Why I wish real life were like a computer.

When I'm confused as to where my $400 mp3 player has gone, I simply gooogle it, or ask Jeeves. Of course, this may lead to annoying problems. *Search string: "Where is my RIO?" "On a bus heading downtown."* Eep. I think it's in my room somewhere... which leads to another thing I'd like. "Clean desktop/room" and everything gets organized. If I don't want stuff around right then, I stick it all in a folder and it doesn't take up that much room.

I'd also like to be able to ignore people, especially in bars...just walk away from them while they're talking, then come back in twenty minutes. "Sorry...I crashed. Hey, I've got to go." Then hang a sign around your neck that says "Offline". *thumbs up* I could definitely use the "ignore" key. Either that or click that red X on their forehead, and they're completely out of the room.

I've been doing a lot of reading about herbs 'n' stuff lately, but it'd sure be nice to have a CTRL-F (find) function. Hit CTRL-F and the book you'd just read that bit in would light up, then open to the right page and highlight the relevant section.

It would also be great when I was knitting. Right now I'm making a freaking huge piece of fabric that will eventually turn into a cloak. How cool would it be to just "copy" "paste" each row, since they're all the same?!

And UNDO! My God...can you imagine the uses for the undo key in real life? You accidentally (or on purpose, but have second thoughts) back up into another car? CTRL-Z. Just cussed in front of your SO's parents on the first time you met them? CTRL-Z. Realized that you locked your keys in the car? CTRL-Z.

Save would be good too, for those mistakes that take more than a single "undo" to fix. Just jump back to the last save point, and that whole awful date is POOF. Or you could "Save As", then revisit that amazing sunset as many times as you'd like.

Favourites. You'd never get stuck in rush hour again. Just favourite your house, friend's houses, work and a couple places you like to hang ou. Instant jumping around the city.

Pop-up blockers. Can you imagine what it'd be like without all the ads that we have in the world? Poof, they all go.

Blah de blah.

Updated my blogroll. I think I've got all the blogs that I normally read on there now.

I'm writing some articles for SPIN, the BCDSS (British Columbia Disc Sport Society. Got that? Good.. I don't want to type it all out again.) newsletter.

I'm still not feeling 100%, but I'm finished with the evil antibiotics of ultimate DOOM.

I'm helping a friend move into his new apartment tomorrow. Tonight, he should be in town and there will be much some drinking perhaps. Or perhaps we will just frighten friends who didn't know that he's moving here. I love frightening people with good news. :D

I want to be out in my garden. :P It's nice out.

BREAK TIME!

Ironic

Someone just did a Yahoo Search and found my site based on the search string 'cheery thoughts'. Based on my posts the last few weeks...BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Oh yeah...

With the ranting of the below post, I forgot to wish everyone a happy Midsummer. I celebrated by working in the garden...and with garlic and vinegar. (thanks Donna! it seems to be working!)

If I could smell myself, I think I'd be remincisent of salad dressing.

Whee! (sarcasm!)

Random Synapses: now with nesting footnotes.

Still sick. Feeling better...kinda.

Ooh! I have another side effect from the antibiotics! Bad taste in the mouth. Small side effect? Well, yes, compared to uncontrollable vomiting or diarrhea (neither of which I have. *knocks on wood*) but imagine please, the flavour of ear wax* in your mouth ALL THE TIME unless I've just eaten or drank something. Even chewing gum didn't help, since the gum began taking on the flavour. Gah! As you can imagine, this has wreaked some havoc with my eating habits(everyone who knows me commences laughing at the idea that I have eating habits.). Since the only refuge is eating, I'm finding that I'm snacking a lot more. :P Of course, it's not gonna be fruit or crackers or something healthy. Nope, nor will it be water or juice. That'd make FAR too much sense, and if you've read any of my archives, or know me, sense probably isn't what most people associate with me.

*If you must know how I know what ear wax tastes like**, allow me to give you two words. Nail. Biting. Since I was old enough to get a finger in my mouth without poking myself in the eye, I've had the dubious pleasure of learning what many substances taste like.

**Kind of like dandylion "sap" (milk?). REALLY FREAKING BITTER, if you don't know what THAT tastes like.

Dear Internet,

Once upon a time, there was a movie called Batman Begins.

