Cheated this yuletide season

I feel cheated right now. I didn't really get a "Christmas" this year, because I chose to work. I also worked late on Christmas Eve, and worked a whole day yesterday. After running myself ragged this past week, my body has finally succumbed to sickness. My head hurts, I think my sinuses are infected again, the thought of food makes me want to gag, I am hot/cold all the time, and I am very sore.

And just before my two days off! I was hoping to see my friends, and actually have a bit of a holiday on these two coming days.

I bought myself a cocktail of over-the-counter medications and called in sick to work today (which I never, EVER, do!) and will lay low. Perhaps the Advil Cold & Sinus, the Gravol and the Unisom will see me better in the morning. Otherwise, I am going to have start cancelling my plans for the coming days.

Why? Why me? Why now, of all times?! It's the calling in sick that bugs me the most. In five years of working at The Gardens, I have only called in sick once before.

Anyways, I'm off to have a long nap and watch stupid daytime TV until my eyes are square!

Christmas Wishes

Merry Christmas everyone!

With the best of the season to you all,

Dave

Weird blogs

Lately I have been spending time just looking at random blogs of people I don't know. Sometimes I just click off the blogs of people I know, or I will just look for a new one. Some a really interesting. Blogging is really in innovative medium. There are people like my friend Mera, who post interesting tidbits quite frequently, and people like Tara, who post tidbits, quotes, and frequently post interesting question.

But I have stumbled across a new blog in the last couple of months. It isn't updated very frequently, and is certainly tawdry. The blog is operated by a man who is cheating on his wife while away on extended business trips, and then blogging his experiences. I don't really know what I think of it, a lot of comments are from people who think he should tell his wife. But despite my little moral and ethical voice telling me to not read it, I do check it fairly frequently, which is strange. It is kinda like watching a train wreck in slow motion, because you know that one day he will be found out. Or as one commenter pointed out, perhaps his wife is at home getting banged by the milkman...

Anyways, I just thought that I would throw this blog out there as an interesting read. Let me know what you think of the moral and ethical implications.

Click here to read the blog for yourself.

Don;t get me wrong, I am not on a quest to shut this guy down or anything, after all it is his life. I guess I am just curious as to what people's reactions are.

I'm a weirdo.

Things to make you think

I spent the day at the Vancouver Art Gallery, seeing an exhibit called "Massive Change." I can't really tell you what it was about, but it was sort of like a lecture was made into a museum, and then housed in an Art Gallery. I would recommend that if any of you are in the Vancouver area, you should go see the exhibit.

You can visit their website here.

And now that exams are over, I am free to do what I wish for the duration of the holiday (except when I have to work)!

Good Holiday Spirit everyone!

WOOHOO!!!

I just finished my exams! School is done!! YAY!!!

And I have even better news...

My RESP came through!!! I am financially viable for next semester, and comfortably so! I was sooooo stressed about it, and now I can relax!

To whatever power above saw to that, I thank you!

Good friends mean good times

Last night I went to Butchart Gardens with all my best friends from high school. We have done it every year now for the last three years, and are making a tradition of it. We always have such a good time chatting, laughing, and counting the twelve days of Christmas displays.

These people are one of the main reasons I am coming back to Victoria. They are the people who know me the best, and as my friend Lindsay says, we will still be having "get-drunk-at-Claire's" nights for an awful long time to come.

To good friends, good times, and good experiences!

Cheers!

My favourite Christmas view at work.

My favourite people

Finals and movies

Well, two down and one to go. I have wrote my Media Studies final, as well as English (thank Frickin' christ that course is over!)

I watched the Bourne Supremacy and The Terminal. Both were good, although the Bourne Supremacy was not as good as the Bourne Identity, in my humble opinion.

Anyways, off to more studying and working!

Christmas humour

Cartman learns the words to "O Holy Night"

It's bloody hilarious!

The best christmas ornament EVER!

dearest darling sister...

My brother-in-law and room-mate...

I feel stupid...

I feel really dumb right now. I have sinusitis, and I think the antibiotics are getting to my brain.

I can't even type right now.

A week worth pondering

You know what?

This week in Victoria has been a really good experience for me. I have had a lot of time to do some thinking, and I came to the realization that I am far happier here then in Nanaimo. I really miss the people here, my friends, and my family (inasmuch as they drive me around the bend!)

Don't get me wrong! I have met some cool people while I have been school, and you know who you are, but I am just not having fun at school. I know that every parent out there (at least mine)would say that there are times in your life when what you like doesn't matter, and what you need to do takes precedence over everything. However, I think that at the age of 21, I have gone past that point. I have lived on my own for almost two years, been responsible for my own finances, bought a car, and established a great reputation with a fantastic employer.

I want to go back to work. I am born to work with the public. My employer wants me back, I want to go back, so I think I will. I'll see this year through to the end, and then I think I will establish myself in Victoria.

I have never felt very sure about any decision I have made in my life, but I figure that you have got to go with your gut most of the time, and my gut tells me to go to work. Maybe I'll do some online courses, or upgrade and take evening classes at Royal Roads University, but I want to get started in life. The idea of spending the next four years of my life in a degree program that I am not dedicated to does not sound appealing. Never mind the thousands of dollars in tuition!

I think it is because I like a lot of structure in my life. I like going to work, 8-4:30pm, then going home, and having my day be complete. My evening belongs to me, not to a research paper or midterm.

Who knows, maybe my gut will change between now and the end of the school year, but we'll see.

And I'm out for now.

YAY!

That's it! School is finished! All of my papers are done and submitted, and I have only exams left!

I am looking forward to the next semester. Now we'll just see if the money materializes.

This post is petering out.

Very.......slowly........

and I'm out.

Garburator goo

Have you ever wondered what food looks like after it has come out of the garburator?

Well, I haven't.

And yet, I have seen it.

I will never be able to eat soup again.

Ridiculousness strikes again

I have that this is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever read.

