)
1/2 lemon
liquid honey
~1/2 cup of rolled oats
~2 tsps each of cinnamon and nutmeg
~5 tsps brown sugar
~ 1/4 cup margarine or butter
Note: other than the apples, which are key, this is all pretty much to taste, and I'm pretty much just making up quantities (hence the squigglies), so...use your judgement.

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350 F, and grease whatever you're baking them in. Use something somewhat deep. We used a muffin tin. Ramekins would be really pretty.

2. Wash apples, and cut them into thirds (I know weird dimension, but it's important. I'm totally lying. Pick a dimension, but cut 'em). Also, core the apples. Not entirely necessary to the recipe, but it makes it easier to eat, and as Tessa so wisely spoke for us all "I don't like that stuff". Put each portion in their baking dishes.

3. Squeeze lemon juice on apple pieces, then sprinkle oats cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar on apples (this is where the happy accident came. I accidentally used nutmeg instead of cinnamon. It's awesome, and has been permanently invited to the Baked Apple party).

4. Drizzle liquid honey sparingly over apples. The honey should not runneth over.

5. Pop in oven. In about 20 minutes, take out of oven, and put about a teaspoon of margarine/butter on each portion. Put back in oven, bake for another 15-20 minutes. Basically, serve them when they get really mushy, like applesauce. And serve them right out of the oven, hot like fire.

If they start drying out too much, add more butter, or lemon juice or something. Also, raisins make a wonderful addition (we didn't have any), and if they could be eaten with creme fraiche, they would be.

Enjoy!

Am I Ready For A New Year?

Hell yeah.

I don't really know what to say about the last year; January through July was great. August and September pretty much kicked my ass, and October through December was extremely variable. All in all though, I can't really complain. I do know that I'm happy about this new year though, because it means that I can think about all the bad stuff as happening "last year" which at least sounds like it's behind me.

My actual New Year's was really nice. It was just mellow, hung out with Girly and some other friends. It was the best New Year's I've had in a long time. I think hanging out with some of your favourite people is an excellent way to ring in a new year. Of course, getting drunk and then dancing til you drop does hold its own merits, I'm sure. I sound like such an old lady. And I just learned how to knit. Sometimes I scare myself.

New Year's Resolutions, generally, are not my favourite things. I've never really done them, to be honest. I always thought they kind of sucked the fun out of the New Year. But, apparently with the whole "getting older" thing, I've decided to make a few. I figure if I complete two or three of them, I'll be pretty happy. So, here they are;

1. Learn to sew. Like actually, so I can design and cut simple patterns and make myself clothes. I've always wanted to know how to do that.
2. Get in better shape, but not by going to the gym or running (because I need to make these goals attainable, and those two things would never happen even once).
3. Knit my Alpaca Scarf
4. Improve my grades (wheee! This one is a lot harder than it would've been had I said the last year, but there's still lots of room for further improvement).
5. Travel at least once before the next school year starts, be it to Florida, Montreal, or beyond.
6. Learn to cook yummy foods that aren't desserts.
7. Read more (I can definitely do this one. Booyeah!)
8. Organize my room (heh, this one;s basically just for my mom).
9. Stay in contact with all my UBC friends that are graduating before me.
10. Become totally happy with my life, or at least as close to it as I was at this point two years ago (this, as they say, is the Big One).

Well, guess we'll have to see how I do! Happy New Year, y'all.

Islands and Alpacas

Sorry it's been a while since I last posted. I went to Vancouver Island with my parents for four days. Greg was supposed to come, but at the last minute was scheduled to work (he'd taken time off due to the liver damage). So it was just me and my parents, although Claire and her parents were already in Victoria, so we met up with them for dinners and other activities.

The trip had a few highlights, including the ridiculously good food had at the Sooke Harbour House, makers of amazing hot chocolate and incredible minted strawberry ice cream. The set menu format, with four courses, did mean the meal was somewhat lengthy. I think we were at the restaurant for four hours, in the end.

Also, Claire's mom, Marie, drove us to see Claire's cousins' new puppy, and labrador-poodle (labradoodle?) named chester, who was adorable. Then Claire and I went shopping a little. I found a pair of pants that I loooved, but they didn't have them in my size (argh!). Claire found some cute pyjamas at La Senza, with polar bears (so cute).

My mom taught me how to knit on the ferry ride to the island. I can't say that I'm as proficient as Tessa (I'm leaving the whole bead thing up to you), and certainly not as good as my mom, who knits at a rate comparable to machines, but I'm not too bad, and I seem to have mastered the whole "even knit" thing, so after making a sizable block, which I'm told is called a "sampler", we went in search of a wool store. We first went to a needlework store, the Button and Needlework Boutique, and they pointed us in the right direction, to the Beehive Wool Shop, which was HUGE. Apparently, it's the biggest wool store in BC. It has so many different kinds of wool I never knew existed, and was quite the adventure for me. There was this gorgeously-soft "rowan" wool (I haven't the slightest idea what that means, but it was beautiful). It was also, however, $17 for 140m. I ended up with some pure Alpaca wool, at $7.50 for 180m. Not cheap, but super soft, and a pretty colour, so I can make a scarf (I enjoy straight lines, as they're far simpler). I'm pretty happy with it, if only because saying "Alpaca" is a lot of fun.

Today we basically just made our way back home. Picked up some sushi for the ferry ride, and drove to Schwartz Bay. On the ferry, I found a book of logic problems (yes, I'm a dork. Get over it), as well as the new Martha Stewart Weddings (woo!). So the ferry ride ended up being quite nice.

