Back in the 'loo. To greet me upon my return was a lovely almost-metre high pile of snow completely obscuring the entrance to our driveway and mailbag full of flyers and bills.
Love you too.
Tonight shall be fun though. The dress which consumed my last three days of vacation is done and champagne and party treats await me.
[ 29.12.00 9:08 AM | link ]
It has been awhile, hasn't it ... Let's see, to catch you all up, here's a brief rundown of the things I've been doing the past few days:
- sewing my dress for New Year's - it's been way too long since I've sewn anything, probably close to two or three years now, so it's taking me longer than it should.
- trying to play with the Sims - those people! You'd think they could go to the bathroom without me telling them to go!
- doing the requisite shopping, although I haven't found much that I am interested in. I can't really enjoy shopping with all the crowds.
- watching a whole bunch of movies, as is my custom whenever I come home.
- and of course, stuffing my face with all the christmas goodies. Which makes the timing of the gym membership all that much better.
[ 25.12.00 6:27 PM | link ]
Something cute at Christmas time ...
We put up our tree a week or so ago, and immediately our cats started crawling under it, as if they had found their second home. Maybe it's because they were born in the wild, I do not know. Whatever the case, they do love our tree. Of course they have to duck quite low to get under the branches. You see, when we first got our cats, they decided that the tree was as good a hiding place as they could find, all tucked in the corner and filled with presents to hide behind.
And, of course, it was an even *better* hiding place once they figured out that
the higher they went, the better they could see everything. So they spent
pretty much the entire Christmas sitting in the tree. Hence, the bottom layers
of the tree have a very noticable downward curve in them from hours of
supporting the weight of our cats. And try as we might, we just can't seem to
bend them back to the right angle now.
Although they are too big now to sit in the tree, as I mentioned they do still like to hide under it as soon as it makes its appearance. At least they don't "open" the presents like my rabbit used to ...
[ 24.12.00 11:12 PM | link ]
Okay, I know I'm early with this, but Christmas day is always a big run-around in my house, what with celebrating it at two houses, so I didn't know if I would get a chance to say this by a decent time tomorrow:
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
love, spike
[ 23.12.00 11:07 PM | link ]
Interesting moment at the bookstore tonight: we were browsing, basically just wasting time, when we strolled by the self help and sexuality section. We paused for a moment and a lady started talking to us out of the blue about the "absolute best book ever", something "really deep and powerful". Uh huh. She was speaking as though it had absolutely transformed her sex life into something mystical. She even found it for us among all the sexuality books. Of course we ended up spending the next half hour talking with her, she was actually pretty interesting. She kept saying "I can't believe I'm talking to three strangers about this", but yet she never stopped talking, and she was the one who broached the subject.
I think that was the high of today. Random lady talking to us amonst the sex books. It was just so very unexpected.
[ 9:02 AM | link ]I just wanted to clarify something for a second: often times I write with a somewhat playful edge, which may not translate well into print. You, my ever-faithful readers, cannot see the smile that is on my face as I write these posts, but believe me, it is there.
For example, when I called my cats tuna-stealing little scroundrels it was all meant in fun. So please forgive me my little furballs. link
[ 22.12.00 6:40 PM | link ]
I *swear* my cats are psychic or something. The moment the thought of opening a can of tuna enters my mind, they are at my feet, bouncing off my legs and purring wildly. I haven't even taken the can out of the cupboard yet, never mind opened it, and there they are, sucking up to me for a plateful. Heaven forbid I try to have some without sharing with them. My mother gives up half the can every time she opens one.
Tuna-stealing little scoundrels.
[ 20.12.00 5:03 PM | link ]
We have a little game we play here at the crackhouse: high-low. It's pretty simple: name the high point and low point of your day. The low point of today is easy: I full out walked into a pole. I saw the pole, my brain registered that I would have to duck to get under it, I ducked - obviously not enough - and ended up getting beaned across the bridge of my nose. I even have the little cuts to prove it. Stupid, I know. You see, I was taking a short cut to school and there was this fence where the mesh had been ripped out but the frame remained. It was the top of the frame that I walked into. But I have an excuse for my apparent lack of common sense. I blame the cold weather. If it hadn't been so cold, my hat wouldn't have been pulled so low over my eyes and I would have ducked enough to clear the pole.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
[ 9:36 AM | link ]I guess I fulfilled that stereotypical "get in shape" New Year's resolution a bit early this year - I joined a gym yesterday. The funny thing is, since I joined this gym, I no longer really have the money to get the bus pass to get to work, so I'll be walking the 40 minutes instead, which of course really means I don't need to go to the gym since I'll be getting all that exerceise walking ... somewhat of a catch-22 situation.