CBC News: Special delivery proves impossible for disabled man

Weekend fun

WHEW! What a weekend. The highlight of course, was the Butchart Gardens Christmas party. The pics of the party (and the aftermath) are below.

Now, on to the many projects I have due.

Picture for posterities sake.

Dance-floor self pic...

Oh Aimee, what are we going to do with you?

Everybody have fun tonight!

The aftermath of a 'refreshing beverage' or two

Bustin' a move with Jessibell

Friends

Enjoying a refreshing beverage...

Oh, if it weren't for my job

If I didn't have an an exellent job in Victoria, I think I would quit and just live in Nanaimo full-time. This place is just ridiculous. I found about 3 or 4 lunches worth of Tupperware that were so old that I just through them away rather than trying to clean out the fuzz in the containers. But it's where I found them that is just the killer.

Doesn't everyone keep lunch bags of dirty Tupperware in thei laundry room, in a big hamper along with a bunch of dirty towels and an extension cord?

If I became an alcoholic, at least I would have a reason.

That being said, Christmas party tonight! WHEE!! I've been looking forward to this for ages. It is soooo much fun!

Ta-ta!

My life, my paper, my car

Life goes on. I finished my History paper and submitted it today. Now I get to worry while I wait for the result. Onto my other papers now. I have an 800 word draft due in 3 hours. I have an Media Studies porject due on next Friday, and my English paper on Dec.6. Then finals. Too much going on! AGH!

Last October I bought my car for $4000. I just added up all my receipts, and I have spent $2112.77 maintaining and repairing it since then. And I just found out that the car needs another $500 in work, and soon.

Oh, and my sister's car got broken into for the second time in two weeks. Nothing taken, no damage to the car.

Whata lovely city we live in.

Weekend update

In a few words, not much. Had a good time with some friends on Friday, worked Saturday, had parents over for lunch this afternoon...

Oh, and we threw away the ugliest chair imaginable. You can read about it here.

Other than that, I am stressing about my paper, still.

Lost

I'm lost in my history paper. I have my thesis, I have 600 words. I just don't know where to go from here. I don't know what to footnote or not. I just don't know.

And the frickin' thing is due on Tuesday.

ugh...

I hate society

To the little f*ckers that broke into my car last night...

F*CK YOU!

You broke into my car, shattering glass everywhere, ransacked the contents, and didn't take a single thing! Oh, I forgot. Breaking the window was rewarded by the $4.00 in Tim Horton's gift certificates you took from the glovebox. Don't spend them all in one place!

Your antics have cost me $300 dollars. That's $300 I don't have, and had to beg from my parents. I missed a lecture, one I actually wanted to attend, dealing with the police and ICBC. And by the way, you are the worst thieves I have ever seen!

Did you know that after ripping out the ash tray looking for change (and not finding any) that you missed the $10 worth of change in the change compartment? Or the $150 worth of speakers in the trunk that you left behind, which you can't have missed, seeing as you actually went into the trunk? What a bunch of losers...

Enjoy your double-doubles guys, I hope they are satisfying.

Oh, and if you ever catch you, I'm gonna twist your balls, rip them off, and ram them down your F*CKIN' THROAT!!!

Find the theme song of your life

Theme songs of your life by eponine
your name?
love song:	you're still the one - shania twain
depressing song:	don't speak - no doubt
party song:	bootylicious - destinys child
what-the-hell-ever song:	iris - the goo goo dolls
your life	fire and rain - james taylor
Quiz created with MemeGen!

By the by, it lies. I don't like "You're Still The One..."

oof

I just ate a whole box of Extra Creamy Kraft Dinner.

AND I added extra cheddar cheese and a lot of ketchup.

I'm gonna go be disgusted with myself now.

Always read the label...

So i was in the bathroom this afternoon, when I noticed a new aerosol can on the counter that hasn't been there previously. It was yellow and orange, had a picture of a flower on it, and said "New Scent: Temptations." So naturally, I thought, "I wonder what this smells like?" I prepared to spray it in the air to see what this new air freshener smelled like.

It's a damn good thing my brain had time to go "Damn, this is a heavy aerosol can for an air freshener!" as well as stop my index finger from moving. It was a narrowly averted disaster. This was no air freshener, this was a new can of shaving cream!

When I realized what I had nearly done, as well as the hilarious image of me spraying shaving cream everywhere with a flourish (as only I can do), I just about killed myself laughing. And my sister nearly died when I explained it to her after emerging almost doubled over with laughter from the bathroom.

Seriously, though. ALWAYS read the name of a product before spraying it in the air.

Seriously.

Last day...

Today was it. I am now finished in my old job. I have been busted down from Food Services System Specialist, to a Dining Room Host. But it was voluntary.

I wasn't actually 'busted down.' I was replaced when I went back to school, and only worked the job part-time. I am grateful that my employer was able to keep me on as long as they have, and that they have found various jobs to keep me employed until the end of the school year. It was just weird today, packing up all my personal belongings, and then heading out. I'll probably have to give up my keys soon too... *sniff.* I'm going to miss my immediate co-workers the most.

But on to new things! Next Friday I get to train in my new job, and start working directly with the public again, which I have really missed over the past couple of years. Here's to new things!

As a final thought, I found this surfing around on the web. It is a photo-mosaic of Bush, made of more than 6,000 photos of American troops that have died under his command.

Just give it a minute to load. You may also want to view my friend Tara's posting. Click on the link in her post.

Also today, I found out about "Gellie Man." I don't know much about it, but this kid made a music video at home with his webcam, and you will bust a gut laughing. Note the Mickey Mouse sheets! Click here to watch the video. You'll need Windows Media Player.

Cheers!

Good bye, fair vanity!

I was brushing my teeth tonight, when I looked in the mirror and noticed something that I have known was happening, but refused to acknowledge.

My hairline is receding. Noticeably.

I have always appreciated my hair. I have had a full head of thick, dark brown hair my entire life. My grandfather was balding, and my father is balding, so I knew that it is a reality I'd have to face at one point or another, but I'm just not ready yet!