All in all, a good trip. Although I'm glad to be home. I was starting to go crazy, what with only my prents to socialize with (Claire and her parents left on the 29th), and Victoria being somewhat small.

And in a few days, school starts again! Yikes.

Christmas at Casa Jan

Christmas's Past;

1989-1999
5:00 am
Greg and J-Bird: IT'S CHRISTMAS! WHEEEEE!
(us running downstairs to the living room)
Greg and J-Bird: STOCKINGS! YAAAAAAYYYY!
(we go back to bed, so as not to wake the Ghost of Christmas Grouchiness (my mom) or the Ghost of Laborious Christmas Chart-Making (my dad))

7:00 am
Greg and J-Bird: Wakeupwakeupwakeup! It's time for PRESENTS!
Parents: Nngh.
(Greg and I run down stairs and hyperventilate with anticipation)
Greg and J-Bird: Dad, hurry up!
Dad: Just wait, I have to have glass of orange juice first!
(10 minute pause. Seems like 3 years)
Dad: Okay, I'm finished my orange juice. Now just let me find the ruler...
Greg and J-Bird: Noooooo! Why do you have to make the gift chart every yeeeeaar? Why can't you make it yesterday? Why can't we just open our presents!?
Mom: (crossly) Oh, just let him make the chart.
(20 minute pause, while Ghost of Laborious Christmas Chart-Making finds a ruler, pen, and clipboard, draws up a chart worthy of a draftsman's certificate, and then settles himself with pen, chart, and ruler, should there be any unanticipated gifts. Us kids annoy the hell out of my mom, until she makes her annual proclamation of Christmas being a Waste of Time)
Dad: Okay, now, let's see, Greg first, this one's from Aunty Paula, so that's...square B4. Okay, go ahead, I'm ready.

2000-2003
5:00 am
Greg: J-Bird! Get up! It's Christmas!
J-Bird: Nngh.

8:00 am
see 1989-1999, 7:00 am

Christmas Present

2004
5:00 am
(everyone is sleeping. I awaken, to smell Christmas baking. My mother has gotten up at 5 am on Christmas morning to bake. I go back to sleep)

9:00 am
Greg and J-Bird: Okay, we're up! Let's open presents!
Dad: Well, you slept in long enough for me to start a grapefruit, so you're going to have to wait until I'm done.
Greg: Oh god, we'll be here forever. Where's mom?
J-Bird: She's been baking since at least 5. I wonder if dad's made the chart.
Greg: Oh God.
Dad: I thought I wouldn't make the chart this year.
Greg and J-Bird: YAY! It's a Christmas Miracle!
Dad: Okay, I'm almost halfway through the grapefruit...

Yep, you heard me right. No chart. The Ghost of Labourious Christmas Chart-Making has retired. And my mom was relatively un-grouchy this year, baking and all. Merry Christmas, everyone.

He Sprang To His Sleigh, To His Team Gave A Whistle,

And away they all flew, like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he flew out of sight,

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

And On Christmas Eve...My Brother Is A Moron

So, I was just sitting in the TV room, reading a book, while my brother was watching Sportsnet, and they replayed that clip of Artest losing his mind, and I said "ugh". My brother's response? "What? I think the fan (expletive) deserved it." This was the opening of a dispute between the two of us, which basically comes down to the fact that he believes that if someone calls him a name, he now has full right to beat the crap out of him. I, I'd like to make very clear, do not. I happen to be one of those people that doesn't think violence should ever be the answer, although I understand that sometimes it's the only response available (say, as in self-defense). His rebuttal? "If a guy's pointing a gun at your face, the law says it's okay to kill him." Um, there are conditions to that, and it's only because it's assumed that the guy is trying to kill you. Also? While I don't believe in breaking the law when it comes to violence, I don't think the laws as they are writ are necessarily the best definitions of morality.

His arguments got more infuriating as the discussion went on. And when I told him that no, when someone calls you names, the law does NOT accord you the right to punch them, his response was "Well, I don't agree with the law most of the time. The law is wrong." Then don't use it as part of your supporting argument, idiot. Ugh, I was so angry. That kind of world-view is exactly what modern laws are trying to prevent, and is apparently even more prevalent in our world than I'd previously believed.

So for Christmas, I'm wishing for peace, and happiness for all, as well as for the remaining countries to sign the Kyoto Accord. I'm looking at you, States.

Good Food

So today, I went with Amanda, Evi, Geoff, Sean, Joan and Marijka to The Roc, an establishment serving that most delightful of brunches, dim sum. Quite frankly, I would guess that dim sum is the most frequently mentioned food on this blog. That is because it is Incredibly Tasty. Anyhow, we had a lovely lunch, made all the more exciting by the erroneous address listing of the phone book, and the novel 'self serve' policy they seem to have regarding tea and cups. However, the entire meal came to $4.50 a person, and we were all stuffed. Afterwards, we headed to La Casa Gelato, Land of Ice Cream Goodness, where I had one scoop of Chestnut, and one scoop of Peach Plum Jasmine gelato. Needless to say, I've been having some pretty impressive food today.

Also, I went Christmas shopping (again. I refuse to do more, I'm going mad. And broke), and read some of Sophie's World, which I've never read, but am quite enjoying.

