ow.
My arms look like hyper, over-caffienated kittens have been using them for attack practice. I'm scared to see what the rest of me looks like.
Why, oh why oh WHY do all of my hobbies have to do with sharp things??
(more details tomorrow.)
Monday, July 31, 2006
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Fun with Referrers
• what to say to someone about name badge - Yahoo! Search Results
How about "Hello, (whatever the name badge says)."
• Blog Search: ebitei
From this post. The search showed up only a day or two after posting it.
• Google: chemical burns-scalp
Rinse that bleach out of your hair! Don't do what I did and look online for answers!
• Google: black-belt stuntwoman
You don't need to have a black belt to be a stunt person...might help, but I'd think it would hinder both your martial art and your stunt performing.
• nny girlfriend pictures - Yahoo! Search Results
NNY, are you holding out on us? I'd like some pictures too.
• pictures of chest x-rays of pneumonia - Ask.com Search
I specifically did not post any...but then I went and searched some out so that I could have one for my MSN icon.
• Google: "ant infestation" +"sugar ant"
I recommend spid...I mean space invaders. I haven't seen any ants all year! And we've got a ton of them just outside my door in the backyard.
Things I've done today that I said I would do:
-some laundry, two loads I think...not put away yet, because I suck.
-some IEP stuff...not done yet for the above reason
-thought about project #2 for someone that only one person who reads here knows, and also project #2 which is for Dave. They're interchangeable in my mind, but they're very very different projects. Yeah...that's not confusing at all. I think I made Dave's brain explode when I tried to explain on the phone to him. Sorry, sweetie.
Yesterday
Yesterday was AWESOME. I took my last antibiotic pill, then fell asleep before the taste invaded my mouth (about half an hour after taking it). By the time I woke up again, the taste had dissipated (about 3-4 hours after taking). I am pleased.
Things to do today, in order of importance...ie: the way they really should be done.
-start laundry pile #1
-work on IEP assigment
-swap laundry #1, put in laundry #2, continue working on assignent
-swap laundry #2, put in laundry #3, put away laundry #1 and the rest of laundry hanging around my room
-swap laundry #3, put in laundry #4, put away laundry #2 (I have a lot of clothes, ok?), finish IEP assignment
-do the laundry swap, start to memorize the glossary of my assessment text (I'm going to write about this class at some point...)
-apply for school boards and the BCCT.
-laundry swap, clean my kitchen to prepare for the massive room clean
-start the wash of fabric that is still around, start moving stuff into boxes and boxes into the kitchen.
-create giant empty space in room part and huge enormous stacks of stuff in kitchen part.
-vacuum
-work on secret project #1 and consider secret project #2.
-go visit Dave where he's doing an Ultimate clinic workshop thingie all day.
-watch "Blade: The Series", "Kim Possible" and "The Simpsons" that my computer has recorded for me.
-collapse into bed with a smile on my face, knowing that I got a lot done and my week will be easier because of it.
Prediction of things I'll actually get done today
-watch "Blade: The Series", "Kim Possible" and "The Simpsons" that my computer has recorded for me.
-read blogs and webcomics
-check my email
-play Minesweeper or Spider Solitaire
-work on secret project #1 and consider secret project #2.
-take a nap
-half-assedly start some laundry.
-collapse into bed and realize that DAMMIT! I didn't actually get anything done. Chastise self for wasting weekend.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Ohhhh...holy crap.
My head has been spinning for the last two hours. I feel so dizzy that I feel like I'm going to be sick. Ohhhhh....ugghhhhh...
Of course, since I'm an attention and sympathy whore, I'm going to post here instead of going to bed. I have GOT to get my priorities straight.
Also, quick plug. I don't have any money right now, but I'm doing a presentation on the Kids Help Phone at school tomorrow (the only reason I'm still awake with the spinny head) and the more research I did, the more impressed I am. Please, send them a couple of bucks if you can. They do good work. I think that KHP will be my charity of choice for my birthday this year. The last few years it's been breast cancer.
And my printer is possessed...I just printed out some stuff and now it's decided to spit out a swack * of blank paper. STOP THAT.
* Swack. n. "More than a bit. Less than a bunch." --The Teacher's Brain Dictionary. Copyright "The Teacher". All rights reserved. Void in Utah and Quebec. Your mileage may vary.
I could go on, but that would be stupid. Good night.
Grumpy.
I am grumpy. And grouchy. I hate those words because they feel like inadequate descriptions and somewhat childish * . It's hard to find a word to describe how I feel though. I'm not angry. I'm not sad. I'm just...off.
You know...grumpy. Or maybe grouchy.
Reasons why I'm grumpy and/or grouchy:
1) My throat really hurts.
2) My stomach hurts.
3) I still have more than two weeks worth of school **
3a) I have no job yet. Yeep.
3aI) I have no money.
4) I have assignments to do still and I can't focus. Grrr...
5) I want to be creative and play with fabric and paint and clay (err...not all as one project)
6) My room is a complete fucking disaster. I managed to put away some fabric last night, but it's still really bad. I'm hoping that a new strategy will work...I'll probably give it its own post, because I don't really have much in the way of inspiration lately.
*probably because the first thing I associate with those words are cartoon characters and muppets. Grumpy of "Seven Dwarf" fame, and Oscar the Grouch.
**On the flip side, I've only got about two weeks left of school.
Two more weeks. Two more weeks. Two more weeeeeeeeeks.
I have an army in my room. (Uhhh...NNY...you might not want to read the rest of this. Close the browser or leave the page. No pictures, but you will be grossed out. Seriously. Remember the tick picture.) Let's refer to this army as "space invaders" because I hate even the sight of the shape of that word. Anyway, these "space invaders" are most commonly of the variety "familiar name for male parent, opposite of short, lower extremities". On any given day, I'll see three or so of them around my bathroom. Bleah. I hate killing stuff, "space invaders" included, but this was getting ridiculous. And I don't mind this kind nearly as much as the icky gross bleahhhhhh "space invaders" that I used to see. But then...THEN! I saw two of them ATTACKING AND KILLING one of the icky bleah ones! WICKED! One of them did it again today. This pleases me greatly.
So, here's the deal. The "familiar name for male parent, opposite of short, lower extremities" get to stay. If they venture outside my bathroom or on anything that is not wall, ceiling or some floor, they're open game. Otherwise, they can just sit around and do their canabalistic thing.
One thing that more than sort of bothers me...how many of the other "space invaders" ARE there in my room to support at least five or six of the others. Best not to dwell on that too much...I may just discover the answer when I start moving furniture around to vacuum.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Monday, July 24, 2006
Because I wanna be in the club
Gwynabella's being a tyrant and making it the last Monday of each month. Sheesh. :P
BLOGS OF THE MONTH!
Rules found here.
Blog of the Month: Mimi Smartypants: I read her archives. It took me many, many, many hours, but I was mesmerized. She's one of the grande dames of the blogging world, and she's the one to blame for my asterisking habit (I can stop whenever I want, man!).
Best Randomly Found Blog: Angela's Magic Carpet Ride: She's Canadian, she's got a wicked picture up, she's an amazing artist and her writing makes me laugh.
Hot Blog: Green Duckies: The banner! It tells a story! "Look, a duck egg." "Oooh, it's hatching!" "WTF?!?!? The Queen of the Universe has been reincarnated into a frog??" And, she's got colour coordinating green-ness all over the place. Me likey green.
Boobie Blog: ramblings. Bimkins. Dude. I never get to see you, due to the plague and school. You HAVE to post so I know what the crap is going on in your life.
Searched
Dear person who googled "coughing and cannot stop" (without the quotes) and found my little site,
I am so sorry that you or someone you know is coughing and can't stop. Believe me, I know how that feels. It sucks. And it sucks to be the person watching the cougher. Just ask Dave. :( I find Robitussin works really well, but please, for the love of whatever deity you hold holy...if the cough doesn't go away in a week or so, CALL THE DOCTOR. The cougher may have pneumonia. And if s/he does, s/he needs to go on antibiotics as fast as s/he can get on them. Not because it helps them heal faster (although it does) but because this mean that the taste of death is over sooner, rather than later. For example, if I had gone to the doctor when everyone was looking at me and going, "Dude...you should really see a doctor..." two weeks ago, I could have been finished the pills that cause my mouth to taste like death over a week ago! And that would have been a glorious thing.