I'm only 21 years old!

When I pull my hair back, my hairline is now even with the front of my ears. In a few months, it will be farther back. If I start to look strange, I have made a pact with myself that I will shave my head. Better to be 100% bald than to look strange.

Or maybe I'll go for the "Patrick Stewart" look. Who knows?

I hate being mean...

I finally did it, I snapped at a classmate today.

She just won't stop talking in class. And not only is she talking, what she talks about bears absolutely no relevance to the course material! I DON'T CARE!!!

I hate being mean to people, but I tried ignoring her, I tried asking her nicely, I've tried everything I have up my sleeve, but she just didn't get the message.

I find it incredibly distracting, and really, freakin' annoying!

So I turned to her, cut her off mid-sentence, and told her that I really need to focus in class, and could she please stop talking to me.

I hope I got through to her. Like I said, I don't like being mean, but I don't think I was mean, just blunt.

I'll guess I'll know when we next have class together!

Fog

This post is for everyone, but of course to my dear friend Tara, in response to her comments on my last entry.

If you thought Nanaimo was 'foggy' yesterday, just take a gander at these photos from this morning. Same view, same pics, just a little different.

Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3

PANIC

In preparation for my coming shift in employment (and shift in wages) I did a financial calculator to see what the second semester will look like.

I need to find another $845 EACH MONTH just to meet my current expenses.

I honestly have no clue where this is all going to come from. I am re-submitting my loan application with a couple of changes to see if my student loan can be reassesed. I am seeing if I can push to have extra funds released from my RESP, and I will be agressively applying for jobs in the Nanaimo area. However, I may not be able to do school in the second semester.

AAAGGGGHHHHH!!!

To calm my panic, I lifted my eyes to the view from my bedroom window this afternoon. Excuse the quality of the pics, it is but a lowly webcam.

Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3

History rocks!

I finally have an angle for my History paper!

After much agonizing, I am going to research women in pre-Confederation Canada, focusing on minority groups, like Native women and their matricarchal society, as well as black women in what is now Ontario, along with the underground railwayand the northward-moving Loyalist women from the 13 colonies, arguing how marked by change their lives were.

YAY!

I have been stressing over that one for some time now. Now, to get writing. The paper is due in two weeks... and I have a presentation before then...

GO BRENT SPINER!!!

Holy crap! This episode of Star Trek: Enterprise is quite possibly the best Trek episode I have seen in quite a long time! My faith is renewed! Brent Spiner is brilliant!

I think I'll go watch some more Trek when this episode is over. I could go work on my history paper, but why? The stars await!

I have never felt more like I geek than I do right at this moment. Here I sit, watching Star Trek, while simultaneously posting on my blog. Man, what a NERD!

My sphere of blog is increasing!!

More people are stumbling across by blog all the time! It's not just about me anymore, it's about everyone. Just to prove how interesting it is, people have left multiple comments on the post just below this one, depite the fact that it a completely automated post!

I had a blah weekend. Parents house was a mess, the dog was a shit the whole time we were there, and my parents were in a weird mood. To boot, the Malahat was super shitty to drive, pitch black and just pissing rain the whole way.

Oh my goodness!

And I have to start writing my History paper, and I have NO idea what angle I am going to approach the topic from.

AGH!

Wish me luck!

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Here we go again...

Another 4 years of watching people die.
Another 4 years of watching stupid decisions being made.
Another 4 years of Bush administration.

I agree with my friend Tara's post, and the quote from Matt Good.

Shame on Kerry for abandoning his followers. A cornerstone of his campaign was that he would not concede until every last vote had been counted. What a loser.

And to boot, we have to put up with another 4 years of Bush's brilliance, well-indicated by these quotes.

May God have mercy on us all.

Are you gay or not?

I stumbled across this on another blog, so i thought I would share. I know it's cheap, but hey, why not?

Gay or Not Gay?
LJ Name
Favorite Color
Gay or Not Gay?	As Straight as a Rod
Quiz created with MemeGen!

Intelligent/thick/mature/silly

Sometimes I really question my ability to function in this world. I like to think of myself as a relatively intelligent individual. I am well read, and know a lot of useless information that seems to come in handy more often then I would like to admit. I know that doesn't make any sense, but if you know me well enough, you know what I am talking about.

I seem to a lead a double life, but each life manages to smear some quality of itself into its opposite.

I researched, planned and implemented a project that cost slightly more than a medium-sized house, striving to meet the needs of about 15 different people in a short time frame and under a lot of heat to make sure things ran smoothly. And I was successful. In Victoria, I am a mature, intelligent professional. But my room is a pig-sty.

In Nanaimo, I can't seem to get my homework done. I mean I get it done, but not in calm, cool and collected fashion. Oh no, I have to panic at the last minute. Sure it increases the sense of accomplishment (hey, look at the grade I got, and I wrote it the night before it was due!), but that isn't the intelligent, well-read way to do things. I'm less mature, and less intelligent when I am up here. But my room, it's freaking organized, to the point that I amaze myself. And now that I live up here, what about my room in Victoria, you ask? Still a disorganized mess.

The human brain is a very strange thing. Why can't I be consistent across the board?

Because I am me, in all my glory.

I am Dave, here me roar!

Halloween Howls

Well, here it is, Halloween. All hallows eve. And yet, I have already had been to an excellent Halloween party. There was good times, good music, good friends, and good people. Not to mention the costumes. All were excellent!

After partying myself silly last night and careening back up the island to Nanaimo, I am now exceedingly tired. But it is my turn to make dinner. So I can't take the nap that my body SO desires.

I watched an incredibly bad movie this afternoon on TV. It was called "Amityville Doll House: Evil Never Dies." It is pretty loosely based on the Amityville Murders. However, the only connection was that there was a possessed doll house (an exact replica of the Amityville House) that caused them all this grief. Other than that, it was absolutely terrible. And yet, I watched the whole thing. Was does that have to say for our media-obessessed culture?