But really, it's the first thing I've done *early* in a long time, so I think I should be proud of myself :) I'm one of those people who leaves everything to the last minute - except Christmas shopping because I can't stand the malls at this time of year.
[ 19.12.00 12:17 AM | link ]
Here we go: somniphobia - the fear of sleep.
I think that shall become my new current word.
[ 18.12.00 8:07 PM | link ]
If you saw a truck that said RENT MEAT would you not be worried? I mean this has nothing to do with my quasi-vegetarianism or anything, it's just that I don't think that meat is really something that one should rent out, for health reasons and all and - what? put on my glasses? okay, but I don't know what that has to do with ... oh ... I see ... the truck says RENT ME *AT* ... hmm, I didn't see that space between the E and A ...
oops.
[ 6:06 PM | link ]
Okay, I must admit that I was kinda intrigued by the
iMac
when it first came out. It was nice to finally have some colour in the land
of computers. And I suppose it was inevitable that the candy coloured
computing idea would extend beyond just Apple. They do say that imitation is
the sincerest form of flattery, do they not? So when cell phones, pagers, cd
players, and other assorted electronics started popping up in these fresh new
colours, it wasn't a huge surprise.
When the idea extends into household appliances however, I think it's time that someone should take a step back and rethink some things. The picture shows the purple colour, but I do believe I also saw yellow, green, and blue when I first spotted this item this weekend. And yes, they are transparent just like the iMac.
[ 17.12.00 10:37 PM | link ]
Oh my - the day started so good but ended on a sour note.
I got to sleep in - very good. I caught a basketball game with my brother - very good, although the Raptors lost - not so good. We decorated the tree at my house - good.
The drive back to Waterloo was windy and snowy - not good. I forgot my toothbrush at home - not good. I just checked the level of our oil tank and we've gone through about $140 of oil in 2 weeks - very bad.
This is going to be an expensive winter.
[ 9:59 AM | link ]You quickly find out who is the master and who is the servant when you go out in just-above-freezing rain to dig a 20 foot path path in snow almost 2 feet deep so your cat can go sit by his favourite tree.
Really, I'm not that whipped by a little ball of fur. He would have driven us to the brink of insanity with his constant crying if I didn't.
[ 16.12.00 9:32 AM | link ]
Sorry postings have been so sporadic the last few days. I'm back at home (homehome) 'til Sunday and I have to contend with my mother's computer (dial-in access with a 28.8 modem), rather than mine (cable access). I feel guilty roaming the web while tying up the phone line, plus it costs her money for every minute I'm on here, so I'm trying to limit my time. Which of course translates into no blogging for me.
[ 14.12.00 2:36 PM | link ]
I swear that the clock in our living room chimed 10 o'clock three times this morning.
The first time I convinced myself that I had just heard it wrong, because there was no way that I had already been asleep for 3 hours. The second time I entertained the idea that it might actually be 10 o'clock, but I was so tired that I didn't care that I should be getting up (my friend was supposed to call me at 10). The third time I actually managed to drag myself out of bed, curious about whether or not our clock was stuck on 10 - it did get stuck on 3 once. After checking both my watch and the kitchen clock, I confirmed it was indeed 10 and upon closer inspection, the living room clock was ticking properly on it's way to 11. But I still maintain that it chimed 10 o'clock three times.
I had the opportunity last night to write the exam that was snowed out on tuesday. I made my way from Mississauga to Waterloo, wrote the exam and then headed back here at about 10:30. It normally takes about 45 minutes to drive the distance, but with all the blowing snow I didn't end up making it back here until midnight. The only fun(?) thing about driving back last night in the snow storm was that I didn't have to worry about staying in the lines because with the blowing snow I couldn't see them at all. In the end it didn't matter because there really wasn't anyone else on the road to care.