To recap: Sorry. That sucks. Try Robitussin for a week or less. Go to the doctor. Take nasty tasting pills ASAP. Be finished nasty pills and be finished with nasty taste AND the sickness!
Love,
The Teacher.
PS. They might tell you it's a virus. Call them on it. Ask how they know. They told me it was a virus for nine months. Guess what. The antibiotics are working, BEEE-YATCHES.
Update for DM
Hi DM! I'm glad you're reading again. Here's the quick version of the last few weeks. If you aren't DM, you're allowed to read it as well, as I'll be adding a few things.
*****************BEGIN RECAP*******************
-finished one of my classes so I have afternoons free now. This was an evil, evil class...aka TELUD or BELUD (The Evil Lecture of Ultimate Doom/the Big Evil Lecture of Ultimate Doom)
-still kind of sick... I actually had pneumonia, which meant I was justified in going to the doctor for once... hence, the antibiotics. I've been fighting it off now...I've only had two major coughing fits (major is defined * as "to the point of gagging and inability to breathe for at least fifteen seconds.") in the last 48 hours, where before I was having at least one an hour.
* By me. YMMV.
-It's stinking hot here. It reached 36 degrees celsius * over the weekend. I'm not sure if that helped my pneumonia (drying it up) or hindered it (asthma etc. is made worse). Today is better.
* About 97 degrees F.
-My mom bought a serger that I've been playing with. So far I've made a mystery project * and a halter top. I am pleased.
* Of course, I know what it is. But it's a big secret for everyone else.
**************END RECAP*******************
Gwynabella has a great idea for a blog awards dealie. So, I'll be participating, but I'm currently at Dave's without my favourites.
Ok, I'm done. I'm very tired and I was very hot. I walked about twenty minutes up and down hills to get to his place from the skytrain. Thank goodness Dave's place has A/C. Jealous yet? ;)
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Uh oh...
Many new projects now await me. My mom bought a new toy...which means I have access to it.
BEHOLD!
The White Speedylock 1300DE Serger!!
I was working on a project today which included sewing a bunch of squares into a strip. I did three strips with this thing in the time it took me to do about half a strip with the sewing machine. Me happy! AND, it turns out that there are SHINY threads that I can use to do decorative edging and stuff on things like bags...and OTHER STUFF!!!
I'm so excited! I just wish that we didn't have to put the serger in my mom's room upstairs. It's more than slightly sweltering up there. But that's what fans and lime Diet Cokes are for!
Whee!
Friday, July 21, 2006
Lists upon lists upon lists.
The first lists...stuff from today and yesterday
1) I rocked TELUD's ass today. That exam was smacked DOWN.
2) I feel like utter crap. Based on the last few days, I seem to crash around eight or so. Bleah.
3) The taste! Oh GOD, the taste it burns.
4) I'm nauseated from the medication. *
5) Some of the side effects of the medicine ** are: anxiety, behaviour changes, confusion, disorientation, mental problems and temporary loss of hearing. I read these and asked (in a slight panic) "HOW ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO *TELL*??" I was alone in the computer lab when this occurred, so I think it's safe to assume that the confusion and anxiety have begun their insidious path. ***
* How can we tell? Well, I can't. But I'm certainly blaming the icky pthtooie taste on some of the nausea.
** Biaxin...info found here, here, here and here.
*** Also, "abnormal taste" my ASS. Try again, medical side effect describer people.
The next list
Things I've been feeling guilty about over the last few weeks.
1) Not wanting to hang out with people.
2) Being exhausted and sleeping all the time...see number 1.
3) Not being able to go see NNY, the Poke, Mini-M * , frrd and nrrdsten...missing Mini-M's baby shower in the process and being unable to help out with Poke.
4) Not going to karate.
5) Not otherwise working out.
Then I realize, "Um...hello? You're SICK. You're actually relatively seriously sick, and you need to take care of yourself. You certainly don't want to be going out and infecting babies and families who are taking care of said babies. Also...the working out thing? Honey, you're having issues walking 100 meters to Dave's car. You can't walk up stairs and talk at the same time without wheezing. You're allowed to heal."
So that's where I am now. I will hermit a little bit and just try to relax as much as I can. I don't have much due next week, and with TELUD finished now, I'll have afternoons free.
* or should it be "no pseudonym yet"? Hehe..to the three people who read this and will get it.
Finally, the last list for today
Gwynabella did this, as did Cynical Dad. I meant to do it earlier, but I didn't have time, what with the test for the lecture of ultimate doom. Here it is now.
LIFE EXPERIENCES MEME
Bold the ones you've done (my comments are in italics).
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain Grouse Grind, 1999. 2 hours something
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula Oh, HELLLLLL no.
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped I want to at some point. I did a bungee-esque thing at Playland once
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise Lots of times. For probably twenty years, that was the only time I saw the sun rise. I don't like getting up early.
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game Canucks playoffs
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa My brother has, and he brought me back a cool model of the tower because he was there on my birthday
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables Just picked some peas, and I've got a pumpkin plant happening now.
18. Touched an iceberg Glaciers only.
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne Sparkling wine, yes. Real champagne, no.
24. Given more than you can afford to charity I have literally NO money right now, and I still have direct deposit for the Children's Hospital
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope I've been bugging Dave for a telescope.
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment During a class presentation. I wasn't giving it. Also, on stage in a play I was in. Oi.
27. Had a food fight Not a major one. Also, silly string fights. Remember that, Bimkins?
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb Hugged...didn't actually pick it up.
33. Seen a total eclipse Solar AND lunar.
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run It was in my backyard though...does that count?
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day I adopted a different gender for a day once too. It was interesting. I don't think I passed. If I didn't have a great deal of respect for people who are transgendered, that would've given it to me.
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced Um...usually I'm the one. But I did it once.
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe I had a backpack. England's part of Europe, technically.
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing Indoor only
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero What do you mean pretend? Up, up and away!
58. Sung karaoke I'm a karaoke bar star.
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving It's on the list of "things I want to do but am terrified to do". File with skydiving, bungee jumping, rock climbing and spelunking. Basically anything that takes me too far above, or below the surface of the water/earth.
62. Kissed in the rain I live on the Wet (sic) Coast. It's part of the territory.
63. Played in the mud See above.
64. Played in the rain See above
65. Gone to a drive-in theater No, but maybe this weekend...hint hint.
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business Several. I guess I'm not very good at working for myself.
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie Three, as an extra.
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days I think three...maybe four is my record. And I had some huckleberries and a slice of processed cheese in there. I was thirteen or so...forgot to eat because I was having too much fun playing.
77. Made cookies from scratch I love baking.
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo Got them planned out.
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship Just a tour so far.
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror.
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars In the south sky, there is a constellation that looks just like a high heeled shoe.
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge I was with my parents and brother and panicked less than halfway over. As if the bridge was going to collapse while I was on it after it had been up for however long.
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery I would only do this if I was scarred somehow.
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived.
105. Wrote articles for a large publication Newsletter for the BC Disc Sports Society
106. Lost over 100 pounds Only if you count the fact that I've lost and gained them back...probably less than 100 lbs though.
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone Probably not...but I'm not totally sure. Toes and maybe my knuckle.
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced Navel.
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol .22 rifle
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse I owned my own horse for eight years (8 years old to 16 years old) and rode for three before that.
119. Had major surgery Wisdom teeth
120. Had a snake as a pet Tried to catch garter snakes when I was a kid.
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions My ten year is coming up and I plan to attend.
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care I guess technically I haven't. My grannie was in palliative care though.
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you Jewellery
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed your hair This would be hysterical to anyone who knew me.