And that's just today! In the past few days, I have: gone to the new Park Royal Village, where I had a lovely hot chocolate at Cafe D'Artigiano (seriously, best hot chocolate ever), and went into Kiss and Makeup, a new makeup store (fell in LOVE with Fresh products). I met my friend's puppy (beyond cute), saw Spanglish (really liked it, but it's far more drama than romantic comedy), attended a tacky gift exchange party where I received a pair of cow slippers in return for the beeswax tree ornament depicting a nativity scene that I donated (clearly I came out on top there), went to the seniors' residence to volunteer, AND visited the Festival of Lights with my lovely sorority girls. Phew. That was a long list.

PS It's Hil's birthday today. So happy birthday Hil! You're awesome!

What Christmas Is All About: Mexican Food

I spent all afternoon, and good part of the evening, shopping yesterday. It was somewhat productive, but not nearly enough. I still have seven presents to get. Seven! Ugh, far too many.

On the bright side, after the shopping, I went to a Christmas Party at Girly's house. There were many fine guests, Amanda, Evi, and Tessa among them. It was good times, and included such wonderful foodstuffs as 5 layer dip, and mini Jamaican Patties. I don't have the slightest inkling as to the recipe for the patties, but for the dip (which is a hit at any party) I do in fact know the recipe, and so, you will be treated to your very first Never Reason Recipe;

5 layer dip

Ingredients
Refried beans
Guacamole (ie. avocados, lemon juicce, diced tomatos, maybe some sour cream)
Salsa
Sour Cream
Grated Cheddar

Preparation
1. Get a large serving platter. Something with some depth. Kind of like a big plate with a wall around it. Or a bowl with a flat bottom. Hell, just use a casserole with a large surface area.

2. Spread the ingredients all over the bottom in this order (like in layers): refried beans, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, cheddar.

3. Grab some tortilla chips, cause you're done!

Events Are Once Again Occuring!

I have stuff to tell again! Yay!

(Note the first two paragraphs are pretty tedious, and extremely girly. If you're a guy, don't say I didn't warn you)

So, today I woke up in the morning and had a long shower, that involved a lot of shampoo, for two reasons. One, (and sorry, this is kinda gross) what with exams and studying, I hadn't had time to wash my hair in the past week (yes, I showered. I just didn't wash my hair. I have long hair, okay?!), so it took several shampoos to clean it. Approximately four. Two, I realized after I washed my hair that there was no soap in my shower. I'm not entirely sure what happened to it, I think maybe Greg just steals the soap into the other shower. Anyway, by then I was sopping wet, so I ended up washing with shampoo. Which I have to say, is not as nice.

After that, I went to get my eyebrows threaded, and am now thankfully bright-eyed and not-so-bushy browed. I then went on a rampage. I had three hours in which to buy three Christmas presents, all for cousins. With a little help from Claire, I managed to get it done, and even have time for sushi! Also, she introduced me to the wonder that is Purdy's English Toffee. If you like skor bars, this is your dessert.

The paternal side of the Jan Clan had Christmas dinner tonight. I have two little cousins, and I always get them books. Since they've already opened their gifts, and don't read this anyway, I'll list them;

The Reluctant Dragon, by Kenneth Grahame
The Balloon Tree, by Phoebe Gilman
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl
Madeline, by Ludwig von...something. It's Madeline, you know the one.

They were well received, which was nice. The dinner was fun, and included a heavenly cranberry-apple sauce. Mmmm, apple sauce.

Fini

Well, the finals for this term are finally over. Thank goodness. However, I've now realized that for about three weeks, my main mechanism of distraction is no longer available. What on earth am I going to do with myself? Oh well, I'll figure something out, I'm sure.

The finals went okay. They weren't phenomonal, but I had a pretty good start with my midterms, so I'm not too concerned. And they're over, so I no longer have to list Woodward Library as an alternate mailing address, which is kind of nice.

I'd try to type something interesting here, but let's face it; very little happens to someone when they spend almost every waking hour in a biomedical library. So you're going t have to wait until after tomorrow, when I venture back out into the real world, before I can be expected to produce something interesting. Until then, to tide you over, check out engrish.com. It's pretty good times.

Halfway There, Or Halfway To Go?

I've done half my exams, which is a relief. Unfortunately, I woke up this morning, and could feel a cold seeping its way through my body, and as of now it has definitely taken over. So I'm trying to study with a brain cavity full of fluff. Clearly I'm extremely productive.

In happy news, a friend of mine just got a puppy! I'm excited to see it. Her name is Chloe, and she's a little maltese, and let's face it, all puppies are entirely adorable.

Talked with some friends today. One of them asked if I was seeing anyone (HA! No.), and I realized that instead of finding some new guy to distract myself, I've instead just poured myself into school, studying way more than I would have had the ex and I not broken up, or if we'd never dated at all and I was still single. This isn't a bad thing; my grades have sky-rocketed, and ultimately they'll probably have a bigger effect on my life. Perhaps I should tell him so, next time I see him.

"Thanks for dumping me, my grades have gone up by a lot!"

Tally

The crisis mentioned last post has been resolved, so that's good. I had an exam this morning, that I think went well, so that's good. I have an exam tomorrow, and I'm not nearly ready for it, so that's bad. I also have two more exams on Friday, that I am also completely unprepared for, and that's also bad. And, on a more personal note, I was once again reminded of the "one step forward, one step back" principle of my life, so that's bad (because the most recent was a step back).

Ech

So, things have been a little hectic lately. My dad lost his job, which is always stressful. One of my best friends has just broken up with her boyfriend, right in the middle of exam period, and is understandably pretty upset. And now, when my own personal life had just kind of started to settle down, something has happened that I didn't even hear about until way after the fact, and now I'm pretty sure someone thinks I stabbed them in the back, and isn't speaking to me, and I don't know what to do, because I didn't do anything.