So, now I am off to get ready for my trip downtown to catch Chantal Kreviazuk in concert.
[ 12.12.00 4:45 PM | link ]
Not too long after my last posting I got this e-mail:
Subject: exams and snow...(re: blog)
At least:- you didn't have your last exam today, like some of us
- you don't live 12 hours away and now have your schedule completely fucked up
- get up at 6:15, dig your way out of a snow bank, go pick up your friend for school, completely go to the wrong house and drive around for half an hour, get to school and find out that exams are cancelled
But really, my rant of this morning was for all students caught up in this mess, not just for those living in the crackhouse.
[ 8:33 AM | link ]And of course, since I didn't have a chance to drop off my tuition cheque for next term because I was sick yesterday and tuition fees are due tomorrow and I am going home tonight ... well, this means that I still have to trudge to school today to drop off the cheque so I do not incur any late fees.
[ 8:19 AM | link ]FUCK!! Because of the snow that fell yesterday, the University has been closed ... which means that the final I was supposed to write *TODAY* has been moved all the way back to the 22nd!! This makes me incredibly unhappy.
The stupid thing is, there really isn't that much snow!!! Yesterday, while it looked like a blizzard because of the blowing snow and driving was next to impossible, they said exams that night were still on. But now that the snow is accumulated on the ground and it really isn't that bad, the day of exams is cancelled. Grr ...
Ooh ...I feel sorry for poor Brad , who woke up at 6:00 this morning to get ready for his exams ... but I do believe he is safely back in bed. At least I'll have company on the 22nd ..
[ 11.12.00 10:16 PM | link ]
Even though I missed out on studying today, I'm feeling pretty good about the final tomorrow. Either that, or I am beyond all caring.
Really, I'm just hoping that whatever was making me sick today does not make a repeat appearance tomorrow. *That* would be a bad thing. And by 7:00pm tomorrow night, I will be on my way home for a few days break from studying and school. Time to do a little Christmas shopping, rent a few movies, take in a Raptors game, see my kittens, maybe work on some writing. Maybe that's really what I'm feeling good about.
[ 4:40 PM | link ]It's just my luck to get sick today, the day before my hardest final. Sure, I've been fighting a cold for the last week, making studying in the library a bit of fun (no sound echos as much in a library as the sound of someone blowing their nose), but it's basically gone now and at least it didn't really interefere with my studying or the actual writing of my exams.
Today, I woke up determined to put in a good, hard day studying for my C&O exam tomorrow. By 9:30, I had finished my shower, gotten dressed and was just giving Monte his medicine when it hit me: a dizzy feeling and the nausea that accompanies it. Not a good way to start the studying momentum. In fact, the studying momentum was killed as I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon either sleeping, wimpering in pain with my garbage can within arms reach of my bed just in case I couldn't make it to the bathroom in time, or in the bathroom bonding with the toilet.
Grrr. I don't like being sick, but I really *hate* throwing up.
[ 9.12.00 12:36 PM | link ]
Seriously now, does anyone, *anyone* at all out there have any hints on how to cure my sleeplessness? Warm milk? Herbal Tea? Anything? It's been off and on (mostly on) for about six months now and I can't think of a reason why it would go on so long. It doesn't seem to matter which bed I sleep in. I can't think it's the temperature, since we've gone from summer to winter and it's been the same all along. I never drink coffee and don't drink caffinated beverages on a regular basis. The times when I do sleep through the night, there really isn't anything different except the fact that I have slept through the night.
Everything I've read gives hints on how to help yourself fall alseep, but that's not my problem. I can fall asleep quite easily; my problem is staying asleep. When I wake up in the night, I can fall asleep again fairly quickly, it's just the waking up multiple times a night that I have an issue with. Someone out there in the great land of the internet must have a hint for me.
And I won't try sleeping pills, so please don't suggest it. I'm looking for a natural remedy here.
[ 8.12.00 9:00 PM | link ]
well, lookie here... no sooner do I finish posting my last blog entry and I come across this. I think Patti says it much better than I did ...