However, next on the movie roster is "Donny Darko." I haven't heard a lot about it, so I am looking forward to seeing it. I'll let you all know.

Finally, I have a pic to post for all of you. I can't take credit for its source. I got it off a blog that was linked from a blog that one my friends has on her blog. So rather than send you on a wild goose chase, here it is.

Gotta love it

Here it is, ladies and gentlemen...

The tres cheap music that I purchased. Yes, folks, I do listen to this music, and I enjoy it.

I have two examples for you:

Example One
Example Two

Each is about 2mb, so give it a moment.

And then, grab your bongos, shake those maracas, and get ready to move your booty. I guarantee that you won't be able to sit still. Those Seinfeld fans among you may recognize the first example...

Oprah, that was a bad show

So there I was, the self-confessed trekkie, lying on the couch dosing after watching some Star Trek. When I woke up, Star Trek had ended and been replaced by Oprah.

I watched the show for a little while, and it appeared to be one of those typical "scandal" shows. The husband had a terrible secret to hide from his wife, of 15 years, and it was an unbelievable secret. It turns out that the man's secret was that he was gay.

Oprah then proceeded to lambaste the man for cheating on his wife. But first, you need the background info.

He had known that he had gay tendencies when he got married to her at twenty years of age, but at the time was confused and thought that it was a passing thing that would get worked out of his system with time. However, he realized it wasn't.

He cheated on his wife, running a double life for 12 of the fifteen years that they were married. They also had two sons. He had five long-term relationships with men during his wedded years.

After this 'terrible' secret (which the wife had already known before coming on the show), Oprah began to lambaste the man for lying to his wife for fifteen years. Oprah didn't understand why he couldn't just tell his wife that he was gay before they had got married. Another specialist that had been brought in for the show explained that it wasn't that simple. To which Oprah responded, and I quote directly:

"I thought that things had been made easier for you people."

That line just about drove me through the ceiling. "you people!" What is made even more surprising is the fact that Oprah comes from a visible minority herself! "you people?!" Good Christ!

This show touched on some fairly touchy issues, including the large number of closeted gay men that are married. But what slayed me the most was that the point of the show was not to bring meaning or understanding the problems that this situation causes, for both sides of the couple. This show focussed more on what a terrible man this guy had been, keeping this secret from his wife for so long. However, it is completely unfair for anyone, even Oprah, to pass judgement on the situation, or the people involved, when then cannot possibly imagine what these people go through.

As someone who went through it myself, it is INCREDIBLY difficult to come out to friends and family, and it is even more difficult, perhaps inconceivably so, to even begin to comprehend the pain that a person goes through while coming to grips with their sexuality, which is largely still unacceptable in the eyes of society in general. It is not as simple as "just coming out." A person faces rejection from their family, friends, and ostracization. In some cases, violence is even a real threat.

I hope that what Oprah was trying to do was point out the fact the homosexuality is more acceptable now than it was even 10 - 15 years ago, and it just came out wrong. However, she should perhaps interview a few of "us people" for our experiences before using her show to cast jusdgement on ANYONE!

There, I think I vented myself for the time being.

Midterm marks are coming in...

I just got my first midterm mark back... (drumroll please)

I got an A Minus! YAY!!

It was my History Midterm, and I think that it bodes well for the future. I will start getting rest of my marks tomorrow. (can you hear me biting my nails?)

Bathroom logic

He asks a worthwhile questions about cleaning the bathroom

new jobs and new friends

I think it is most exciting to meet extraordinary people. I have met someone at school who fits that description to a 't.' I look forward to developing a friendship with her.

Also today, I applied fro a job, and it looks promising.

Yay! New things are great!

Friends and more...

I was reminded this weekend of a few things. Keep a clean room, live life to the fullest, and always wear clean underwear in case you get hit by a bus.

One of my closest friends called me on Thursday and announced that he was back in town (Victoria) and that we should get together. He lived out of town for about a year and a half, and I haven't seen him since January.

So I gave him a call, and asked him what he was doing in Victoria. Had he transferred? Holiday time? Did he get fired? Sadly, it was none of those options.

"No dude, I'm dying." Well, talk about being hit by the proverbial bus. I was astounded. I thought he was actually pulling my leg. But unfortunately, he wasn't.

My best friend is dying of liver failure. He had a liver transplant when he was five, and his body is rejecting the liver now, 16 years later. It is 95% dead. He is back on the Emergency Transplant List.

Now, he is on NINE pills just to stabilize his liver. He is constantly exhausted, and had to catch his breath after going upstairs in his house. He has the shakes, and he moves like an old man. Finally, he is jaundiced, which is a yellowing of the skin and the white of the eye, which is now bright yellow.

First and foremost, he is my friend, despite appearances. My goal now is to keep him comfortable with his situation, and to make sure he doesn't go insane. He is reluctant to go out.

Anyways, I'm gonna have to suck up my own emotions and be the supportive one now.

Keep him in your thoughts.

Midterms done!

That's it, they're finished, all of my midterms. Let the nail-biting begin!

I have no assignments due this week, which is really odd. In fact, my History class tomorrow is cancelled, so all I have to do is meet with my group, and then I am free until monday.

What an easy week! I think I will head to down Victoria early tomorrow and try and hook up with some people, and then I get to go out for beer on Friday with more friends!

YAY!!!

And I found some tres cheap music to listen to. I'll upload it as soon as I have a chance.

Cheers for now!

agh! midterm from hell

I feel like such a loser in English. I am f*cking good at English when I want to be. But this class just seems engineered to fail people, or at least severely demoralize them.

She gave us criteria, but then the exam contradicted the info she had handed out, so I dunno.

I'm sure I did fine, but get your act together lady! For god's sake!

GAHHH!!!!!!

Fall has arrived

After a scorching couple of days last week, fall has finally arrived. The rain is falling, and Ezzy (my car) is plastered in wet maple leaves from the tree across the street. Now that the leaves have mostly fallen, we have a broader view of the harbour, which is kinda cool. On of my favourite scenes is when I am sitting in our living room, and I happen to look up as the ferry sails past on its way to Duke Point. I don't know why, but I really like that.