This sucks. All this weird, awkward, "not talking often because, well, it's awkward" has now officially resulted in a huge misunderstanding, and I feel totally crappy, and there's nothing I can do about it. I hate feeling totally unable to do anything. Why doesn't the crappiness ever STOP?!

Kablooie

Everything goes wrong at once. Just let everyone get out of exams in one piece with decent grades. Also, bad things? You have horrible, horrible timing. And I hate you.

Attack Of The Spores

So T has mold growing in her apartment. It's somewhat localized, in her closet, but it's pretty persistent in chewing through anything it can. And it's gross. She's had a cough for a few weeks now (and hence the broken rib), and we think it's coming from the spores being released by the mold. Her landlords agree with us, and apparently the last tenant "had to leave, because she was allergic to something". ie. SPORES. Naturally, T isn't terribly pleased, especially since she keeps coughing, but there isn't much that can be done. Her and her landlords have been trying to find solutions, but her desperation is clearly growing, as she keeps trying to find something that will work. Crazy-sounding conversation follows:

T: My landlords got me a dehumidifier, to control the spores.
Me: Is it helping?
T: It makes the air too dry to breathe, and then I can't sleep.
Me: So...no.
T: I think I'm going to stick the dehumidifier in the closet (ostensibly to kill the spores), and then open the window (to let more humid air in), and put the fan next to my bed with a damp cloth over it (again to increase humidity).
Me: ...
T: What?
Me: Them spores is a bitch.
T: Tell me about it. Gahd!

So...spores 1, T 0. Yep, they may be tiny, but they'll teach you good.

Ladykillers

Last night I watched The Ladykillers with some friends. I wasn't terribly impressed, but I definitely liked it better than any other Tom Hanks movie I've seen. In general I find him too sickly sweet and "I'm just an average guy" for me. He seems contrived.

Talked to Girly last night. She's been sick, and the doctor says she has either mono or strep throat, so we're clearly all rooting for the strep throat, because I like to steal her food. That and her love interest will be entering stage left (from Montreal) in a couple of weeks, and mono means no kissin' for Girly.

That's pretty much all I have to say. My time has been pretty much all spent in the library. Ah, psychology. How you encourage my literacy.

(Note: It's been a long few days, I'm sorry if I'm loopy)

Christmas Cookies

Today, I went to Tessa's house, and Anna, Tessa and I made Christmas cookies. They were lemon-y, and really, really good. So good, in fact, that we ate every cookie we made. It was awesome. We also watched Holiday Inn, which was pretty good, except that both of the men in the movie were, honestly, not that appealing. One was a total jerk, a womanizer who used people to his advantage, and the other was a coward, and sneaky. Anyway, the movie had what I assume was meant to be a happy ending, so that was okay. And the costumes were cool. I love old clothes.

Songfest!

Last night, the Order of Omega (a greek honours society) held Songfest, a competition where all chapters that are inclined to do so put on a musical number, with all the singing and dancing normally in such performances. Proceeds go to a different charity every year; this year, they were donated to the BC Burned Children Fund. I, being horribly uncoordinated, was not part of my sorority's performance, so I took part by being on the judging panel. All of the shows were really great. Some groups performed some pretty original selections: Rocky Horror, Willy Wonka. Others picked staples like West Side Story, Cabaret, and Rent. As for my girls, they did a Fosse mix, that included "Sing Sing Sing" and "Hernando's Hideaway". I must profess that I'm not terribly familiar with musicals, but to me it was a good choice, because I'd heard the songs before, but had no preconceptions whatsoever as to how they should be performed (I didn't even know who Fosse was). I'd like to end this paragraph by saying that we WON.

Now, I'm not sure how to say this without bragging, but they were amazing. I tried to make sure I didn't show it too much, but while I was watching from the judges' row, I was physically shaking I was so proud of them. We had at least twice as many people on the stage as anyone else, and the choreography, to me, looked professional. Granted, I can't claim that the girls were at Broadway-caliber level of synchronization, but Dew (who gets major, major props for doing so much ahrdwork, including all the choreography) could have a career in choreography if she wanted.

To warn you, I'm now going to describe some aspects of the performance, in detail, so if you're uninterested, feel free to skip this.

There were two groups of dancers; the "boys", and the "girls". The boys were wearing black pants, black long sleeve shirts, a pink tie, white gloves with pink cuffs, and a black bowler hat with a pink ribbon and a pink feather. The girls wore black dresses (knee length with slits) that had a crossing strap and a pink sash, and a pink, sort of Alice in Wonderland-style hairband, with their hair backcombed a little behind it. The costumes were all the same, because we all made the pink accents together, and Ariko made all the dresses. To measurement. When the first group (the boys) first came on stage, the girls behind me said "they look so good". I'm not going to try to describe the dancing, because really, that never works. I will say, however, that my favourite part was with the canes.

After the show was over, we all went to the Pit to celebrate. I was wearing my new shirt from Express, and actually having a good hair day, and so was feeling pretty good. Plus, I got lots of compliments, which is always nice. I basically just mingled, danced, and danced more. I had a really, really good time, and it was a great way to cap off what has been an unexpectedly good term.

Holiday Dinner!

The sorority had our annual Holiday Dinner tonight. It was really, really good. Not only were there ridiculous amounts of food, but the house was also full of amazing people (of course).

We also got our Holiday gifts; I got a really pretty pair of earrings, made of shell, in the colour I own everything in. I love them, and will definitely wear them soon.