Go see it.

The End.

My least favourite side effect of antibiotics.

Candida.

Gawdammit.

I don't think beauty is an emotion...but ok...

You are Beauty.

You are beautiful, whether it be on the inside, the
outside, or both. People are drawn to you as
strongly as you are drawn to the beauty in the
world around you.


What Emotion Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Update

Still feel "gah". I'm on a round of antibiotics which are making me dizzy and nauseated and don't seem to be doing anything for the cold yet.

Saw my little brother today. He's on the cruise ships for another month, then he gets a month off and then is off to Europe and the Mediterranian. Anyway, Monday is his 21st birthday.

Geez. I got nothing. I'm going back to bed.

More whining? GAH.

Man, if *I'm* sick of hearing myself, how must everyone around me feel? It's ten to eight and I've pretty much been awake since five...I went to sleep around...330 or so? something like that. Cripes. Has anyone else had one of those nights where you SWEAR you've been asleep for a couple hours, turn your head to check the clock and realize that it's only been about two and a half minutes? Yeah...that was me last night/this morning. Now if only I was rested in the same way...I would've had sixty seven hours of sleep. :D (how awesome would THAT have been?)

I guess I might as well go do laundry or something, since I need to get up in an hour for my doctor's appointment. AND since I finished my last Diana Gabaldon book last night. That would be five books. In just over a week. Over 800 pages EACH. I knew I read pretty fast, but I've never devoured a series like this. And now I have to wait until September for the next book to come out. :(

The amusing thing (to me at least) is that there's some serious Scottish dialect in them, so I'm fighting with myself not to talk like the characters (or write like them). My main interaction over the last week has been with a six foot four, red headed fictional Highlander, so I shouldn't really be surprised. :P After spending a month in Scotland a few years ago I had a little bit of an accent. Heck, after chatting with an Aussie or a Brit for more than ten minutes, I'll start picking up the accent. I think it might be easier to do that with writing though, because I'm a fairly visual person and...obviously...when reading, you're looking at the words.

I'm curious now though. I think I'll pick up the audio book from the library to see how they do the various dialects. The protagonist is English and of course there's the red headed Highlander, but there's also a bunch of other nations mixed in there too. Hmmmm..

Anyway, if I call you a "clot heid" anytime in the next couple days, you know where I got that from, aye? (Scottish for 'eh')

OK, FINE.

I'm STILL sick, and it seems to be getting worse, so I'm skipping kids karate, resting and I've got a doctor's appointment for tomorrow at 9:40. Ok? Ok. Bleah. I hate going to the doctors...not because of the doctor or anything...I just hate making appointments. :P

Mutant Mint!

(thanks Jason for the title)

I'm still/again sick. I started coughing yesterday and pretty much haven't stopped. I'm trying not to take too much medicine for it this time...overall I feel pretty good, and I did spend the last two weeks drugged (and cross drugged) so I'm going the more natural route... also known as "cough until it's time for bed, then drink Neocitran". I'm currently drinking some iced Mutant Mint tea...a special "blend" of mint leaves taken from my garden that have gone wild (MINT GONE WILD!!!) and I SWEAR they taste different than they did the first year I planted it.

Here's the recipe I used. You'll notice how very exact it is...
1) Pull several mint plants out of the ground, cursing because they're all over the place now. (Note to readers: if you plant them in the garden...even for two months...they WILL NEVER LEAVE.)
2) Decide not to chuck them back into the garden, because they're like zombie plants...you have to burn them to kill them. Oh. And it's a waste too. (I'm kidding...I didn't plan to throw them away.)
3) Strip the nice looking leaves off the stems and wash them. Stick them in an eight cup glass measuring cup and crush them a bit with a metal spoon (don't smash them too much or else the chlorifil gets out and makes it taste like grass). I suggest metal and glass because plastic and wood might take up the mint smell.
4) I had about a fistful of mint leaves. Fill up the measuring cup with boiling water, mix the leaves around a bit, cover, and leave for about ten minutes.
5) Strain the leaves and toss them, or put them in the compost...whatever. Drink some of it while it's hot and refrigerate the rest.