147: Been a DJ
148: Shaved your head
149: Caused a car accident
150: Saved someone's life I donate blood when I'm not sick.
Bleah, ick ptoooie.
I have the WORST taste in my mouth. One of the side effects of antibiotics that I always get (besides candida) is that my salivary glands don't produce neutral/me flavoured saliva. Instead, I get this awful bitter taste. Gum helps up to a point, but then it takes on the flavour of the bitter.
So, I'm slightly distracted by the bleah, ick ptoooie flavour. And I'm about to go write a final exam worth 100% of my mark.
*snark*
And due to the pneumonia which is still raging through my system * I won't be going to Vancouver Island this weekend. :( Sadness...but I made the sensible decision. Since we'd be camping for part of the time, I wouldn't get much good sleep, so it just made sense to stay home and heal. *sigh* I wish I could go. I love the island. Maybe a different weekend.
* yesterday was BAD. The germs were retaliating against the antibiotics and vice versa. I was the victim of serious friendly fire.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Curses!
Gwynabella went and said nice things about my blog posts. Now I feel obligated to write stuff. Oh well...I was planning on doing this post anyway.
I wanted to get some pictures of chest x-rays of people who have pneumonia to post them here. But then I did an image search...now I'm all freaked out * ! There's STUFF in my lungs! Stuff that's not supposed to be there! Granted, I'm not trained in interpreting x-rays, nor did I find pictures of healthy lungs with which to compare. Also, I've got a much milder case than the pictures I did see. But still! Gah!!
This is one of the great benefits and drawbacks of this here thang we call that Internet. I can do a search on imdb.com and discover what movies a random person was in ** and win a bet. Or else I can do a search and see exactly what is in my body. Is this good? When I made Dave look up the symptoms for cystic fibrosis, I could (and did) compare them to what I was feeling. This meant I got to discount CF as what I had. However, when I was dealing with my cyst back in December, I was looking up symptoms, and wouldn't you know? I had most of the ones for ovarian cancer. That was a pretty scary drawback.
* And now I'm not going to post them because I don't want to see them whenever I open my page. Feel free to google them yourself.
** My dad has a place on imdb.com. Let me know if you want the URL...not posting it here. :)
I've been intentionally not looking up stuff on pneumonia or the anti-biotics I've been taking. Dave did it for me, which was great! This means that if I start having weird symptoms, I can ask him if it's a normal side effect, rather than seeing "Pain in the left hip" and suddenly having my left hip start hurting *. I'm getting achy all over though. I just want to go to BED. I'm so tired. I was really alert this morning, but I'm crashing really badly now.
* My hip just started to ache. Did I think to use that as an example because it was starting to hurt and I only consciously noticed it now? Did it start hurting because I was thinking about it? Am I just falling apart? Does it matter?
I've got the BELUD/TELUD in about 45 minutes, guest speaker, and it only lasts for an hour or so. Yessss...this pleases me. What also pleases me? The email I received this morning.
"dear students,
it has come to my attention that your 100% final exam is tomorrow. i am
sorry i did not realize this and was under the impression that it was on
the last day of classes on august 11.
in order to alleviate your stress levels i have decided to cancel classes
tomorrow (friday, july 21) so you may study. groups who were scheduled to
do their major presentations will simply be bumped to the next class, so
we will resume presentations on tuesday. i will work on a revised
schedule and email it out ASAP.
i hope this helps you all and wish you all the best in your final exam
tomorrow.
sincerely,
(my prof)"
WOOOOOO!!! This is a four hour class that I don't have to attend! This means four extra hours of going over things for the final and getting started on a project for another class. In theory, I'm going to Vancouver Island with Dave and some friends this weekend, but...well...I've got pneumonia. * :P
* This excuse is NEVER going to get old for me. Last night I think I used it at least seven times...mostly joking around. "Can you pass the chips?" "I've got pneumonia." *I pass them* "Want some more wine?" "Certainly! I have pneumonia after all!" I don't like using it when it means not going somewhere fun though. :( Like the island. I love the island.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
VINDICATED
Rather than the, "It's a virus. Drink fluids and get lots of sleep * ." I was expecting, I got a doctor that LISTENED to me. She asked me intelligent questions and used the stethescope on my back. YAY! Then she sent me to get a chest X-Ray. ALSO yay!!!
It turns out that I've got what is known as "walking pneumonia" or "mycoplasma pneumoniae" (yes, NNY, you were indeed correct. Well done!). Basically, it means that I'm coughing a heckuvalot, am on anti-biotics and should start feeling better in a couple of days. YES! I feel super vindicated. For once I'm sick and it's actually something real.
* Um, I'm an education student. Where would you suggest I fit that in?
Go RS, it's your birthday...
Random Synapses is three years old today. Let's go back through the archives and see what I was doing three, two and one year ago today.
July 19th 2003: I was depressed and didn't feel like I was accomplishing anything in my life, so I created a set of goals and this blog sometime after midnight. I also had my first karate lesson.
July 19th 2004: I spread some internet rumours about Dave and Gwynabella (with whom I split a bottle of wine with tonight. Hehe...that's amusing.)
I apparently had a lot of clearance yarn and was working at Michaels. (GASP! I named the craft store I used to work at!!!) I also reviewed the various goals I had originally set for myself.
July 19th 2005: Apparently I was doing a lot of stuff, but I didn't write any of it down. How irritating. At this point I didn't know whether or not I'd gotten into the education program, so I was stressing out about that. My car had recently gotten broken into.
July 19th 2006: I have pneumonia. I'm still with Dave, still friends with most of the people I knew before, I'm nearly finished school. It's been a good three years. :)
Doctor Meme? Paging Doctor Meme?
Just killing time before my doctor's appointment at the clinic today. Man, I hope I get something that makes me feel better. :P
| You Are Navy Blue |
 You're a true adventurer. You constantly find yourself drawn to new experiences, people, and places. Sometimes you feel quite scattered and bored. If something exciting isn't going on, you feel a bit lost. |
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
They're on to me...
Dammit! Too many people are borrowing laptops for fraudulent reasons...ie: playing with them during evil lectures. In my defense, I didn't know I wasn't supposed to do that. But now! I was actually planning on doing WORK on it today during the lecture. * They're interfering with my education!
Good thing I remembered my sketch book.
* What's this you say? I could do my work on what? What is this PAY-pur of which you speak? My god. Crushed trees? How barbaric.
Anyway, I'm in the computer lab between classes. I need another diet Coke. I had a group presentation today and my partner was sick. So I had the option of either doing the presentation solo, or postponing it. Being the kick-ass
Speaking of whores, * I'm in the process of applying to the school board that I swore I would never ever ever EVER work for. I've been seduced ** by the idea of possibly getting my own classroom in the first year. Also, the idea of going where I'm needed and can make a difference is alluring. Rather than flowing along with what's been carved out for me, I might be able to help do some carving.
* I can't wait for the google hits from this post.
** Whoops, there's another one.
Today has been very productive already.
Monday, July 17, 2006
I am losing my damn mind.
My nose is a little stuffed up, and of course I've been complaining about the cough from HELL for the last...what? Three weeks now? Anyway, I decided that during my shower tonight I'd light the candle under my essential oil diffuser. It's been loaded with eucalyptus oil, which is great for de-congesting chests and noses. I'm in the shower and I realize I've forgotten to light the candle. Oh well. Might as well wash my hair since I'm in here anyway. So I put in the shampoo and lather it, then do all the maintenance stuff I do in the shower while my conditioner gets deep into my hair. Except that I haven't put in the conditioner yet. Ye gods.
I'm SO READY for this semester to be over.
Just need to tweak my presentation for tomorrow and *I* get to go to *BED*.
WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THIS THREE WEEKS AGO??
Bwahahahah!!! I borrowed a laptop from the Education building equipment loan place from 1-415. Guess when TELUD is. I love wireless connections. Hehehe...
I don't actually have anything to say. La di da di da.
...
Our guest speaker hasn't arrived yet. *sigh* I just learned the breakdown of the final exam.
