Just to preface this, I'm one of those people who doesn't put a great amount of significance into birthdays, Christmas, and other assorted holidays, including New Year's. I guess I'm just a believer in the idea that one day isn't really any more or less special than the other three hundred and sixty four or so.
There. I said it. So what's the big deal you ask? It is this - since this is our last year at University, everyone is putting this huge emphasis on "going out with a bang." Cool idea. I want this year to be memorable too. But here's my question: why is this year more memorable than any of the last four? Were the last four just a practive run for this one? If so, what's the rest for?
Of course this all came about because of New Year's plans that are being hatched. A big adventure to Montreal for drinking and other fun. And of course the hook is "this is the last New Year's we'll all be together". You almost had me .. until that line. True, this is the last New Year's we'll all be together. Today is also the last November 30th that we will all be together. And tomorrow the last December 1st that we will all be together.
I guess I just think every day should count, not just the ones that the manufacturer marked for you on your calendar.
(Jeez, I'm begining to sound like a Hallmark card or one of those motivational slogans.)
What I really want to get at is, why can't we have that kind of "togetherness" more often than once or twice a year? (still sounding like Hallmark ... )
Here's an idea closer to the point. Sometime around second year, we started a weekly breakfast on campus. At the height of the event, we had something like twenty-two people there. Most weeks it was closer to twelve or sixteen, but it was still a large turnout. By last fall I think it was down to around four.
This past summer, since the breakfast place was closed for the term, we started a new weekly meet for cheap beer and food (all students need cheap food). For a while it was a good turnout, maybe around eight to ten people, which is good considering half our friends were out of town on work terms. Now, only three of us show up.
It wasn't, and isn't, the food I go for. It's to see my friends.
I guess it all boils down to one question and comment - if people are so concerned about this being our last year together and so hyped about spending this quality time together, why is it that no one is spending that daily or weekly time together? Why is it all about the one night?
I guess, if I was made to choose, I'd rather spend the weekly hour with my friends than the one night drunk off my ass. That, to me, would be a "bang". A year full of memories, not a story to tell about how wasted whoever was. I'm not saying Montreal won't be fun. I just don't think it's the bang it's cracked up to be.
[ 28.11.01 7:28 PM | heartless I tell you ]
Strange thoughts that come to me as I am falling asleep sometimes ....
If you think about it, the pill is one of the meanest tricks you can play on your body. I mean, the whole premise behind the pill is that your body thinks it is pregnant, therefore you can't get pregnant "again". But of course, unless you are on one of those gradual pills or you choose to never take the sugar pills, at some point your body realizes it isn't pregnant. Then you start taking the active pills again and the whole vicious cycle is repeated.ah hah, you're pregnant ... nope, just kiddding! .. oops, pregnant ... not pregnant .... pregnant again ... just kidding! not preggers! ...
Can you not see the turmoil it creates?!? Poor defenseless little body, tricked into thinking you have its best interests at heart when all you are doing is serving your *own* best interests.
Maybe I should start drinking warm milk at night to speed up the transition from awake to asleep.
[ 27.11.01 1:10 PM | the kitten will do just fine today ]
It always starts so innocently, doesn't it? One person makes an off-the-cuff comment that they aren't feeling too well, the next day half your coworkers are sick.
I am going home now to cuddle up with the cat and hope this passes. Bleh.
[ 26.11.01 10:11 PM | slavedriver ]
oooowwww.
There are both benefits and drawbacks to working with someone who teaches at a fitness club on the side. On the one hand, we get a free fitness workout. On the other hand, with only three people in the "class" she pushes you a little harder than normal. I was doing fine until we got to the walking lunges. Even then I figured with my half hour walk to and from work it should be no problem. Hoo boy. There are muscles in my legs that, until now, I thought were only rumoured to exist.
Now if I could only find my abs. I know they're there somewhere.
[ 7:06 AM | that zany Bucky Katt ]I think this shall be my new phrase - "Oh, like fun you're not."
[ 25.11.01 5:10 PM | I'll make someone a good little wifey ]
I fear I am becoming domesticated in my old age (I am, after all, only a few months from my 24th birthday). In September I went to a Pampered Chef party, mostly just because it was being thrown by someone at work and I was told they gave you good free food. I came away with a chopper, a peeler, a masher, a handy measurer and a few other assorted gadgets, after telling myself I wouldn't buy anything. This afternoon it was a House of Lloyd party. I thought maybe I could pick up a Christmas gift or two and that's all. How wrong I was. So many things to buy, so little money. I managed to hold myself to only a few items (some were half price). None of the items were really suitable for Christmas gifts though. Oh well. :)
I think I'll work on cooking next. After all, if I'm going to become domesticated I might as well do it well.