I'm not a political person...

I mean, I vote. I try to get other people to vote, etc, but I don't have a political blog. I don't even really mention much in the way of politics. However, here's a chance to vote on something important...the same sex marriage issue. I don't know how much good it will do, but I'm sure that it won't do any harm.

The site.

Me listen? Not likely.

This is from a comment I left on Donna's blog.

I've been sick for more than three weeks. Coughing et al. Have I seen a doctor, like people suggested? No. Have I taken Buckley's, like my dad suggested? HELL no. Have I sucked it up, dosed myself with multiple, sleep causing "don't drive heavy machinery" stuff and gone and lived my life mostly the way that I would've if I were well? Yep.

Would I have been better by now if I'd followed everyone else's advice?

Ummm...probably.

In other news, my favourite used bookstore is gone. Gone with 130 of my books that I traded in for credit. I've still got $70 in credit there. BAKA DENAI! (I don't know the spelling, but apparently that's Japanese for a very bad name.)

DAMN you Hawkins!

*shakes fist* I'm sitting here covered in orangy yellow cheez powder from my crunchie Cheezies. Yum, but yuck all at the same time.

Dave and our friend Walter and I went to see Mr. and Mrs. Smith last night. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Yum. Anyway, the premise (they're both spies for different companies who get married not knowing that the other is a spy as well) seems awfully weird, and it could've been done really poorly, but OH MY GOD. It was SO funny, especially since the script was written with cliche "couple" conversation which meant something totally different when referring to their spying lives.

One exchange:

Mr. Smith: So how many have you done? (he's referring to body count, not "body" count)
Mrs. Smith: *mumbles something about not wanting to go there* Um, how about you?
Mr. Smith: Oh, well you know. I don't really keep track, but I'd say more than fifty, less than sixty. So you see, sweetheart, I've been around the block a few...
Mrs. Smith: Three hundred and twelve.
Mr. Smith: *dead silence* How could you...
Mrs. Smith: Some were two at a time.

So, anyway, go and see it. Dave and I tried to see it on Friday, but it was sold out. Honestly, when does a 10:50 movie sell out? When it isn't Star Wars I mean...you can put your hands down now.

Pondering:

Why did La Vie En Rose send me an email entitled "Father's Day Specials"? Do they know something about my dad that I don't? Perhaps he is a cross dresser? Or is this for my mom? Or perhaps I'm supposed to buy something for the father of the children that I don't have? Hmmm...

Smashed up tree fibre.

As you may or may not know (and/or care) I also write in a paper journal which I keep beside my bed to taunt those unfortunate enough to venture into the evil disaster which is my room. Anyway, last night was the six month mark of when I started writing in it daily. I have only missed about three days in that time frame, so I'm pretty impressed with myself. :)

For Sale

2002 Saturn SL-1-My friend Bill's moving here from Edmonton and he's selling his car. It's a purdy car. I've ridden in it.

Inexpensive sex toys, lotions and potions. I'm getting out of the dildo schlepping business, and am selling off my stock. The lotions have only been touched by individual Q-tips, and the toys are clean (obviously...I mean otherwise...ew.). Let me know if you're interested.

Grrr.

I don't know what's wrong with me these days. It feels like pretty much everything and everyone irritates me. *snark* I'll watch the news and get irritated by something idiotic. I'll see a commercial, and want to put my fist through the TV. At the same time, I'll see a dog or a baby and start to tear up. ARGH.

I think it's to do with being sick for the last...13 days. Ye gods. I'm finally feeling better. I was a little worried yesterday...I was getting better, then I ran around in the rain for three hours playing Ultimate, and tried to cough up a lung on the sidelines. I woke up this morning afternoon and felt really good.

Being sick has also had the added detriment of not wanting to/being able to see most of my friends, or do anything active without being REALLY GRUMPY the whole time.

But, I'm finally feeling better, even if my voice is STILL husky.

Anger inducing letter and phone call.

To: Karin
From: Teacher Training

Dear Karin,
Thank you for your application...blah blah blah. You have applied to this and that...blah blah blah. Please send Final Official Transcript From Other University. *SCREECHING HALT* HUH?! We have received a transcript with grades to Fall 2004. No shit. That's when I last took courses. Please forward another official transcript AFTER you convocate as your degree and date conferral will not appear until then.