*rant* The entire year that I've been going through teacher training there are two things that have been the mainstay of what we've learned. They have been DRILLED into our heads. We've been told a) don't just stand at the front of the class and lecture. Teach to different strengths, allow students to discuss things, have different ways to explain things, do group work, art stuff, ETC. We are also told b) when assessing students, ensure that you don't just have a big final exam at the end of the class. Have little quizzes, assess learning informally (eg. asking questions and listening to class discussion), use projects and papers to see what students are learning, ETC ETC ETC!!!!
Guess what the format of TELUD is. That's right. Someone stands up and lectures to us for 2+ hours four times per week, then there's a final exam worth 100% at the end of this week.
ARGH. I guess this is a case of do what I say, not what I do. :P Grr... */rant*
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Disjointed Thoughts
*hackchokewheeeeeze*
Hello, I'm still coughing. :(
I'm missing little M's baby shower today, but that's ok. I'll meet him another time.
I've only got four weeks of school left. Four days of TELUD. 19 actual days of classes. 9 assignments/group projects/final exams.
What am I going to DO with myself?!?! Oh, I remember. *
Maybe I'd better focus on finishing everything off before I start thinking about what I'll be doing some time in the last two weeks of August.
* I'll give you a hint. It rhymes with "freely sheep malaskan bruise". **
** What? Nothing else rhymes with "Alaskan".
Friday, July 14, 2006
Hypochondria
Last week, I discovered that I had a learning disability. This week, I realized that I had ADHD and dyslexia. Next week I will probably find out that I have an intellectual disability and/or emotional and behavioural disorders.
I'm currently taking a class on students with exceptionalities. Guess what the course calendar is/has been for the last couple weeks...
Hello, my name is K, and I'm a hypochondriac...or at least I think I am. I read about it in a magazine once, and I have all the symptoms. Well, some of them anyway. One for sure. Sometimes. Maybe I'm just paranoid. I KNOW I've got symptoms for that.
Earlier this week, I made Dave look up the symptoms for cystic fibrosis because of all the coughing that I've been doing.* I don't have any of the symptoms, really. Thank goodness. I'm the kind of person who immediately thinks, "BRAIN TUMOR" or "CEREBRAL HEMMORAGE" if I get a sudden headache. If I have a bruise that won't go away? Cancer. Nausea? Well, I get that so often that it doesn't really register as something serious any more. Actual throwing up? Pregnant. Dizziness? Pregnant...or Ménière's. Granted, my mom has this, so I've got some precedent.
*I tried to make an appointment with my doctor today for the insane coughing of ultimate DOOM. She has moved to Yellowknife. Um. She must've gotten sick ** of my constant hypochondria. I made a Wednesday appointment at the student clinic at school, with the understanding that if things get worse over the weekend, they'll let me in on Monday. If things get REALLY bad tomorrow or Sunday, I'm going to the walk-in clinic near my house.
**Ugh. Sorry. That was a terrible pun that I didn't realize I'd put in until I typed it.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Coughing and Mango
I cannot stop coughing. I now get a throbbing pain in my head when I cough and often I sound like I've got a puddle in my chest. I freak Dave out because I can't climb a flight of stairs without resting at the top and hyperventilating. At least once every couple hours I cough so hard I gag. There are a few other things, but you probably don't actually want to hear about that.
Raise your hands if anyone else thinks I ought to see a doctor about this.
Also, my tummy is mildly annoyed due to excessive mango consumption. That's understandable though. Damn, but it was good mango.
Today's my Friday. I got a surprise three day weekend when it was revealed to me that the only class I have tomorrow is canceled so that we can "work on our group presentations". Me, I plan on working on my "sleeping in". Wait. There shouldn't be ironic quotes for that. Anyway, I plan on starting this....now.
zzzzzzz...
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Monday, July 10, 2006
Vanity Search
So I did some googling* on myself. I'm pleased to announce that I couldn't find me. I'm not going to write search strings, as that would kind of defeat the purpose of remaining ungoogleable**.
*When did that word get verbed? Two or three years now?
**I'm pretty sure that's not a word. And I know it's not a verb the way I've got it.
I'm just waiting to hear from NNY and family about baby...a friend of mine is in the hospital having her second baby. And I'm ahead on homework* so I get to tool around on the computer.
*Behind on readings. Bleah.
Joy MacPhail came to TELUD today. Her talk was fairly interesting. I didn't fall asleep during TELUD either, which was good. I'd forgotten to bring my pencils and sketchbook like I'd planned, so I designed quilt blocks and quilts in my notebook in ballpoint pen for most of the talk. If anyone wants a sampler quilt or something with words, I've designed the entire alphabet mostly to my satisfaction. Of course, I probably can't actually sew them all. I've also been designing cute little pictures like butterflies and flowers. I've got a wine glass and a wine bottle which are kind of cool, but just think of the possibilities for people who hate the super saccharine angel stuff*! How about a gin and tonic? I've already got a martini glass Ooh! Or bondage gear? A corset? I already did a platform hooker shoe...what else? Comments! I need inspiration! I've still got 30 more hours of TELUD to get through! A coffin!
* Like me. Ye gods. The worst thing about liking to do stuff like knit and other craft things are the sickeningly cute patterns. I want DRAGONS people. And designs that make me appear somewhat cool when I do them. ** Not teddy bears praying. Also, don't even get me started on the music...yes MUSIC on some of these sites. Gahhhhhhh...
** Although I AM quilting and knitting. Despite the lessening stigma, it's still not exactly cutting edge, especially since I look rather vanilla. ***
*** I'm allowed to call myself that. Not you. So there. ****
**** Gee, am I passive aggressive much? Hehe.
Give me ideas in the comments about counter-cultural stuff I can design for quilt blocks. How wicked would that be??? Now I'm all excited. :D HOORAY!! ANOTHER PROJECT!!!! :D
Oh, wait.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
*head DESK* *head DESK*
The major reason I didn't send in my application forms in is because I didn't have a cover letter. Turns out I don't need a cover letter. Holy crap. ARGH.
Mrs. Krabappel: Whose calculator can tell me what seven times nine is?
Milhouse: Ohh! Oh oh oh!!! Low battery?
Totally off topic...just wanted to share.
All growned up?
*stamps foot* I'm NOT a grownup. I'm NOT NOT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT. (/tantrum)
Um, hi. Just filling out applications for jobs. What the hell? I'm still a kid. I'm just a student. Why do I have to have a career? With, like... responsibility? How did this happen? I'm all befuddled, and I'm really nervous about this. I've been (stupidly) putting off applying anywhere because I'm scared. Ugh.
If being sixteen hadn't sucked so much, I'd wish I was sixteen again. *sigh*
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Nnnguuuhh..
I feel like I should do a Day in the Life post for today. It'd be really easy.
1200-134: Play around online and read my book. Write in my paper journal.
501-558: Awake with a BURNING ITCHING PAINFUL OW OW OW!!! ear, nose and throat, all on the right side. Attempt: gently Q-tipping ears. No. Drinking water. No. Sneezing like crazy. No. Blowing nose like crazy. No. Drinking a big mug of Neo-citrin. Ooh. Maybe...maybe...yes... Fall asleep.
133: Wake up. Have lunch, check email etc. Do some reading for classes.
345: Realize I'm still groggy from the Neo-citrin, not safe to drive to karate. Still feel like crap.
352: Attempt to read school books in bed.
742: Wake up.
So there's about where I am now. Bleah. I'm not sure what caused the itchy burning painful ow ow ow. It was nasty. Every time I coughed, sneezed, swallowed or breathed all the bits started throbbing even worse. Gah. I think the fact that it was REALLY cold this morning and all my windows were open had something to do with that. Once I closed them and took the Neo-Citrin I felt better.
| You Are 64% Open Minded |
 You are a very open minded person, but you're also well grounded. Tolerant and flexible, you appreciate most lifestyles and viewpoints. But you also know where you stand firm, and you can draw that line. You're open to considering every possibility - but in the end, you stand true to yourself. |
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Day in the Life
1200: I write in my paper journal. Change my alarm to 800 because I have a field trip and get to "sleep in".