It is, however, 1 am, and I'm pretty tired, so I'm going to go to bed. Definitely time to get some sleep. 'night, all.

Wear A Little Red Ribbon

Today is World AIDS Day. Not enough can possibly be said about the amazing amount of work that needs to be done in relation to this disease; education about its cause and spread, research towards its cure, and ackonwledgement that it is indeed a big problem in the world. Most people my age know or have known someone who is or was HIV positive. Wear a little red ribbon, and show your support.

Are There Any Songs About Seattle?

I'm not aware of any. But Seattle is where Greg, T, Tessa and I went today, for a little south-of-the-border shopping. It was fun. We went to Northgate, a suburbia mall, as well as wandered about downtown. We met up with T's mum, and she came with, which was awesome. I found a new favourite store. Sadly, it exists only in the US, but that's likely for the best when considering my financial state.

We found one interesting difference between BC and Washington while ordering food at Red Robin's. I ordered a burger, and the waitress (who, by the way, was very friendly and helpful) asked me "would you like a little pink in your burger, or no pink?". She asked Greg the same question, and he just looked at her, completely confused, until I told him "no pink". This pink vs. no pink thing is not an option I've ever come across before. I assumed no one liked pink in their burgers, because of E. coli. I'm pretty sure burgers can't be pink here at home. Anyway, it was pretty funny, as Greg had no idea at all what was going on.

Another thing we noticed was that there were far more babies and toddlers in the mall than in Vancouver. I don't know whether Seattle just has more babies, or if it's a cultural thing, and Seattle...ites? bring their kids shopping more. It was cute though, little tots running all over the place.

It was a fun trip, although now I'm exhausted. And I didn't even really do anything; we conned Greg into driving.

Calendar Girls

So T and I rented Calendar Girls last night, which was a really sweet-hearted movie. It was funny and light and based on a true story, apparently. I would definitely suggest it.

Yesterday I tried Starbucks' Eggnog Latte, and I have to say, I wasn't terribly impressed. I completely enjoy eggnog mixed with coffee; I prefer it to both the ingredients on their own, but the starbucks mixture is, I think a little too coffee for me. It tasted bitter. See the reason eggnog and coffee is so good is because I don't like the bitter of coffee, or the cloying sweetness of plain eggnog (plus it's too thick. Ech). But mixed (although apparently the ratio is important) these two unpleasant features cancel each other out, making a perfect holiday drink.

Mmmm, gotta buy some eggnog.

In Which I Ramble, And Then Rant At Bus Drivers

Well, I have to say that I'm not entirely sure what I've been up to these past few days. I do know that I haven't been studying, and this is bad. Also, I watched Oprah's "Favourite Things" episode,which always makes me feel a little squicky at the rampant commercialism and sponsoring. However, at least all the people getting the favourite things were deserving teachers, and not like the latest WB stars or something. Also, I completely agree with Oprah's fascination with this dryer. It's genius, and eventually I plan on having one. On an unrelated-to-Oprah, but shopping-related note, I've decided that the classic and simple (but still ridiculously expensive) Tiffany engagement ring is my favourite. Not that it needs to have the Tiffany & Co. label on it. It's just so...elegant.

I understand that so far, this has been a pretty shallow entry. In my defense, it's been a long day, and you should all be kind of used to it by now. So now the bus driver story.

I have class starting at 2pm, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I live about 10 minutes by bus from campus, so I left my house at 1:25, which according to the bus schedule was ample time to get to my class. I get to the bus stop, and wait for about 15 minutes. I see the bus coming. I get up to get on the bus, and instead of stopping, the driver honks at me and drives off! I mean, he obviously saw me, because he honked, and when I saw he wasn't deccelerating, I flailed my arms like an orangutan. Often, bus drivers will do this when an emptier bus is right behind them, but there were maybe 3 people standing on his bus (ie. it wasn't very full), and there was no other bus. For half an hour. Finally a bus comes (and stops for me), and I end up getting to campus 15 minutes late for class. I'm still miffed, and still confused as to why the bus driver didn't stop. I mean, what was that?

Ah, Electricity

So, our power went out for about...oh, a minute, today. This isn't normally a huge inconvenience this time of year. I mean, we aren't in Quebec, so cold isn't a big problem, and yet it's cold enough today that we could've put all our fridge-necessary foods on the deck outside (although that may have been asking for more raccoon-visitations). However, for reasons unknown, our burglar alarm has reacted to this particular outage by becoming extremely enthusiastic in its...alarming. Every time the doors (or windows, I'd assume) are opened, the alarm screams. So, now that the power's back up, we've gone from the no-power 'don't open the freezer' to the power-able 'leave and enter the house as fast as humanly possible or the rest of us will kick you out the door and lock it'.

Security is a marvelous thing, no?

Ech, Mondays.

Yeah, so today wasn't fantabulous. It actually wasn't bad either, though. The operative word here would be bleah. On the bright side, my mom made chili for dinner! So good. And Girly got home! Yay! On the not so bright side, I've been feeling all conflicted, pretty much for the past couple of weeks, and I am so over it. Except that I'm apparently not. So yeah, fun times.

Oh well, hopefully the rest of the week is better. Bloody Mondays.

No Medium

Looking back on the past few months, I've discovered that my shopping behaviour always falls at one end of the extremes. For a good while there, I almost never went downtown to shop. The past few weeks, I don't think there's been a week without my going downtown. It's very odd.