[ 23.11.01 7:45 AM | bohemian like you ]
Song that has been stuck in my head for four months: Bohemian like you - Dandy Warhols.
its you that i want so please
just a casual casual easy thing
is it, it is for me
and i like you
yeh i like you
i like you
i like you
[ 22.11.01 11:12 PM | not the tub this time ]
I now have a kitty who is soaking wet and I don't know why. I think Derik would have said something had she taken a dip in his fishtank and I heard no "DOWN!!" screams to suggest this was a result of the spray bottle. Therefore I have to go with the only guess left.
It's not like she hasn't fallen in before.
[ 10:52 PM | you could already be a winner ]Sometimes I wish I could trace spam and other junk mail back to the source, just so I know who to avoid in the future. I tried doing that with spam by changing the email address I used when I was forced to enter one, using the site name as the address, but I soon lost track of what names I had put in, and nothing much came of it anyway.
We've only been living at our current address for a little less than three months now and I have very few things come to this address. The Bell bill is really the only snail mail I receive, so I was a little surprised to come home tonight and find a pre-approved loan for a minimum of $5000 sitting on the table for me.
I don't think it's Bell unless they have only recently started selling their lists since I've never seen one before. I can't think that it's the Cambridge Humane Society since junk mail is far from humane. I have no other guesses. I just want to know where it came from, that's all. Is that so wrong?
[ 11:36 AM | big brother ]As someone who dislikes the smell of cigarette smoke as much as the next guy, even I think this is going a bit far: County law targets smoking at home
Essentially you would not be allowed to smoke outside your house or even inside your own home if that smell could be detected by someone in their home. Nuts. I was glad when bars here in the the 'loo went smoke free, and when the university set up smoking and non-smoking entrances to buildings (not that anyone seems to obey those) but I do think a bill such as this would be going a bit far.
Reminds me of this humourous little article in the MathNEWS this past summer: Campus once again safe, thanks to new smoking regulations
[ 21.11.01 7:18 PM | zoom zoom ]
What do you do when you see a grown man riding a scooter around inside your office building?
The first time he went by I thought he was just joking around, but after seeing him zip by several more times over the course of the day I began to think that he was pretty serious about the idea. It's not like our building is very big. Now, if I worked for RIM, it would be a different story. The company is so big, they are actually splitting the company Christmas party into two: A to L and M to Z.
As for the man on the scooter, I think I'll just chalk it up to a mid-life crisis.[ 20.11.01 10:28 PM | all growed up ]
I thought my kitten was just really excited about the snow this morning when she woke me up at 5am. She seemed so eager to go outside. And it was her first snowfall after all.
I thought she was just lonely when she cried out on Sunday, since two of my three roommates were gone for the weekend and she had less people to amuse her.
But no.
She's in heat.Yes, my little girl is growing up and driving us all nuts with her constant meowing. I thought I had at least another month and a bit before I had to get her fixed, but it looks like she'll be getting an early Christmas present from the spaying fairy.
[ 18.11.01 2:00 PM | i tried. i did ]
I set my alarm for 4:40 this morning so I could get up and watch the meteor shower. When I woke up at about 7:40 it was still set. I even double checked to make sure I had set it for AM and not PM. It just decided not to go off I guess.
And it was such a clear night too. It would have been an awesome sight.
[ 17.11.01 7:03 PM | contains mature subject matter ]
Off Centre. Funny stuff. 'Nuff said.
[ 11:05 AM | subway tag ]I caught the end of this ad on tv and laughed out loud. Why you ask? Because of this.
p.s. I recommend the Real Player version. It didn't stop and start like the Media Player version did.
[ 10:43 AM | fish tales ]I was all alone last night, so I finished up fish tales. I'm getting much better at finishing stories that I've started recently - this one was only about a week I think. Of course this means that the ones that I started months ago are just getting older and older. But maybe in this writing frenzy* I seem to be having I might just finish them up.
*in my world, four writings in five days counts as a frenzy
[ 16.11.01 7:30 AM | a cucumber wrapped in tinfoil?? ]
It may please some of our friends to know that pants that put the focus on the "package" are apparently going to be the next best thing - "The bulge has become the fashion statement of the season". God help women everywhere.