1230-800: I'm asleep.
809: Snooze button.
818: Snooze button.
827: Gah! Gotta move, gotta move! Get ready for school.
856: Race out the door.
924: Gah, traffic on Broadway.
1004: Arrive at the UBC farm almost twenty minutes late. Whoops. Talk with others about practicum and stuff.
1038: Walk around the farm and see cool ways of doing organic farming. And there were chickens!
1208: Head back to campus and meet up with Dave for lunch as a surprise.
120: go to the Education library and take out two young adult novels to read during the BELUD.
130-343: Read my novels, occasionally glancing up to see if there's anything important happening. Nothing important happens.
418: Drive someone home, and drive myself home.
506: Arrive home, have some dinner and chat with my parents.
603: Sit down at the computer, begin composing this, watch an episode of Kim Possible and two of the Simpsons that my computer taped for me, check email and blogs.
701: Think to myself, "Maybe I ought to actually do some homework that I need to get finished for tomorrow."
812: Find scholarship information and pass it on to my faculty advisor, whom I had talked with earlier today and she said that she would help me however she could.
821: Stop stalling and find article on assessment for synopsis for tomorrow.
823: Chat with Bimkins for a few minutes on MSN.
845: Chat with my mom for a few minutes on MSN, then realize how silly that is and go upstairs to talk with her.
858: Make myself a pineapple smoothie. I have definitely perfected the smoothie recipe. Talk to Dave on the phone. He had called to tell me that there had been a machete in a fight at the field he was at this evening, and that everything was all right.
914: Stop chatting with my mom and come back downstairs to do synopsis and research stuff on dyslexia.
956: I finish my synopsis and prepare to do some research on dyslexia, specifically, how to help students in the classroom who have it. Check my beluga picture and see two more fantastic comments. Yippee!!
1015: Double tragedy! The scholarship I was talking about wasn't to do with money...it was for something else. Also, and far more tragic...I've finished my smoothie. Drat me for telling my mom she could have the leftovers!! Also, my mouth is sore from too much pineapple. But I loves me the pineapple... :( Time to get
1032: *coughcough COUGHGAG HACK cough* Ow. My cough has not gone yet. Ooh, but I'm finished researching, AND I've got an idea for how our presentation should go. Hell, yeah.
1039: Gah! Creepy thumps from outside! Oh. Just moths kamakaze'ing into the window since my light's on, and my curtains are open. Arrange dinner/movie date for tomorrow with best friend, other best friend and his boyfriend. We're trying to decide where to eat...with probably emphasis on fast food. I vote for tacos. They're both fast AND food.
1044: I am accused of acting insane because of pineapple. I protest. I act insane because I am insane. Pfft. Like pineapples could affect my metabolism. Only grapes among the fruit have that privilege. And usually only when they've been fermented, bottled, and consumed with good company. Ahh...sweet, sweet, grapes.
1056: Watch an episode of the Simpsons and skim quilt websites. Realize it's too late to go upstairs and cut fabric for a quilt I've been meaning to work on for the last...six months or so. It's all planned out now...just need to cut out fabric and sew it together. *snicker* Just. Hahah. :P
1120: Begin to turn off computer and go to bed.
1121: Realize that a webcomic I LOVE is online again!!!!
1129: Remember that it's been over two years since I looked at it and can't remember what's going on, so I regretfully close the window and go to bed before I get distracted by any other shiny things.
To be continued as I do more things before bed.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
What is this, like three posts today?
I've gotten mildly addicted to Flickr lately, posting pictures, joining groups etc. Anyway, I joined a group called "Ratings" where one rates pictures out of ten. I submitted my beluga picture with my students in front of the tank...and...well..
Read the comments. Wow.
Edit: it's actually four posts. And I keep forgetting to mention that tomorrow is the Day in the Life post day. So remember what you did all day and at roughly what time and I'll post my day too. Maybe even before the next month!! *snort* Who'm I kidding??
Two Lists
Things which have annoyed me today...
1) Being ignored by former cohort people
2) Not being sat next to during the Big Evil Lecture of Ultimate DOOM*, even though I intentionally sat in the area my classmates all sat in last day, AND even though I inadvertantly arrived half an hour earlier than the class started.
3) Arriving half an hour earlier than the class started.
4) This nagging cough that WON'T GO AWAY.
5) Having to get up almost an hour earlier than I did at Gigabyte.
6) Being left out of all of my former cohort people's groups when making up groups during class.
7) Realizing that I've got five things due in the next week.
*henceforth to be referred to as the BELUD.
Things which correspond to the above list of things that have annoyed me, but why they're actually good.
1) I've made some different friends.
2) I got to sit by myself against a comfy squishy wall and doze off during the BELUD.
3) I got to read my book (based off this website).
4) I get some sympathy from people because I really sound sick, but it's not really hampering my ability to do stuff. Except walk up stairs. And have long conversations without coughing.
5) Umm...I got nothing. This just generally sucks.
6) I got into a group and made new friends, PLUS I get to go very early in the semester, thus freeing up time for later. Which leads into the last piece...
7) I'm going to be finished many of my assignments early, which I did a couple times last year, and it's totally the awesome when that happens.
Aw nuts.
Turns out I'll still have a class on Mondays. :( And I'm about to go into a four hour class on special needs kids (both high and low functioning...ie: gifted and ones who need extra help.) *sigh* I'm tired. I dreamed this morning that I was super awake and aware and had already gotten up and gotten ready. Then I woke up for real and was supposed to leave in ten minutes. Gah.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Yee haw!
The morning has been going well, although the space bar on this lab computer is wonky. :P My schedule looks something like this:
Monday 100-400
Tuesday 0830-1200, 100-400
Wednesday 0830-1200, 100-400
Thursday 0830-1200, 100-400
Friday 0830-1200
The 100-400 is a large lecture, which I've been dreading since I knew about it. I hate large lectures...ever since we started doing more hands-on stuff. 12 hours a week of lecture. *cries* Anyway, today I discovered that this lecture thingie is only for three weeks!! That means that I should get Mondays OFF, and be finished by noon the other three weeks. YES! I'm so excited, that I can't even believe it. I think I'll be playing a lot of disc golf in the afternoons at Jericho. Or going to the beach...or shopping at Granville Island and on 4th street. This is like getting one of the best gifts in the world.
Except for rose bushes. And trips to Pender. ;)
Monday, July 03, 2006
(Devil's) Day in the Life
From 6/6/6...Many, many, many days late due to exhaustion, report cards, Blogger being down and several other factors. Maybe I'll get July's done within a day or two...NAH.
0630: alarm goes off. I ignore it and hit snooze.
0639: see above.
0648: see above.
0657: see above.
0706: see above.
0715: jump up in a panic, since usually I leave the house at 0720.
0716: do my usual getting ready stuff. Weigh myself...I'm at 163 lbs.
0729: leave the house and begin driving to Gigabyte.
0730: get irritated at morning DJs talking about (oooh...scary...) how today is evil and/or commercials and/or that stupid Miss New Booty song and change the station.
0736: see above.
0739: see above.
0746: see above and continue until the end of the drive.
0812: arrive at school, dump my stuff in the classroom and sit down to make sure my stuff is organized for today. It is, because I have to have everything ready for the next day before I leave. I do various stuff around the classroom, chat with my sponsor teacher and the special needs worker. I also check with the other teachers in my open area to see if they're interested in coming out to the field to watch us let the butterflies go this morning.
0845: the bell rings and I let in my students. They're adorable, as always. They go and do their noisy reading and I read with some of them.
0858: Subject 392-B wanders in late, as usual. Probably visiting the library and talking to the librarian. This happens a lot. I'm a little annoyed, but whatever. It happens. A lot. I pick my battles.