I have an English midterm I need to study for tomorrow morning, but I don't feel much like studying today. On days like today I like to curl up with a good book, turn on the heat, and just read with some good music in the background. I even like listening to the electric radiators click on and off. But alas, I will have to settle for curling up with my poetry anthology (gag) and study literary terms. I hate that class.

You are probable wondering why/how my car got it's name. Well, I drive a Civic Hatchback, and it is light green/teal/aqua green, whatever you want to call it. My friend and I thought that it needed a name, and the colour reminded her of Esmerelda, so why not? So now my car has a name: Esmerelda, or Ezzy for short.

So anyways, off to go study!

Midterms and fastfood

I just wrote my first midterm this morning in History! Wow, I have a better idea of what to expect on the final now, that is for sure. I think I did pretty well, but the questions were must more diverse than I had expected, linking together a lot of concepts we had not linked in class. Definitely worth while doing though.

I just watched "Super-Size Me", and I was absolutely revolted. My roomates and I even threw awayt the coupons from McShits, A&W and DQ, we were so disgusted, especially efter looking at the nutritional information on McShit's website. But that put me in a dilemna; I needed a burger today, I was absolutely craving one. So I did a little research.

Of all of the fast food joints out there, McShits is the least healthy. Wendy's is actually less fattening if you use caloric content as a determiner. A combo meal at Wendy's with fries and a Coke contains pretty the same caloric content as an entire Big Mac.

So all you fast-food junkies out there can take heart in the fact that it is not all going to kill you. Don't take this as artistic license to go out and get fat, but it isn't all bad.

Cheers!

What day is it?

My brain is messed up right now. Since Monday was the stat for Thanksgiving, my head is all confused. Tomorrow is Thursday and I get to drive down the island for work on Friday! Where did this week go?

Thanksgiving was fantastic. My sister threw in an extra dish at the last minute, and it was so good but so rich! Imagine a slice of roasted yam, then goat's cheese, roasted garlic and onion, then repeat three more layers like this. They tasted like candy!

But now I am turkey-ed out. We bought a 12 pound bird, and it was WAY more than enough. We stripped the bird of all it's meat and made stock with the turkey bones, but now it is all in the fridge awaiting consumption. So much turkey, so little time.

Anyways, stay tuned for weekend posts. I must go and study. I have my first-ever midterm tomorrow morning.

Pray for me, everyone!

Things to be thankful for...

There are many things in life to be thankful for: life itself, the sun, the fact that we live in North America, hot and cold running water...

I know this chiefly, as all we have this morning is cold running water. It appears that the boiler for our entire building broke down last night. I would really like to get out of this body and into a clean one, but I cannot take a cold shower. Not only does cold water have an adverse effect on certain parts of the male anatomy, but once I get cold, it takes me a million years to warm up again. And during that time, I am the grouchiest, bitchiest person you have ever met. Really, try me one day, you'll see!

But anyways, I guess I can't complain too much, as at least the cold running water is clean and drinkable, and we have immeasurable electricity with which to heat it should the need arise. The strata management company is sending a plumber this morning, so hopefully it will all be fixed in time to make Thanksgiving dinner!

Tonight is the first-ever Thanksgiving that I haven't been at home for. My roomates and I are making our own turkey (which is under emergency-thaw in the kitchen sink. Seems one of my roomates didn't believe that the bird needed to come out of the freezer when I said it did. My source: chefs, at a World-class restaurant. His source: The lady who checks people's membership cards at the door to Costco. Who would you trust? But that's a whole other story.)

Anyways, first-ever Thanksgiving where Mom isn't making it all. But we have it all planned out: Turkey, sage stuffing, roast garlic mashed new potatoes, green beans, yams, and pumpkin pie with whippied cream for dessert. We also have a couple good bottles of wine. Looking forward to it all, although the prep may be interesting if we don't have hot water to clean up with!

Oh well, no matter where you are, or what you are eating tonight, remember to think of something to be truly thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's not your birthday because you're dead

More than a year ago, a lady slid off the road into a tree and died in a bad car accident.

Every day when I drive from work I have to drive past a shrine to her. It is dilapidated, water-logged and neglected. But somebody has dropped off a "Happy Birthday" balloon and refreshed the flowers.

It isn't her birthday, because she is dead. Don't get me wrong, it is terrible that she died, but it was more than a year ago. I don't understand the human compunction to memorialize our traffic accident victims with makeshift shrines on the side of the road.

I want to make something clear to everyone: If I die in a car accident, please don't erect a shrine to me on the side of the road. By all means, lay some flowers down, but don't build a shrine.

I have never lost anyone close to me in a traffic accident, so I guess I can't pretend to understand what these people go through. However, it is not safe to have these shrines, as motorists are distracted by them. And eventually, they become dilapidated and waterlogged.

Call me an ass, but that is just what I think.

Clean room, doubtful soul

I cleaned my little room in Nanaimo top to bottom this afternoon, and I have always found that when I clean, my mind races. Along those lines, I have a few things to say:

About the dude in my group in History that I wrote about, I totally misjudged him. We had our first presentation today, and it was better than excellent. I need a healthy dose of crow to eat.

To the people who moved in below me, it's great that you are learning to play the guitar, but please don't really crank the volume until you know more than three chords. Otherwise, I will be forced to counter your playing with repeated loud karaoke verses of "I Will Survive."

To my little brother, please stop taking 6:30am shifts on Fridays. It sucks to drive you out.

To all my good friends, thanks for being there for me. You always seem to be there whenever I need a ear to bend, or a shoulder to cry on, or a face to bitch at.

To my roommates, please stop making me feel stupid. It hurts. I will try to do the same for you.

There, I think I have cleared my slate for the time being. Expect another post tonight. I am Victoria-bound, and will probably be in a state by the end of the evening.