[ 7:14 AM | twinkle twinkle little star ]One of my strongest camping memories is lying on some rocks watching the Perseid metor shower in 1994. It was amazing the number of metors we saw - one moment there were none and then all of a sudden the sky just lit up with them and didn't stop.
Both Brad and I saw a lone shooting star on our way back from our aborted Bomber trip Wednesday. Perhaps it was a prequel to this: Weekend meteor shower will dazzle with light. Of course since this event is occurring at 5a.m. Sunday, I'm not sure I'll be awake to see the show. Unless I have a very good Saturday night.
[ 15.11.01 7:58 PM | kitten doesn't cut it this time ]
Today is one of those days I really wish I had someone I could just curl up with.
[ 4:08 PM | the water closet ]Flashback from last night: Sitting in the loo in the SLC, when I hear the hand dryer start - knowing immediately that it is Brad. Exiting the stall to find Brad standing there, laughing because he could see my feet under the walls of the stall and somehow this amused him.
Of course the fact that he was in the woman's washroom didn't make it any less funny.
[ 12:01 PM | only the midgets ]Why is the water cooler spout only two feet off the ground? Are most peoples' arms only two feet off the ground?
[ 1:36 AM | no more ]Sometimes you blacklist a place after only one visit, sometimes it takes a few in order for you to really get upset. The "vegetarian" fast food place by the university was blacklisted after only one visit when they included chunks of meat in the vegetarian fondue. I keep saying the McDonalds on Columbia is out because of their exceptionally slow service (twenty minutes when I was the *only* customer) but really, there isn't another McDs around, so we end up there every once in a while.
The Bomber on campus is slowly making its way towards the blacklist. It began when they started making people wait outside, even though the bar was empty, just in order to make it look popular and busy. Tonight we waited over two hours to get in, even though it was not full. At least an hour of that was in the waiting area where they served alcohol. We didn't even make it past the waiting area, so after more than two hours, we left out of frustration. Aparently they weren't even sure at that point whether or not they were going to let more people in. Maybe it wasn't such a smart idea to let the manager go and hand over the business to four students to run.
[ 14.11.01 8:42 AM | matchmaker ]
How do you go about setting two people up? I'm not really good at this matchmaking thing. Hey, I can't even match up myself too well.
Brad (yes, he is one side of the match) is open to the idea of meeting new people I think. Terry has someone in mind, and now so do I. Unfortunately, the first time he meets the woman I have in mind is going to be at my work Christmas party where he will be acting as my date (and hopefully fending off a person or two for me). Yes, I have ulterior motives for bringing Brad to my work party, other than the fact that I enjoy his company. After all, he is smooth, so that's not my motive. But I invited him before this match popped into my mind. I guess since it is only a few weeks away, we'll just have to wait and see. No pressure.
[ 12.11.01 11:12 PM | that explains it ]
Brad pointed this out to me earlier in the evening: Maclean's: Universities 2001
The first thing that strikes you about students at the University of Waterloo is how quickly they walk: faster than parliamentary assistants, Bay Street business people or rush-hour commuters. Arms pumping, legs churning, they burn across the park-like campus as if surging towards some invisible finish line.
My friends have affectionately dubbed my walking pace "tracy speed". Walking times are calculated two ways: fast ("it'll take you about 15 minutes walking fast") and tracy speed ("it'll take you about 5 minutes walking tracy speed"). I think it's mostly just my long legs, but I do concede that I am no slow-poke when it comes to walking. And now it has all been explained in one short paragraph - I belong here because I walk fast.
[ 11.11.01 12:04 AM | three for the price of one ]
Today seemed to be a writing day: soundscapes, collections and Waking Life all made it online today.
The first two are just little things I've been playing around with, the third fell out of my head today (and yes, I know there is a movie with that title. It just fit nicely).
[ 9.11.01 8:01 PM | deb ni ]
It's strange what you find in your wallet when you clean it out. In this case, it's another fortune, bringing back memories of fun times during the summer: You are always welcome in any gathering.
[ 8.11.01 12:17 PM | i so need this ]
If I actually had an amazon wishlist, I think this book might make it on: How to Get Your Cat to Do What You Want.
I can admit that my cat pretty much has me wrapped around her little ... paw.
[ 7.11.01 2:09 PM | too funny ]
Passed around the documentation group today ...
PROGRAMMER'S DRINKING SONG
100 little bugs in the code,
100 bugs in the code,
fix one bug, compile it again,
101 little bugs in the code.
101 little bugs in the code.....