0900: I stop the reading and call everyone to the carpet for attendance. I explain that it's time to let our butterflies go so that they can live in the wild. There is a general outcry because they've gotten very attached to the butterflies. So have I...but I know it will be less traumatic for the kids if the butterflies are gone than if they all die in their tank. I answer a ton of questions. (aside: for some reason we aren't allowed to release butterflies that can survive in our area, even if they're native to the area. I can understand if they're invasive species, but Monarch butterflies are on the decline here...so wouldn't it be a good thing to raise and release some to help the population? /soapbox)
0910: We head down to the field, soccer ball in hand, for the release party. All three classes stand in a circle with the butterflies in the middle. The butteflies are going crazy in the tank because they're feeling sunlight for the first time since they were eggs (if then!). We talk about expectations for when the butterflies take off (don't run around, if they land on you don't squish them, etc. [It's a good idea to outline expectations for five year olds...things aren't as obvious to them as to we who have some life experience.])
0912: The lid is lifted off the butterfly tank and some of them flutter out immediately. They land on the grass around us, slightly dazed by the fact that there is so much FREEDOM all of a sudden! They had been in a ten or fifteen gallon tank for the last while, and a tiny dixie cup as caterpillars. My sponsor teacher and I lift out the reluctant butterflies and hold them on our fingers for a moment before letting them go. The butterflies begin scattering. I have three butterflies on my hands and show them to the circle of students.
0915: We watch the butterflies for a while, then begin heading up to the playground. I carry three butterflies whose wings aren't working very well off to the side of the field and through the fence. My sponsor teacher makes the call that playing soccer on a field with a multitude (22, minus the three I moved) of butterflies on it, may not be such a good idea.
0916: Sparrows start swooping around the field. I distract the students. These butterflies aren't going to be breeding anyway. I'm not sad...I didn't actually SEE any get eaten...
0920: The kids play on the playground for a while.
0940: We bring the kids in and get ready for a lesson before recess. I panic slightly because I had planned for two periods of butterfly release, not just one.
0945: Teach a lesson about the rainforest. (There will now be a massive lack of detail because this was almost a month ago.)
1025: Recess. I have my snack and plan for what else I'm going to be doing in the afternoon.
1040-1205: Teach a few things...worry that I'm singling out Subject 392-B for misbehaviour that I would allow with other kids.
1205: K's go home, I go to the staff room for lunch. My sponsor teacher has left to go to the zone track and field meet so I have a sub this afternoon.
1250: I let the 1's in from outside and we do some more rainforest lessons. I teach everything except math.
305: I let the 1's out to go home. One of the kids's moms is late, as usual. Whatever. I threaten him with making him do all the chores in the classroom until she gets there, as usual. He squeals and protests, as usual. His mom picks him up.
310-450: I kill time at the school until it's time for me to leave and go to my sponsor teacher's house across a bridge to another municipality/city.
520: I arrive a little early and wait until he shows up.
530-700: We work on report cards and have dinner (tacos) with his wife and two daughters. I see the family pets...a dog who won't stop yapping at me, a lizard and a medium large fish tank. Coooooool. I show one of my kata to my ST's daughter who is in tae kwon do and showed me one of her forms.
700-1000: General chatting about teaching (ST's wife is also a teacher) until their friend shows up and I learn how to play euchre. I'm pretty terrible.
1000: I go home and am in bed by midnight.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Shellshocked
Hey all. Got back late last night...am very tired and shellshocked and trying to readjust to life with traffic lights and grocery stores that are open past eight thirty.
I'll update later, but for now I've been playing with my flickr stuff. I'll leave you with these thoughts: the island was amazing, so much that I'm looking at real estate and into jobs at the school. Plus I'm thinking I might open a gallery out of a guest cottage on the land I buy. I'm only partly joking...
Night!
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Pender-Day 2
Yesterday received a sunburn on my shoulders...not too bad. Yes, I did indeed wear sunscreen. We saw a bald eagle flying, a bunch of jellyfish at the dock, hawks, deer and different types of butterflies. I think one was a swallowtail, but I'd have to look that up. Pretty sure I saw a monarch.
Last night I was asleep before midnight. Dave was cleaning up the kitchen a little bit, then came to get me. We went out to the front patio where I lay down on a reclining chair and looked up at billions of stars. It was incredible.
Today so far we've played nine holes of disc golf, scored some free books at a really nifty recycling centre, saw MORE deer (one of which I got a couple pictures of) and are now eating lunch in preparation for more disc golf later in the day. I'm about to go looking online to see what school distric Pender is in so that I can apply here too. I'm completely enamoured.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Oh, hell yes.
Arrived at Pender Island...and I'm sitting here on a couch overlooking the ocean, typing on a super strong wireless connection. Soup has been made, shortly to be consumed on the deck overlooking the 12 person hot tub, the house has been explored...and is WAY WAY WAY nicer than the pictures show.
Un-freaking-believable.
AND, we've got a digital camera, so I can upload some pictures as we go.
Five more days of WOW.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Flickr
I think after next week I'm going to need a Pro Flickr account. I still have several dozen photos I want to put up, and I can only put up a dozen a month. This isn't even counting the pictures we'll be taking this week at Pender.
I was up stupid late last night, resulting in weird dreams that my students were in my room wandering around, and their parents. I got up at one point to move the bra I had hanging on my stationary bike because there was a dad who had come to pick up his child. I woke up at nine, after planning on sleeping in and setting my alarm. WTF? Yesterday I hit snooze for two hours because I didn't want to wake up.
I finally got up about quarter to ten after deciding there was no way I was sleeping any more. While I had been not-sleeping in bed, I came up with a great exercise routine. I live on a hill, and my backyard garden has about a twenty foot high slope with stairs and stuff on it. Our hose is broken, so I can't get it down there to water the plants I put in a couple of days ago...so I had two movie popcorn buckets filling themselves as I brought the other one down. It was awesome. I ran up and down the stairs carrying a bucket of water for about ten minutes. I was being timed, because while I was going with the first bucket, the second was filling up in my bathroom sink. After all that, I did fifteen minutes of karate practice in the backyard. Wow, does the sun ever get HOT. Even at ten thirty AM. I did all of this in a skirt, BTW. I have an official MEC hiking skirt, which I'll be bringing with me this week. :D :D :D :D
I'm REALLY tired now though. I should finish packing, take a shower and finish (start) my application process for the school board I'm applying for this week.
Instead, I may just take a nap.
A test I would love to study for
A post in which I talk far too much about my weight and food.
I got to watch four people test for their black belts today. It was really amazing to watch...and it's somewhat motivating, considering that one of them began training...oh, about a month before I did. Yeahhhhh...oh well. Motivation. It was really terrific though. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. A bunch of us all went out for dinner afterwards, and it's always so much fun to talk with everyone. We're all from such different backgrounds, with different experiences, but we've always got something to talk about, be it snakes, karate, cigars or children. Everyone has something to say and their perspective and filters are all different. I sometimes worry that I monopolize the conversation, so I'm going to try and stop talking so much and try to listen more. That's a good idea for all parts of life.
Oh, and two people noticed that I've lost weight. *fist pump* YES! The official tally is that I lost 12 lbs over the course of my practicum (3 months). I'm now down to somewhere under 160 lbs* and have stayed there for a few days. My goal for this month was to get under 160. Next month my goal is to stay under 160 for the whole month, then the next month is to get under 155, etc. That's a pretty safe set of goals, as the whole crash dieting thing is probably** less than good.
* My scale fluctuates like crazy. Today it told me that I was 134.5 lbs. I laughed at it.
** By probably I mean "definitely" and "I have people who will kill me if I try it" and "My stomach hates me already...I'm not going to intentionally annoy it".
A couple of days ago I bought some egg whites in order to make plain egg white omelets* and I finally got around to opening the carton today. Ok. So, I bought these egg whites, and some nice, whole grain bagels to use as a good healthy breakfast. So, what do you think I had for breakfast? First, I soaked some WHITE bread** in the equivilent of about six egg whites. Then I fried the two pieces in butter to make a french toast type thing, and put six slices of bacon in them to create a french toast bacon sandwich. It. Was. Phenomenal. Totally defeated the purpose of the lower fat egg whites, but oh well. It filled me up and was my breakfast and lunch. It kept me going through karate(lighter class today, due to the aformentioned testing, but still...). It really reminded me of someone buying a supersized Big Mac meal, and ordering a diet Coke to go with it.***
* If you haven't seen this movie, you're seriously deprived. Best make up scene EVER.