In the meantime,

Toodles!

Good grief!

My god is it foggy tonight! I stepped out of my apartment building, and my car was parked right in front of the building, about 15 feet from the door, and I could barely see it. The streetlamps can't even get through it.

It has been kinda disgusting all day here. Apparently the ash from Mt. St. Helens worked its way up here, which would explain the burning smell in the air and the fact that some fog banks were white (like normal fog) and some were gray (like ash).

We shall see what tomorrow brings!

Sometimes you just gotta shake it...

My, what a busy weekend! I'm exhausted, but I had a lot of fun.

My co-worker and friend Jen got married on Saturday, and the reception afterward was fantastic. I have haven't danced that much or had soo much fun in a long time. And I have the pictures to prove it. ;-)

I had dinner and a chat with hy good friend Sam, and got a pretty darned good essay written on short order with her assistance.

Finally, I did something really reckless today. I picked up a hitchhiker on my way to Nanaimo. I don't know why, he looked totally normal, and we had a perfectly respectable conversation. I probably won't ever do it again, but it was kinda a thrill in a bizarre way. I think I didn't feel threatened because he was about my age. I dunno.

Anyways, I shall try and stay on top of my posting this week, after letting all of you down last week. I know that everyone's world revolves around my blog.

In the words of my boss:

CIAO FOR NOW!

Weddings

To my faithful readers (thanks Sam!),

The wedding I write about is a co-workers' wedding, not mine, just for clarification.

;-)

You owe me $80, you narrow-minded bigot!

I hate my classmates.

I was reading merrily along in my Media Studies textbook this afternoon, and I turned the page and what do I see?

FAGGOT

JEW

NIGGER

and then the anarchy symbol, scribbled across two facing pages. And there are pages ripped out of the book after that. ASS HOLES! Every single one of them.

I bought that text new in September, and it was $80 dollars. That's 80 bones I don't have right now, so I am going to photocopy the affected and missing pages, and then I am going to have to keep that book, knowing the full while that it has this hate crap written in it.

In the meantime, I have to meet with my Instructor and the Human Rights Office at the school so that the class can attend a lecture on why this is bad.

Ass holes, every single one of them.

Music decided!

The blushin bride JUST called me, and now I can practice in a focused fashion. YAY!

Weddings, papers, articles, readings... AHHH!!!!

Too much happening this week.

Last week I didn't have ANY reading at all for schoo, and I got lulled into a false sense of complacency. Now, all of a sudden I have a paper (2000 words) and an article (400 words) due on Tuesday next week, neither of which I have started. Add a presentation for History due next Thursday, and things start to look a little hectic. Now add a wedding, and a bride who hasn't told me what she is walking down the aisle to, so I can't practice as efficiently as I would want to.

AHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

White walls and smile cookies

So, I spent all day doing very little, but had a very good day doing very little. I tackled my room with vigor, as I am tired of the way it looks, and right now I am focusing on me as a priority.

I live in building that was built in 1992, so it is modern, and white. Everything is white. The walls, the trim, the edges of the window, the window frame, the shelf in the closet, the light switches, etc. I then had to buy furniture for my room (a bookshelf and a nightstand, which Samara will recognize) as I didn't have anything, so I bought white pressboard crap from Walmart, because I can't stand the fake wood grain they give to that pressboard furniture. And then I bought a white lamp for my room, which I should've thought through but didn't. Add to that the fact that the carpet is a revolting colour that the landlord calls "Dusty Rose" (I swear it is original), a person could just about hurl.

So anyways, I went to bed last night and read my book for a little while, then I set my book down on my ugly white nightstand, and there was an echo. I decided to fix that and warm up my space a little. My resolve was further hardened this morning when I woke up with a blinding headache due to the bright sun streaming throught my white blinds, and bouncing off the white walls. I decided to put up a few posters, but I needed tape. The weather was beautiful, so I decided to walk downtown to buy some tape (it is only about a 15 minute walk).

Well, my sister decided to join me on my walk, and and we meandered down the hill, back packs in tow, and window shopped for a little while. Off we went to Thrifty's and picked up some groceries for the week, and hauled them back up the hill. After all of that, I forgot to buy tape!

So here I sit in my white room, wishing that I had remembered to buy tape. However all was made well by a grand reckoning of all my files (which are a mess) and paying bills, and then a thorough organization of my closet. Finally, I finished off the day with a trip to return a video (3 days overdue!), and stopped at Tim Hortons, and ordered a smile cookie.

If any of you are near a Tim Hortons in the next few days, pick one up. They are delicious, and they donate all the profits to Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock.

Anyways, I must remember to buy tape. I think I'll stick a note in my English textbook and grab some at the school tomorrow.

G'Night!

There's nothing like a good nap

Good lord. After work today I drove up to Nanaimo, and I haven't had such a satisfying nap in a long time (not while I was driving, but once I got there)!

But now my sleep cycles are all messed up, and here I am at 11:30pm working on a blog entry. I think I will put a DVD in my laptop and go to bed.

more emotions

Well here I am. I just finished having coffee, dessert, and a great big long chat with a close friend. It's nice to be able to sit down and chat with someone. As I have said in my previous posts, I can't always talk to people about problems I am having in my life. BUt I have a few very close people that I can talk to about anything that bothers me without worrying about judgement or labelling.

But as I sit here, I find that I am being consumed by the same emotions that have been eating me up for the last few weeks. It just hits without warning.

However, in chatting with my friend, I realized that it is ok for me to go and talk to a counsellor at the school. I think that it could be really relieving to go and speak to someone impartial and neutral.

I think I will make an appointment for this coming week.

Here's to better emotional health!

The mountains are gone

Well, I am in a bit of a better spot that I was a few days ago. Still a little in the dumps, but otherwise doing alright.

The girl in my class (the 17 year old) is backing off a bit, and school is sort off churning along. I'm freaking exhausted, and as I sit here typing, the mountains I usually gaze at have disappeared in a shroud of mist.