[ 7:40 PM | link ]I was thinking today about all the blogs and other sites that I read each day, and specifically what it would be like to meet the people behind the words. I must admit, I was very jealous of Nick a few months ago because he had the opportunity to go to fray day 4 and had a chance to meet Halcyon, Derek, Heather and a whole bunch of other fun people behind the sites I read. But after careful contemplation, I realized that I generally try *not* to meet people who I read online. I think it's partly because I don't want to ruin the image I have of them in my head that is inevitably formed when reading their words. What if they aren't as entertaining in person as they seem online? What if they aren't even nice in person? What if I come across as a complete dweeb?
Which leads me to wonder, am I as entertaining in person? (This assumes you think I am at least somewhat entertaining online. If not, then why are you reading this at all?) I think I'm probably not as entertaining in person, only because online I am less inhibited in what I say. In person I think I am much quieter. I don't share much of myself. I'd be even less inhibited in what I said online, except for the fact that a large number of my close friends also read this site, so it probably wouldn't be in my best interests to completely let loose. Could be fun, but I think a few of them have come across enough surprises through the things I share on this site to last them quite a while.
(Hmm, I had more to say, but now ... I don't know. I had this whole blog written in my head on my way home tonight, but somewhere between the front door and the computer, half of it got lost. I don't even know what got me thinking about all of this ... I must be studying too hard)
[ 7.12.00 10:22 PM | link ]
** warning: introspective piece ahead. read at your own risk **
Brad thinks I'm going through an identity crisis because I don't like my hair cut. I'm not sure I would really call it an identity crisis. And it's not just the hair, it's a whole bunch of things. True, I'm not sure I like the hair cut, only because I don't think I look like *me*. I pass by mirrors and I think, that's not what I look like. But it's also school. I'm feeling particularly lost this term. I feel like I don't belong in math, and I have to keep convincing myself to make it through the next two terms. I'm not quite sure what I'd do instead though. Also, I'm getting the impression that I am viewed very differently by various people - aparently, half my friends can't decide if they like me because they don't know what to think of me. Interesting, no? Depressing, yes. Am I really so complex? Makes me want to stay at home and be an antisocial troll.
Plus, I'm having my regular end of term jitters. I am really not a big fan of change. I hate that my friends leave every four months. Or that you make friendships on work term, and then when you come back to school the friendship dissolves, making you wonder if there was anything there in the first place. It hurts sometimes. I no longer like living my life four months at a time - you can never really make any plans because you don't know where you will be the following term. Relationships are hard to start because once you are halfway through the term, people begin to think there isn't enough time to start anything before you both go off on work term.
I wish I could just sleep through these next 4 weeks until all the dust has settled.
[ 6.12.00 8:56 PM | link ]
I know these aren't good, but I'm tired of looking at them in my stories folder, so here they are: Street , Traffic , and Follow Your Heart . The first two are actually much older than they say; they were originally on paper and I couldn't remember when I wrote them, so I put them in under the month when I typed them in to the computer.
Soon I will have some good ones for you. I just have to make it through finals first.
[ 5.12.00 8:42 AM | link ]
Classes finally ended yesterday and now I'm getting antsy for finals to be done too. I want this term over!! This, I think, has been my worst term ever, except for maybe my very first term of university. I don't know if I'm just getting sick of school in general, math in particular, or if I really just had bad classes this term, but univerity is no longer *fun* for me. I used to like going to classes and now I dread it. I used to actually make an effort at paying attention in class, while this was the term that I skipped the most classes of all. The ones I went to I did crosswords in half of them.
In addition, we are coming up to my historically least favourite season of all, Christmas. Last year was an exception, but most years I dread this season. Too much false happiness and commercialism. But I don't like being the Grinch so, I guess I just gotta put on my happy face.
[ 1.12.00 1:50 PM | link ]
Look ma ...
|
... no hair!
|
After too long with shoulder-ish length hair, I went and got it chopped off today. And except for the fact that she nearly burned my head blow-drying my hair, it turned out quite nicely. I think it'll be fun. I'm a little worried that this might be a high-maintenance haircut though. And I am anything but a high-maintenance person.