** Which I've been pretty much avoiding for the last six months.
*** Um. I've actually done this too. Not supersized though... I justify it the same way I justified my brunch today. "I'm cutting out the fat/sugar where it doesn't bother me and enjoying the rest of my food."
I've actually only been to MacDonald's two or three times in the last few months. I went for breakfasts a little bit at school before March because there's a McD's right on my route and I'm usually starving. But yeah. I've been trying to save money and cut out junk food...so I've been twice I can remember. Oddly, both times were with my tutoring student T, once to get her a treat for going to my boss's house and getting assessed, and once as a treat for her birthday.
Dammit. Now I'm hungry. And tired.
I don't know if I mentioned it, but Dave and I are going to be out of town for the next week. We leave on Monday morning and will be on Pender Island until Friday. EEEE!! So excited! Hot tub and ocean and shopping and disc golf and fishing and kayaking and, and and... Anyway, I'll probably not bother posting, but I'm sure I'll write all about it...just like how I told you all about my day in the life post...yeahhhh...
Ok, going to bed. Many things to do tomorrow.
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Thursday, June 22, 2006
So tired.
I'm in the middle of what my sponsor teacher calls a "Star Wars project". It entails a hell of a lot of work, with little or no payoff (referring to the Death Star). I'm creating a photo album for my kids...and I've arranged it like an actual book, so I have to make sure the pages are all correct and split up and it's very confusing to me...I have to go to bed now. I'm herding a group of five, six and seven year olds around the Vancouver Aquarium tomorrow. On six hours of sleep? Aiieee.
Did I mention that my faculty advisor has warned us that if we leave any students behind on a field trip, we fail our practicum? :P
I'd better get to bed. I have Subject 392-B in my group...luckily, this child adores me and won't let me out of sight. The problem will be disengaging for long enough to ensure the other five students in my group don't fall into the shark tank too often.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Blogging in the 19th Century
I was reading "Diary of A Nobody" last week, or maybe the week before. I'm not sure where I found the link, but it was rather amusing. Apparently it's mocking the journals that were being published in the 1800's by relatively famous people, but I think that it could easily have been written to mock blogs and live journals. I actually had to look it up to see that it really had been written over 100 years ago.
To demonstrate my claim:
From "Diary" Chapter II April 9th:
"Arrived home tired and worried. Mr. Putley, a painter and decorator, who had sent in a card, said he could not match the colour on the stairs, as it contained Indian carmine. He said he spent half-a-day calling at warehouses to see if he could get it. He suggested he should entirely repaint the stairs. It would cost very little more; if he tried to match it, he could only make a bad job of it. It would be more satisfactory to him and to us to have the work done properly. I consented, but felt I had been talked over. Planted some mustard-and-cress and radishes, and went to bed at nine. "
From "Random Synapses" March 18 2004 (that would be this site you're currently looking at):
"I'm going back to Ikea either today or tomorrow. I got scheduled for a lousy ten hours next week, so I can't afford my beautiful new medicine cabinet. *cry* I'll return it and then hopefully be able to buy it again next month or May, when I'm not paying as much rent. Either that or find another, cheaper, just as beautiful medicine cabinet someplace else. I'm also going to be calling the movie extras people today after I finish blogging. Hopefully they'll have some work for me for next week.
"However, the walls in my bathroom look specTACular. The ceiling is a little dark though...I mixed up some lighter blue paint for my corner shelf unit and I think I'll do some sponge painting on the ceiling. I'm NOT going to repaint the entire thing...it just about drove me to drink last time, trying to catch all the little speckles of white. *shudder*"
See? Both totally inane. The difference is that the first one was designed as a private diary (although it was actually a spoof and therefore intended for publication, but whatever...that's moot.) My inane writing is intended for an audience. After all, I have a paper journal I write in every night that I don't share with anyone. This is open to the public, and it's blatantly intended...why else would there be an About Me? Or comments? Or a list of my contact information? It's such an odd thing. I've been thinking about why I blog lately. I guess it's partly to stay in touch with friends...but I admit that I'm a little jealous of the readership that dooce et al get. I don't envy them their hate mail, or how they can't write about what toilet paper they use without people getting offended...but it must be a little gratifying to realize that thirty thousand people read you every day.
Anyway, that's just all something I'd been thinking about since I read "Diary".
*waves*
Does anyone besides me actually care about that stupid Day in the Life post?* I think I'll post it later anyway.
*(my post is stupid, not the concept. I love the concept. It just seems weird to me to post it uuuuhhhh....11 days late. And it's only up to 9:30 am. Oh well. It's a cute story so far, maybe I'll just post it as is. [aaaaaaaaaand, the footnote is longer than the sentence it inspired. Significantly so. {but I don't think that's unusual.}]**
**what was the point of footnoting something that's right at the end of the sentence? I admit, I'm copying slightly from mimi smartipants...but I really like that flow...we'll see if it works. After all, I'm all over the nested brackets.
Where the hell was I?
Oh yes. I got my final report from my practicum, and since I already typed out half of it to email to my parents* I figured that I would just copy and paste what I wrote.
*They're on a cruise through the Baltic with my little brother. Lucky so'n'so's. I've got the house to myself for the next two and a half weeks. Am planning themed get together...watch this space.
Comments in [square brackets] are mine.
"K was able to deal well with both the younger and older students of the school. K saw herself as part of the school community and acted to share resources and ideas openly and was willing to invest her time and energy into projects that were jointly undertaken with her teacher and two other student teachers..."
"K participated in aa successful EOC [employee on call] exchange day with a challenging Grade 3 class at another school."
"From the start she was determined to apply herself to her goal of becoming a great teacher and demonstrated the ability to practice what she was seeing with her School Advisor and make use of feedback from all sournces including her own self reflections. Throughout the practicum, K developed more confidence and worked towards organizing her materials [hahaha...that means my desk was STILL a mess...] and plans to be successful. As a result, she was able to plan and carry out meaningful, fun and interesting lessons and make changes when necessary to meet the individtual students...She exhibited professional mannerisms in all her actions."
"The integrated Plants, Butterflies and Rainforest units K prepared were creative and well suited for the students. She decorated the classroom accordingly and the students artwork became murals all over the walls and ceilings."
"Additionally, she was able to effectively involve one student with special needs."
"K took on all routines and responsibilities in the classroom...K loved reading to the students and always brought in an excellent collection of books well suited for her themes."
"K grew incrementally in her ability to orchestrate student learning in a safe and student centered environment....K has a very calm and patient manner and always treated students, parents and staff members with respect...K excelled in giving students genuine praise and encouragement and the pleasant tone of her classroom refected this."
"Throughout K's practicum there has been excellent growth. She appears comfortable in the role of teacher and personal attributes such as initiative, love of children, desire to connect with the students in meaningful ways, and an opennes to learning will ensure that her gowth will continue as she enters the profession. Equipped as she is with many natural talents and enhanced by her on-site training with a great educator [YAY for my sponsor teacher!!] she stands ready and prepared for teaching. We are happy to recommend K as a new teacher! [exclamation point is my faculty advisor's.]"
Now to start applying for jobs. Gah.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Sorry!
The Day post is on its way, I swear.
Last year around this time, Dave gave me a wonderful gift. I had told him at the beginning of our relationship (four years ago, now. wow.) that I didn't like getting cut flowers as presents because I hate watching them die. I don't really have room for potted indoor plants either. So last year, Dave bought me four rose bushes. :D They're potted just outside my front door, so that I can take them with my when I move out. It's awesome to be greeted by a new rose or bud whenever I leave in the morning. :)
Recent roses that have emerged:
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Holy cow, I'm a grownup.
I just spent the evening learning how to do report cards, having dinner with my sponsor teacher and family, and playing cards with him, his wife and a friend of theirs. This is freaking me out. I'm like...adult 'n' stuff.