Yesterday, it wasn't really my fault. Greg wanted to go downtown, he "needed" some new clothes. So off we went. Of course, I ended up spending $60. In my defense, only $15 of it was for me. I got my mom something, and a couple of Christmas presents. But still. I think I'm going to have to lock my wallet at home, because Christmas is comng, and there's no end in sight.

Sigh.

The Best Part About E-Shopping...

...Is getting your purchases in the mail. Today my books arrived! I ordered six books from bookcloseouts.com, a site with amazing discounts. The prices are in American dollars, but the warehouse is in Ontario, so I don't even have to pay for cross-border shipping! And example? The shipping for my six books came to $4.72. Total. Seriously, y'all need to check it out.

Anyway, I'm really excited, because now I have tons of books to read! I may save them for Christmas, but it is far more likely that I won't. Heh. I've come so far in discipline, and yet...

So here's what I bought;

In Paperback;

College of Magics, Caroline Stevermer (never read it, but it sounded good, and I liked a book she co-wrote)

In Pretty, Pretty Hardcover;

The Westing Game, Ellen Raskin (one of my favourite books of all time. I now have two copies)

Sorcery and Cecilia, Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer (also an incredible book, also already owned)

Wild Robert, Diana Wynne Jones (another amazing author, ver Harry Potter-esque, but most of her stuff is pre-Harry Potter)

A Stir of Bones, Nina Kiriki Hoffman (yet another great author, love everything of hers)

The Marquisarde, Louise Marley (again, an awesome author. I'm now only missing one of her books)

DONE, People!

Almost. I have a little more formatting, and as we speak T is going over it, but the paper will be done in less than twelve hours, so wooo! I wrote my last midterm before finals today, andonce I hand this in, I'm officially finished until finals. So excited.

What will I do with myself, in all my new found free time, do you ask? Well, at some point I'm ging to see The Incredibles with Girly. Also, I'm meeting with the photographer who will be doing my portrait (what a weird phrase. I don't think I've ever said that before), and I'm going to go Christmas shopping! Also, I'm going to study, so I don't die in finals. But whatever. I'm free!

Spreading The Word

This paper is killing me. There isn't enough to write, and I don't know where to put what there is to write.

Anyway, I thought I'd take a break and introduce you all to two new additions to my link list. Veiled Conceit and The Fug Blog, both of which are hilariously funny. So check them out, because everyone needs to laugh.

Complaints, Ramblings And Recommendations

Ech. I've been trying to slog my way through this paper, and I think it's slowly killing me. Not because it's difficult; that I could handle. The problem is that I can't seem to discipline myself enough to sit my ass down and write the damn thing. I've now read my articles, sort of, and boiled one of them down to the essentials. I'm supposed to be comparing two articles, but my two examples of case studies are both deficient. One is just...kind of poor workmanship on the part of the author, and the other is pretending to be a case study. It's actually an amalgamation by the author of several patients that were treated, which sounds to me a lot like...fiction. Seriously, how does that get published? The concept sounds distinctly unscientific to me, but what would I know? I'm just an undergrad.

I've been living half at my house, half at T's for the past few days. Although if by 'living' you mean 'sleeping at' then I've been living at T's. Basically I've just been eating at home (mmm, home food). Tonight Claire and her parents are coming over for dinner, and my mom has made pumpkin pie, a food I would write songs about, if I had any such skill. Let's face it; I'd write the songs without the skill. In fact, I think I have sung songs about it. As you probably can tell, I can't wait.

Also, my new cover-my-whole-foot shoes are great, and do, indeed, cover my whole foot. I love it when purchases live up to my expectations!

Now for my current recommendations, of the music variety. Here we go;

See You When You're 40 - Dido
Respect - Erasure
Hallelujah - Rufus Wainwright
Independence Day - Melanie C
Sparks - Coldplay

Tired

Wow, it feels like so long since I've posted. I've been ridiculously busy for the past two days, so I'll recap the interesting parts for you.

Wednesday:

Got my eyebrows done (finally), and was busing home when I got a distress call from T, who had managed to fracture her rib a few days earlier, and had just managed to tear a muscle in her chest. Needless to say, she was in quite a lot of pain, and shortly afer we talked she headed to the hospital, where she was told that she had a fractured rib, and a torn muscle. Ah, medicine.

That night, I stayed at T's, as no one else was home with her, and she was all doped up on elephant tranquilizers. I'm totally joking, she was on T3's. But her dosage was pretty high, and her mobility was limited, so we watched TV and talked until about 4 am.

Thursday:

The next morning, I had breakfast with Tessa at De Dutch, which I have to say, was pretty good. I then went to meet Girly, who wasabout to explode with excitement, as she was going to Montreal. We went shopping, and I finally got shoes that, you know, cover my whole foot, as well as fun shoes, and a bag. Girly bought a pair of boots, which I think cost about as much as all my purchases combined. They are however very nice boots. We then went back to her house, where she got ready to go to Montreal, and waxed rhapsodic about Montreal and its residents (one in particular). We also had a very lovely dinner and dessert.

So that was my Wednesday and Thursday. Nothing really happened today, although I found out I got an 86% on one of my midterms, so woo!And the average was 68%, so I'm even doing okay relative to other people! Also, thank goodness it's Friday, because I need some serious sleep.

Copycat

I can't think of anything to write right now, so I'm stealing a questionnaire from Dancing Brave and UltraTart, which are both excellent sites. So here we go;

What to wear: Hmmm. I'd have to say, there are a few things I think are important. One, the clothes should fit. Two, a nice top can make an outfit. And three, if you have really, really good hair, no one will care what you're wearing.