Please send missing items...blah blah blah.

Thank you,
Education Admissions.

So I made the phone call to the Admissions office. Basically, I need to have a degree to be in the program. I *HAVE* my degree, but I never did the cap 'n' gown thing, nor do I hold the piece of paper that says "Hey, you've got a BA in Pretentious English" (which is going to be the title of my shelf of English textbooks...but I digress). So I need to have that piece of paper, although I've already got WAY more than enough credits to have my BA. This pisses me off because I'm still kind of working towards getting a minor or three...meh.

So, I now need to get a note from a faculty advisor saying that yes, I have all the credits necessary, and yes, I'm convocating in October.

Oh. By the way. I'm convocating in October. Cap, gown and all. Ugh.

New Experience

Today I'm going out to look at an apartment. Not for me...for a friend of mine who's in Edmonton and can't be out here to look at it himself. So it's like a dry run for me. I've never gone out looking for an apartment to rent before. Weird.

*whisper*

I have almost no voice again. Two hours of yelling and directing children in a large echo-y gym will do that to you. Well...me, anyway. The meet was great though. I had a lot of fun, the kids did well, and stuff. The adults performed, but I didn't feel confident enough to do it, so I stayed sitting and helped keep kids quiet. I'm really glad I listened to my discomfort at performing and hope that it isn't a sign of stage fright (anyone who's ever heard me sing karaoke is going "YES! Please let her have stage fright!").

I tried to make it to the Ultimate Frisbee BBQ, but it was over by the time I got there. :( But I got to go out for dinner with Dave and some of our teammates, so that was nifty. We're going camping in a few weeks. :D No one knows where yet though...

So, I have Mars Bar ice cream, and the movie version of "Mists of Avalon", Elfwood is back up, and life is pretty darned good.

*snark*

Whist tutoring, I had a grumpy post in progress. However, my boss came in while I was typing it, so I closed the window and lost the post. I'm still tired, still sick-ish, still feeling blah, but I'm generally feeling better.

So, yay.

Oh, and MORE PEOPLE NEED TO POST! Seriously. Don't MAKE me expand my blogroll, yo.

Ok, that's it.

The website that hosts my gallery crashed again. Fuggedaboudit. I'm gonna try Deviant Art or something. *grumblesnark* I LIKED Elfwood, though. :P

So, over the last couple of hours I've been googling with search strings in order to answer such burning questions as "are there big yucky insects in trinidad" and "is it possible to find non-spicy food in tobago". Burning, I tell you. Burning.

I have learned when Carnivale is though. So that's nifty neato.

Star Wars Geekiness

I got this link from Rachel at milkbreath and me. If you haven't seen the newest Star Wars, don't click, because pretty much the whole thing is spoilers. (although you PROBABLY already know what's going to happen.)

Great Episode III synopsis/parody

I'm such a big freaking nerd.

*FANGIRL GASP* Dooce is coming to Vancouver!!! for Vidfest.

Heather, if you're reading this...please don't think I'm a big nerd. Although I am.

*fangirl squeal!*

I wasn't even this excited when I learned that Jennifer Garner had been in town filming Elektra (although if she hadn't been GONE when I learned about it...)

Still Ill

My voice is marginally better...I can now hold a brief conversation over a whisper. I have read SO MANY BOOKS over the last three days, mostly because my DVD player is unhooked and I spent half an hour yesterday trying to hook it back up again so I could watch "The Incredibles". *grumble*

The books I have read range from five fantasy books in a series, to the "auto"biography of Joanie Laurer (aka Chyna from the WWF-now the WWE), to two books on pottery and one on how to build one's own kiln, to a book of erotic horror short stories. Oh, and there was a book on watercolour pencils in there as well. Yeesh.

So many changes...people having job interviews, job offers, pregnancies (Congratulations Sarcastic Journalist)...*sigh*. And me? I'm eatin' some mango and getting ready to go to kid's karate...so I can blow out my voice on thirty screaming kids. *woot!* Actually it's a lot of fun. I'm just tired. :P I need some dayquil or something.