In other news, we didn't have a scary Satanic day, although one of the boys from the intermediate grades brought a knife to school. Holy hell. What is up with that.
We released our butteflies today. It was very cute to watch the kids see them leave.
I'm tired. Good night.
Monday, June 05, 2006
Songs I currently LOVE.
From the Beat:
Wikked Little Grrls by Esthero
Promiscuous Girl by Nelly Furtado
Hips Don't Lie by Shakira
From JRFM:
Tonight I Wanna Cry by Keith Urban
Not Ready to Make Nice by The Dixie Chicks
Honky Donk Badonkadonk by Trace Adkins
Redneck Woman by Gretchen Wilson
Kiss This by Aaron Tippen
Various radio stations:
Because of You by Kelly Clarkson
There are more but I can't remember them. :(
And off to bed I go...an hour later than I hoped, but an hour earlier than I feared.
Oh yeah. And tomorrow is the infamous 6-6-6 day. (Hello googlers!) If you're worried? Get the fuck over it. Seriously. Women have been planning on inducing labour so that their kids aren't born tomorrow. The numbers are a purely arbitrary way of creating a timeline for people. According to the Chinese calendar tomorrow is day 24 in month 5 in the 95th year of the reign of the Republic. And according to the Gregorian Calendar it's already June 19th and the world didn't end. Source for dates here.
Anyway, if it turns out the world does end tomorrow...well...oops. I guess I'll be the first against the wall.
This isn't going to be funny to anyone but us. In fact, it probably won't even be funny to us when we're not exhausted.
(I just finished my last reflection for my practicum)
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
wanna copy to read at some point?
Kit --> Me says:
sure
Kit --> Me says:
I'll read it tomorrow prolly
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
take your etime
Kit --> Me says:
I ewill
Kit --> Me says:
*grins*
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
eshaddap
Kit --> Me says:
etthpt
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
emy etyping egoes estraight eto ehell eat enight
Kit --> Me says:
erofl
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
I'm giggling like an idiot over here.
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
err...eidioti.
Kit --> Me says:
eerr
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
I'm gonna start putting e at the front and i at the back
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
esoi etherei
Kit --> Me says:
lol
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
eloli
Kit --> Me says:
eloli
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
eholyi eshiti I'm exhausted.
Kit --> Me says:
eloli, loli, loli, eloli loli lo
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
OMGn
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
Oh noooooo....not n's too
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
good BYE
Kit --> Me says:
*snickers*
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
I say good NIGHT madam
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
Good DAY to you . I say GOOD DAY!
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
This is way better than being drunk
Kit --> Me says:
ok, that's enough wonka
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
I'm going to be so bad tomororw
Kit --> Me says:
ayep
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
It's from any old British movie too.
Kit --> Me says:
ah
Kit --> Me says:
*hugs* talks for chatting earlier when you sould have been working on that thought thing
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
no problem
Kit --> Me says:
I have to sort my rocks tomorrow. I didn't do it earlier
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
When I'm a total hag to my students tomorrow due to lack of sleep, I'm giving their parents your phone number, mmmmkay?
Kit --> Me says:
er... today I guess
Kit --> Me says:
lol
Kit --> Me says:
no thanks
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
heeh
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
okie
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
night
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
for real
Kit --> Me says:
night
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
ereali
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
ELOLI
Kit --> Me says:
ebyei
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
Ehahahahahi
Kit --> Me says:
eshooi
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
I need to eblogi this.
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
elateri though.
Kit --> Me says:
enoooooi
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
*egigglei*
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
Or should the vowels be outside the stars?
Kit --> Me says:
ei'lli edoi eiti efirsti
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
ebitei emei
Kit --> Me says:
einsidei
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
k
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
eki
Kit --> Me says:
*grisn*
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
Hahahaha
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
you're doing it now too
Kit --> Me says:
*egrinsi*
Kit --> Me says:
I always typo grins
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
nnononono... *egrisni*
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
that's what is for
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
I'M REALLY GOING JUST WATCH ME!
Kit --> Me says:
Kit --> Me says:
I'm watching you
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
You should just copy and paste this.
The Teacher-Don't worry...that's just my brain falling over. says:
Actually...
(Friends don’t let friends blog tired.)
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Laundry List
Is it just me who calls it that sometimes? Why a laundry list? I would guess that a person's laundry list would look like this:
LAUNDRY LIST
-do laundry
-fold and put away laundry
I suppose that those steps could be broken down into other steps, but that just seems ostentatious.
Anyway, here's what *I* did today.
-Tutored
-Took T (my student) out for lunch/buying a CD because it's her birthday on Tuesday (something she's been reminding me of for the last four months. Not in a "get me something" way...just an "I'm so excited!!" way. This makes it significantly less obnoxious.)
-changed laundry from washer to dryer (had to get laundry in there someplace)
-made a bet with Dave that I would win at disc golf today.
-lost by seven strokes at disc golf today.
-went to the mall and had two bathing suits, a pair of shoes, various shoe and sport paraphenalia and a grand amount of undergarments purchased for me.
-had dinner at Dave's
-read "The Positronic Man" by Isaac Asimov
-came home and put together the ultimate fruit salad, containing the fruits I love (grapes, pineapple, banana, peach [I forgot about the mango until after my container was full, I didn't feel like peeling oranges and I like to save my apples to eat with peanut butter or cheese. {and Dave cringes as he reads that last part.}]) and none of the crappy filler fruits that are in commercial fruit salad (Melon. Bleah. [And Dave thinks of all the times I've eaten melon and enjoyed it.])
-currently thinking about my final reflection for my practicum, eating my guacamole and chips, and a bowl of fresh pineapple in front of me, in anticipation of my desire for a sweet food instead of my salty chips.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Something I Have Wanted to Write About and Have Forgotten Until Now
The female staff bathrooms in Vancouver schools are very odd. There's a locking door, a small area with sink, soap, garbage can, etc...then a single stall within the room, which also locks and contains the toilet. I don't understand why the toilet needs to be sequestered away from the sink. It's not like the sink will be offended if they're in the same room. Nor will there be anyone else in there washing their hands if you lock the main door. I'm confused...and I have this compulsion that I can't just lock the first door and leave the other one alone. It's a small thing, but it irritates me. When I was in a different school (which had the same layout!), I decided that I was going to just leave the damned inner door open. I don't know why it bothers me, but it just DOES! Anyway, I left the door open, and I heard someone rattling at the door to open it. Minor panic, then I laugh to myself. Silly! There is a lock! And it is locked! Ha ha ha!
And then I hear a key turn in the deadbolt.
More than minor panic ensues as I lock the inner door. Whoever it was didn't actually come in, but it was a very weird moment. Why would someone try to open the door? I'm even more confused by that. The door at Gigabyte has a latch bolt and no key, which is why I was complacent.
Aren't you glad you waited around to read this?
Friday, June 02, 2006
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Melted.
I have so many things I've mentally noted to write about and I can't think of many at the moment.
I saw X3 last night with Kit, Bimkins, Dave and Michelle (whom I believe I've mentioned once or twice. I was her bridesmaid two or three years ago.) I finally got to see a trailer for Snakes on a (mothaF*CKING) Plane! I think I was the only one in the theatre to "get it". Although it's funny because I was pretty meh about the whole thing, but now I'm all over it.
I made guacamole tonight. Mmmmm...guacalmole. Too much garlic, which means it's almost garlicky enough for me. So gooooood.
That's about it. I want to make an appointment for an eye exam, since I haven't had one for about five years. I've been noticing things getting a little blurry around the edges...kind of losing their sharpness. I've had glasses before (and look damn fine in them) but I tend to forget to wear them.
Appointments I need to make: doctor, dentist (ensuring that the asshole hygenist doesn't clean my teeth again. He was such a wanker, and I actually threatened to walk out if he didn't quit telling me that I made a bad choice about going into teaching.), optometrist, audiologist. Bleah. I hate making appointments for stuff. :(
Tomorrow's gonna be such a slack day. I'm excited. I didn't even need to prep anything. :D
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