What NOT to wear: Ponchos. I will never never like ponchos. Also shirts that are too short. I have a long torso, and understand that sometimes the tee and the jeans just can't meet, but seriousoly people, there's a difference between one inch and three.

What to shoe: I have to admit, I suck with heels. I can't walk properly, they make my feet hurt, and they're just too expensive for me to buy, when I only wear them Out. So, I'd have to say either runners, or my Aldo clogs, which are pretty standard, but go with everything.

Biggest Shopping Splurge: I just bought a new coat from Jacob, and a new watch from Guess, so...you pick. Before that? I guess my prom and grad dresses. I really don't spend much on single items of clothing.

Fashion Security Blanket: Good hair and a fitted classy coat. They ensure that even if you randomly run into someone while on your way to the grocery store, you still look good.

Favorite Historical Period: Um...I know pretty much nothing about history. Also, as a biracial person, my existence would have been far more difficult in any other era than now. So...I got nothing

What to see (movie): Incredibles. And Bridget Jones 2. And Garden State, because my viewing of that was unfortunately postponed.

Favorite Bad Movie: Hmmm. Fast and the Furious? Sad, but kinda true. I'm sure there're more. Possibly 10 Things I Hate About You and Legally Blonde, but I personally don't think they're bad, so I'm not sure if they count.

What to listen to: There are a lot of good songs. Such Great Heights (Postal Service), Across the Universe (Fiona Apple version), I really can't list them all.

What to eat: Sushi, panini's, my mom's cooking, lobster, seafood in general.

Where to eat it: Sushi can be found almost anywhere in Vancouver. They did a survey recently, and there are almost as many sushi places in Vancouver as there are Starbucks's. Panini's can be found at the Citrus Cafe, on Georgia and Bute (down Bute). My mom's cooking you have at my house, with my mom. Lobster and seafood...really, just look it up yourself.

Morning Person or Night Owl?: Kinda neither. I like the middle of the day best, and nighttime only when I have a good book to read.

Worst Vice: Picking at my eyelashes, and rubbing my eyes. Also, touching my hair.

Most Thrilling Famous Person Meeting: I've never actually met a famous person. So sad.

Color That Best Represents Your Personality: I don't know...can one colour really represent you?

Latest Obsession: Getting new shoes and a new bag (I feel like my backpack damages my pretty, pretty new coat). Also, learning to kayak. I will get lessons, dammit!

A Recurring Dream: I don't really have any. As a kid, I used to have recurring dreams where I'd walk to the top of my stairs, and then jump down to the bottom, over and over. That was weird, and I think the source of my fear of the sensation of falling. Ech.

Now I Get It

So, I think I may have hit on the reason I've been feeling so up-and-down these past two days. Before I elaborate on that, any squeamish boys or extremely polite girls, please read on at your own risk. This entry concerns *ahem*, women's troubles.

Okay, now that I'm left with those of you who are less delicately built, I don't have to use euphemisms and metaphors for everything. Basically, PMS has decided that my emotional stability is enemy numero uno, and that it will not rest until I'm alone, in bed, sobbing like a pathetic thirteen-year-old who's just found out Orlando Bloom is engaged. Normally, PMS is not nearly as much of an issue. I'll concede that I probably get a little more emotional than my normal state, but to be honest, I don't even notice it. It definitely doesn't make me feel like this. It's bizarre. I've learned that when I'm like this, being alone is very, very bad. When I'm alone, I mope, and pine, and then write in my journal until I write something that makes me cry, at which point I stop, because my journal is really, really pretty, and the hell am I getting tears on it. And thus beings the cycle. Write, cry, write, cry, etc. That was the first two waking hours of my day today. Bloody PMS. On the bright side, after this is over, I'm totally going to laugh at myself, because...yikes. But for now, PMS is kicking my ass.

I've said it before, but it's especially pertinent right now, so go read The Menstrual Chronicles. Menstrual Girl? That's me. Except without the hapless boyfriend. Or the cat.

House Of Stars

Last night, a bunch of the ADPi's, including myself, volunteered for the Ronald McDonald House House of Stars Gala, at the Fairmont Waterfront. It was a lot of fun, and I now have a white feather boa for my troubles! It was a really cool event. There was a silent auction, a live auction, dinner, dancing, and a raffle. The decor was really nice too; white chairs, tables, and each chair had a feather boa tied arond the back, which was gorgeous, but meant that all the guests had little feathers all over their clothes. They didn't seem to mind, though; most of the women took their boas home with them, and some had more than one as they were walking out the door! There were also feather lamps in the middle of each table, which were really pretty; I think I may make one.

The one drawback to the event was that I wore heels, and my feet hate me quite a lot right now. It's definitely time for me to go back to the comfy shoes. I guess my inability to wear heels for any period of time pretty much rules out any possibility of me being a socialite. Oh well.

He's Baaack!

The doorbell just rang, and as my mom seemed uninclined to get it, I went to open the door. At the door was Greg. Greg who is supposed to be in Cuba for another week. Heh.

So he ran out of money, and is back home, apparently a little lighter, both in weight, and possessions (boy got robbed). He is however the proud new owner of cigars and rum, authentic from Cuba, and also a really weird straw hat that he was wearing at the door, which made it even harder for contact lens-less me to recognize him. My mom I think is a little stunned. My dad isn't home yet, but I'm not sure how happy he's going to be when he finds out his camera was among the things stolen.

Yep, things are all back to normal, here.