Visibility is actually quite low, it is really strange. Anything far away is invisible: Harmac (the stinky mill) and highrise on the waterfront. How odd.

The root of all funks

That funk I wrote of is descending upon me once more. So I thought I would just come here and pour out my thoughts. Forgive me if I ramble.

I do actually know what causes these funks. For the first time in my life, I am actually attracted to a person because of who they are. Don't get me wrong, I have been attracted to people before, but it is usually physical and fleeting. However in this case I am attracted to the individual, not just one aspect of them.

But I could never approach this person, so therein lies the problem, the root of my funks. Whenever I think of this person I actually physically ache. My stomach turns, and I get distracted. Whenever I am around this person I get distracted, and flustered, and end up feeling like I am making a fool of myself. But being who I am, where I am, I don't really have an avenue for discussion with any peers. Most people I can talk to tend to make a big deal out of it, and I don't really like that.

Some of this comes down to self esteem issues, I'm sure. If I were more self-assured I could tell this person how I feel. Sure, the rewards would be uncalcuable if they felt the same way, but the potential for long-term damage is too high, and the risks too great.

We had an upper-level student come into our class today to outline the Student Services that are available to us on campus. Perhaps I should make an appointment with a counsellor...

I feel like my silence and inability to express my feelings is going to rip me apart.

I don't let people get to close, which isn't fair to them. It takes me a VERY long time to trust someone, and I shelter aspects of my personality, aspects of me, around different people. And it is exhausting. I always feel like I have to try so hard to fit into any social situation, and I worry that it looks like I am trying so hard. I have far more acquaintances than friends, and most of my social circle is at work, so I cannot be too open with myself.

The even more painful aspect of all of this is that I do it without even thinking about it. I can be having the shittiest day imaginable, and go to work or go for dinner, and there I am: always happy, always ready with a dry, witty remark from my uncomfortably large vocabulary, or an absolutely useless fact about nothing to fill the void. "Look everyone, Dave's here, and look at him work so hard! It's so awkward it's cute!"

I realize that this is not fair to the people I know, and part of me knows that they do not think that way, but that stupid, irrational part of my brain refuses to acknowledge it.

I think what it all boils down to is that I am tired of acting all the time, and tired of being lonely. All I want is somebody to love, and someone to love me, that kind of unspoken feeling that two individuals can share. I have never been able to have a relationship of any depth for one reason or another, and I think that it is starting weigh too heavy on my soul.

I should probable prepare myself to continue to be lonely for at least the next few years of my life.

Sickness, wiperblades, and dinner out

It has been far too long since my last update. I did travel down to Victoria this past weekend, but my brother was so violently ill that I couldn't stay at my parents place. I stayed with friends on Thursday (thanks Sam!) and my parents got me a hotel room for Friday night, which was totally unnecessary but oh so kind. The only kicker was I didn't have internet access all weekend. The hotel I was in was so quaint that it didn't even have a telephone in the room.

I have two new pairs of pants! Brown cords (so cozy for the coming Fall) and a hot pair of jeans from RW & Co. The only negative thing is I have to have both of them tailored. It makes me feel short when the tailor has to take off about 5 inches of fabric so I don't trip over myself all the time. However, unless there is some sort of genetic thing in my family I am unaware of, I won't be getting taller any time soon.

I nearly got myself into one of my funks this weekend. I was driving down on my own on Thursday, and it was piss-pouring rain the whole way, my wipers were making this terrible "BBERRRUUUUPPPP!!!" noise on every pass, and I nearly died when I hit an invisible puddle at 90km/h and hydroplaned through the damn thing. It took me 2 1/2 hours to get there, but I eventually arrived at my friends house in Victoria, and I was in a foul mood at that point. But the strangest things can change a mood very quickly.

There was a note on their door telling me to join them at a nearby restaurant. It was close enough to walk, so I did. The rain had stopped, and I walked down the street, with crisp fresh fall air blowing gently, to meet my friends, and within minutes I had forgotten my troubles. We had a fantastic dinner, I met a great person, and we played a cool cardgame for a couple of hours before packing it in for the night.

There you go, my weekend in a nutshell!

Get out of my group!

School has been pretty frustrating this week. We got assigned to our Groups in my history class, and I had a really good group until this guy joined the class late and got slapped in our group because we were the smallest.

After class, the prof gave us a few minutes to get to know our group (We need to meet with the prof next week, and she wants us to arrive relatively prepared) and this dude is all like "What the fuck is the teacher talking about? I don't fuckin' understand any of this fuckin' shit. Like, what the fuck does she want?"

I only have one thing to say to this guy: "Get the FUCK out of my group!" We all get along just fine, except for this one downer. Don't get me wrong, I do swear, it's part of being human. But he said "fuck" about 15 times in 2 minutes. Personally, I find that a little excessive. Especially since he would understand what the prof was talking about if he arrived to class on time and actually read the course outline. This promises to be an interesting semester. We have three group projects, and I am NOT bailing his ass out.

And people say I'm judgemental!

Also, it has been raining here for two days straight. It could stop anytime now. I know I wrote about "coffee, coziness and rain," but enough is enough. It just stopped a few minutes ago.

Anyways, I am off to the mall to spend money I don't have (Ah, VISA and Student Loans) on stuff that I need.

Cheers for now!

Coffee, coziness, and rain

What a scholarly morning! I had my first Media Studies lab, and am off to a good start. All we had to do was create our Mal-U student accounts, create an email account and send an email to our instructor. Well, I already had my student account created, and I already have a Hotmail address, so I all I had to do was send an email to the instructor. In and out in 25 minutes.

But here I sit in my bedroom, the rain falling on the roof and blowing against my window, I have a cup of coffee, and the apartment is really cozy. I'm feeling pretty good right now. I have English in an hour, and I don't want to leave the apartment! Not that I don't like English, I just like staring at and listening to the rain. Not to mention the drivers who keep sliding out of control on the sharp corner below my window. Does that make me sadistic?