Repeat until BUGS = 0
[ 9:10 AM | ouch ]My poor poor little Monte. He has this uncanny ability to get his spikes stuck in his wheel every once in a while. I have no idea how he accomplishes this feat, but it's not an easy task to get them unstuck. Last summer I had to take apart his wheel in order to get him out he was so badly entangled. There is no way to get a quivering ball of spikes to calm down and stay put when he is attached to a huge metal wheel, so he lost a few spikes in his mad dashes to escape.
This morning was better - no loss of spikes - but he does now have two spikes that make a nice sharp ninety degree turn rather than sticking straight up.
[ 5.11.01 10:35 PM | 120 words per minute ]
Current conversation of the moment brought to you by the lovely world of techwr-l.
[ 3:21 PM | apples make you remember ]I need to improve my memory somehow. Yesterday we went food shopping. As we walked to the store I said I had to get two things: film and nailpolish remover. We stopped at the video store to pick up some afternoon entertainment, during which time I forgot what I needed at the grocery store. Brad kindly reminded me. As we entered the doors I repeated in my head what I needed. We split up as we walked through, Brad heading towards produce and me heading a few aisles over to health products. I paused briefly at the shampoo section then moved on.
Except I forgot what I had been looking for. I stood there, thinking and thinking, knowing that it had to be near this section somehow, but I could not remember what it was. Only two minutes had passed since we had entered the store. Head hung low, I trudged back to produce to ask Brad what I had been looking for then immediately returned to the health section before I could forget yet again.
As I sit here now, I have forgotten what I needed from the store tonight on my way home. One thing. Two hours since lunch when we talked about it, but I have absolutely no clue what it is.
With my luck, I'll be all tucked in bed tonight when I finally remember what it is.
Update - I had only gone as far as removing my shoes tonight when I remembered what it was, so I still had the good sense to stick them back on and go to the store before I could forget again. Then I repeated it as I walked to the store - sloppyjoessloppyjoessloppyjoessloppyjoessloppyjoessloppyjoes
[ 4.11.01 10:51 PM | needles galore ]
Since a few people asked for a preview of the ladybugs, and they're a little hard to show in person due to their location, here you go. The webcam doesn't give the best picture, but I gave it my best shot. I really have to get me one of those nifty digital cameras.
(And for a sneak peek at Nick's new piercing take a look at my current webcam pic.)
[ 6:47 PM | in bed ]Fortue cookie predicition from friday:You are the master of every situation.
[ 1.11.01 11:02 PM | freak show ]
My mother seemed less than thrilled when I told her about my soon-to-be tattoo. Funny, she took the first one so well.
Maybe she thinks I'm becoming the teenage rebel I never was - you know, that angsty time when all teenagers are supposed to be sullen and difficult and moody. I missed that by a few years, only hitting my stride when I was about eighteen. Of course I made up for lost time once I did hit it.
As for the body modifications, in my defence she did always say it was my body and I could do what I wanted with it. I guess two tattoos, a navel ring, and a peircing at the top of my ear (since removed) just aren't what she thought I would do with it.
The Story of the Tattoo
I came to Waterloo at the end of my OAC year to "check out the University" - a half-truth. I did want to check out UW and Western so I could make my decision. So one fine June day my friend and I piled into my car and made the trip to London to check out Western, then stopped on our way back to check out UW. Of course, we were also scheming to get tattoos, a fact we had neglected to mention when telling our parents about our plans for the trip. The entire time my friend went on and on about how her mother was going to kill her if she got another tattoo - both her parents had briefly stopped speaking to her after her first tattoo two years earlier. I wasn't worried about either of my parents, I was actually more worried about my brother, who had been adament about his dislike of tattoos. Regardless, we got the tattoos and made our way back home. I dropped her off at her door with a "good luck" and then headed a few streets over to my house. Where my mother was waiting for me outside our house. My first thought was that my friend's mom had found out and called my mother, but it turned out that she had come out looking for one of our cats or something. But I couldn't hold in my smile, so she knew something was up. I turned around, pulled aside the strap of my tank top and showed her the tattoo.
"Ooooo! That's nice!"
"Uh ... mom? ... it's real ..."
pause. "Oh." long pause. "Let me take another look at it."
On second glance she still thought it was nice, but I still didn't have the guts to tell my brother until he finally confronted me three days later. He had seen it peeking out from behind my tank top strap but hadn't wanted to say anything until he was sure it was real. When he finally asked me about it he just laughed and called me silly. A year or two later he was thinking of getting one himself*.*as far as I know, he has not - yet.