Say It With Me Now: Focus On The Upside

So, the past two days have been...varied, at least as far as my emotions go. So, in the spirit of ignoring that which sucks/is confusing in an angsty way, I will tell you about the good stuff that happened.

Last night, I went to T's, and we watched ANTM and Queer Eye. It was fun (as always), and I've come to the conclusion that pretty much everyone on ANTM is a little...touched. My favourite part was when Tyra talks about how one of the contestants, Nicole, is kind of anonymous and lacking in memorability. Now, T, Tessa and I have all noticed that Nicole has been getting the editing shaft throughout this season, to the point where no one really knows anything about her. I mean, her presence in the show is entirely limited to the photo shoots, to the point where sometimes I wonder if she even lives in the same suite as everyone else. Anyway, Tyra says her line about forgetting Nicole, and we're all "Psst! Tyra! It's because of your editors".

Anyway, so last night was cool, and then this morning, at, you guessed it, 8:30, we had soccer! Now, when I went to bed last night, it was pouring. And when I woke up? Pouring. A couple of weeks ago, it was a beautiful day, and yet the games were canceled because they didn't want to damage the fields. Today,the games were on, and let me tell you, the fields had turned into marshes. These were not healthy fields. But we played anyway. Oh well, it was fun, and I only bailed once, which isn't to bad, for running around in a mud-patch without cleats.

Anyway, gotta get going; I have studying to do! Atleast I don't have to worry about wishing I was outside. Still raining up a storm out there.

Night of a Thousand Dinners

So last night I attended The Night of a Thousand Dinners, an event for the UN's Adopt-A-Minefield Campaign. It was put on by my friend Claire, who did an excellent job, as she does at everything. It was very informative, and enlightening, if not uplifting. If you don't know about landmines, then you should; click on the link, or google 'landmines'. They are a particularly vindictive and long-lasting form of weaponry, and someone is injured or killed by a landmine every thirty minutes.

The dinner (well, dessert, but that's the best part of dinner anyway) was really nice; I met a lot of cool people, ate some good food (and took some home! There were leftovers), and bid on a couple of items in the silent auction. I even won something! A portrait done by this company. So that was pretty cool.

On the walk home, I saw four raccoons (which are so, so cute) across the street from my house, so my parents stories about seeing raccoons lately are probably true, and not indicative of some psychological disorder. Phew!

Freak Out

Has anyone other than me realized how soon Christmas (or the winter holiday of your choice) is? It suddenly crashed down on me this morning, and I'm now (metaphorically) hiding in a corner in the fetal position, because I have so much to do. Forget the presents and decorating, I still have midterms and papers, and that doesn't even count finals! And I have no money with which to buy presents! And there's all this socializing to be done around Christmas, and where am I possibly going to find the time, when my every moment will be absorbed by my attempts to make Christmas presents for everyone?

Granted, this fear will probably go away. I love Christmas. It's my favourite holiday, in fact. I have to say, Christmas Day actually isn't that huge of a deal for me, but the surrounding half-month, as a whole, is awesome. Plus, Christmas means Christmas TV specials, like Charlie Brown, the Grinch, and the recently discovered Yogi Bear's First Christmas. Christmas also means Ferrero Rocher chocolates, which are amazing. Yay! Now I'm excited again!

Heh. I may need some sort of mood-stabilizer. On the Christmas List it goes!

Not Mentioning the Election

Except for in that title. Ugh. Everyone needs to go buy a shirt, like now.

Other than that, my day has been pretty good. I talked to girly, went to class, meeting, and now am finally back home, eating dinner before I drop into bed.

Speaking of bed, and therefore sleep, I actually fell asleep in class today, for the first time in my life. It was really weird. I was writing notes of what the prof was saying with my eyes shut, borderline conscious at best, and it was like my brain blinked. My head fell forward, and apparently so did the rest of my body, because I woke up literally 3 milliseconds after, and there was this random line from my pen moving when my body rocked forward. So weird.

And, as I'm about to do that all over again, I'm signing off. Definitely time for bed. 'night!

One Hundred

According to Blogger, this is post one hundred for me. Woo one hundred! Next big milestone; five hundred.

I spent today with Shakey, helping get a mass mailing done. We actually got quite a bit done, which was impressive; it was a difficult day. We only had one big screw-up; we thought postage was $3.20, instead of 98 cents, which is what it was supposed to be. To be fair, the envelopes we were mailing were big, and the price-chart is confusing. Anyhow, our mix-up led to the postage machine running out of money in like two minutes. Oops.

Yikes. My mom is cooking crab, and she bought live ones from Chinatown. One of them is obviously a little more alive than the others, and just pinched the hell out of her finger. I've never heard her yelp like that. The crabs are smallish, too. That one was clearly the badass crab, though; the rest are all kind of sluggish, while this one's dancing around like Sebastian in The Little Mermaid. I shall call him Chauncy, because I like how "Chauncy the Crab" sounds Heh. Chauncy. I'm apparently about to be treated to quite the amazing dinner; in addition to the crab, my mom is also making her dumplings. Mmm, dumplings.

I'm going to go contemplate my food now.

Resolutions and Calculations

So the fury has abated. It was addressed and resolved, and I feel much better. Still not perfect, but at least not like my insides are boiling, so that's good. While I'm still on the theme of goodness, I got 90% on my Psychology of Language midterm! I'm pretty excited.

On the not-so-good side of things, I did some financial calculations, and while I'm still in the positive numbers, it's a little too close for comfort. So...more spending-control is going to be put in place.

I hate unsettling financial news. But 90%! Yay!