Anyways, I am going to go back to enjoying the rain (and the accidents! *insert evil laugh here*)

When it comes together, it really all comes together!

Its official, I am out of my funk!

I got up this morning, and the sun was shining, I watched a Woody Allen movie that happened to be on Bravo, and then went ballistic on the apartment. You could eat off the ceiling if you had to!

To boot, today RW & Co is having a sale, (20% off last ticketed price with online coupon), and I happen to have a store credit there. So I am off to Woodgrove to get some stylish new threads for next week. Look out Mal-U!

So, when it all comes together (Woody Allen, the sun shining, a sale at the mall, and the desire to clean) it really all comes together.

Hope you have as great a day as I plan to!

Music makes the people come together...

Good evening to you all. I'm back in Nanaimo now after two days at my job. It feels very odd to go from full-time in a job to part-time, going to work and seeing your replacement sitting in YOUR desk. Of course it's his desk now, but it WAS mine as recently as 10 days ago. I guess a person could say I am experiencing a strange form of jealousy, but not really jealousy.

I really miss my friends. My social circle was at my job, and I have been pretty much disconnected from it, quite suddenly. I made the decision to go back to school in October of 2003, but I guess the reality of it all is just sinking in now. I only know a handful (literally 5) people up here in Nanaimo, which I am sure will change, but it is a strange city to me full of strange faces. If I want to talk to someone I know, I need to either rendevouz with them on MSN, or else make a long distance phone call, which isn't the same as a heart-to-heart good-times chat in person.

I just heard from a friend that I haven't seen in months though, which was nice. She lives in Vancouver and is at UBC right now, and getting to Vancouver from Nanaimo is a snap (and relatively cheap too!). The other good thing is that I ran into a friend at the school that I grew up with (she lived across the street) and I haven't seen her for a VERY long time, so we are going to hook up again, which is really neat.

I think that it is this weird jealousy/loneliness that got me into the funk I was in when I wrote my last blog. The reality of the unfamiliar has finally sunk in, and increased my sensitivity to the world.

I think I'll have to take my own advice and remember to smile. And if you see a a guy sulking at school tomorrow, give him a wave!

Sitting in my little room...working on something good...

I'm sitting in my little room (in Victoria), listening to the White Stripes. A lot of their music is annoying, but no matter what mood I am in their song "Little Room" is pretty much guaranteed to make me smile.

I don't know why this happens to me, but every now and then I manage to work myself into this strange little funk, where I get really depressed and easily annoyed. I don't have the foggiest idea what causes it, but I get pretty stupid. I just start to feel annoyed with every little thing around me. And I have managed to work myself into that funk this evening.

Why, you might ask? I wish I could answer. I don't really want to be here right now, my little room in Victoria is a wreck right now, my house is cold, my brother is being an ass, my mother is being pushy, and I want my own bed back! I never thought I could yearn so much for the Hub City. But I guess anything is possible.

How depressing...

See? There I go! Let the funk begin!

I'm gonna go to bed before I sink any lower!!

AAAAGGGGHHHH!!!!

One more year!

Well, Mal-U has been more than doubling the size of their library over the summer, and it was supposed to be done for Sept. 1. Then the date got pushed back to Oct. 1. Then, I was reading The Navigator (the student paper), which announced that the Ministry of Advanced Education found $1.7 million to put toward the project, and Mal-U found more money, so they are adding an entire floor!! Now, the completion date has been pushed back to April 2005!

Don't get me wrong, I am all for bettering education, but the libaray is in a state of total chaos right now. And they will be moving all the collections into the new half of the building right in the middle of research papers!

Couldn't the government have found the money initially? I guess it is just one of those things, sort of a double edged sword. The good thing is that the library will be fantastic once they are done. I better do most of my research online!

HBC, NWC, XYC... ABC 123

History! The fundamental facts on which our very country is based on. Colonialism, the Fur Trade, the Timber Trade, the American Revolution, the War of 1812. I had no idea that a person could absorb as much information as I have at my History lecture this morning. The Hudson's Bay Company, the North West Company, the XY Company. And that is just the fur trade!

I must say that the way university teaches a person has got to be the best method I have ever experienced. I mean you read something, make some key notes, and then go to a lecture. It is actually pretty clever. Between reading the text, talking about it in class, making lecture notes, and then working on a research paper, a person ends up handling/processing that information at least 4 times! That is pretty impressive. Almost sneaky. But then again, we are paying to learn, so I aint complaining.

The sun is shining, it's a beautiful day, and I am headed down to Victoria this weekend to work (and see all my friends, which coincidentally are all at work). You are looking at one happy blogger!

Stay tuned for more observations from school in the Hub City!

Here comes my heart attack...

Well, here I sit broken hearted... paid my tuition and only...

Just kidding! School has sprung! Students have been milling around campus, staring intently at their schedules. In the few short days since school has started, I have been introduced to many aspects of school. I have had school food (not bad, considering the Culinary Arts kids started this week), I have met a lot of interesting people, a few rude people, had a school computer crash on me and lose my work, there is a girl with a fairly obvious crush on me, and the coup de gras: I have been almost late for class because of parking. Hence the heart attack.

You must understand that the school I got to (Malaspina) is on the side of a small mountain, and has extremely limited parking. It isn't as bad as I have heard other schools to be, but it isn't great either. I had an 11:30am class, and I left at 11am in my car. The school is three minutes away. I ended parking at the geographically furthest location from my class.

Mal-U has three levels on the mountain: Buildings in the 100 series are at the bottom, 200 in the middle, and 300 on top. My class was on the top floor of Bldg 345, and I was parked next to Bldg 120. And I had ten minutes left before class started. I'll let you readers do the math on that one.

Needless to say I made it with about 30 seconds to spare before the instructor came in. However, the moral of the story is... Walk, carpool, or leave SUPER early.

I'm new to this blogging thing, so here I go blathering on...

Remember everyone... A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and the planet is only as cheerful as its dimmest smile. So smile and wave at a stranger!