For the past couple weeks, my husband and I have been on a quest for inexpensive sweatbands. This is because we recently started playing tennis, and neither of us have ever been much into sports. Just as we were about to go out and play for the first time, we looked at one another in our not-very-athletic shorts and t-shirts and decided that the only thing that could make us look more ridiculous would be sweatbands. Therefore, we needed sweatbands.
Initially, we expected to be able to acquire said sweatbands for $1 or so each. But there weren't any sweatbands at the dollar store. Nor were there any in Claire's or Ardene. Even in Play It Again Sports, they only had wristbands. We went all over the city and though most places carried wristbands, only a couple carried sweatbands. SportMart and SportChek. Both for about $5 each. This was significantly more than we were willing to spend on a joke. So we didn't get them for the longest time.
But then yesterday, it was a swelteringly hot day. We were sweating pretty badly and we weren't even playing tennis yet. We decided to just go out and get the damned $5 sweatbands. We'd been everywhere and even Walmart didn't have sweatbands for any less than $5. So we bought them from SportMart, because there's a sales associate from SportChek that is just so unpleasant to be around. Then we went out and played some tennis.
Despite looking pretty ridiculous, I must say, I was glad to be wearing my sweatband in the hot weather.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Impatience
This whole not working and not studying thing is really making me impatient. I need a job soon so I can at least afford some better hobbies than internet surfing and daydreaming.
I started looking through the forum on acne.org to see if there were any convincing before and after pictures of people who had tried laser treatments. Wait, no, first I was looking for extreme makeover-type shows, but none exist anymore. Anyways, I ended up looking through before and after pictures for people who had used "The Regimen", and yes, everyone capitalized it as if it were a God. It started seeming cult-like and con-y, and yet I had gone on this regimen myself, though I had altered it a bit to suit my needs. It essentially did work. But I stopped using benzoyl peroxide, got stressed and switched medications. My acne came back with a vengeance, and the stress mixed with my inability to cope led to the old habit discussed earlier in this blog. My acne got worse and now, even though my skin is better than it was in my teens, I still feel like I'm right back at square one.
Here's where the impatience comes in. I could just wait a few weeks to let the switch in meds work its magic and try really hard not to touch my skin in the meantime. Logic would dictate this is the best course of action that would truly get down to the root of the cause...by only changing one thing at a time. However....as previously established, I've become impatient and want immediate results from something that takes lots of time. I'm going to venture out to Shoppers Drug Mart and pick me up some benzoyl peroxide.
I started looking through the forum on acne.org to see if there were any convincing before and after pictures of people who had tried laser treatments. Wait, no, first I was looking for extreme makeover-type shows, but none exist anymore. Anyways, I ended up looking through before and after pictures for people who had used "The Regimen", and yes, everyone capitalized it as if it were a God. It started seeming cult-like and con-y, and yet I had gone on this regimen myself, though I had altered it a bit to suit my needs. It essentially did work. But I stopped using benzoyl peroxide, got stressed and switched medications. My acne came back with a vengeance, and the stress mixed with my inability to cope led to the old habit discussed earlier in this blog. My acne got worse and now, even though my skin is better than it was in my teens, I still feel like I'm right back at square one.
Here's where the impatience comes in. I could just wait a few weeks to let the switch in meds work its magic and try really hard not to touch my skin in the meantime. Logic would dictate this is the best course of action that would truly get down to the root of the cause...by only changing one thing at a time. However....as previously established, I've become impatient and want immediate results from something that takes lots of time. I'm going to venture out to Shoppers Drug Mart and pick me up some benzoyl peroxide.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Self-Improvement Challenge
So...I took a wee bit of a break from the milk mask. Partially because I've run out of honey to mix it with and partially because I realized that I was breaking out a lot because of a poor choice of medication so even if it was effective, I wouldn't notice until I switch meds. I've since seen the doctor and will be switching meds shortly. Then I'll resume the milk masks and watch it work its wonders.
On the clothing front: I got rid of clothes that were either disintegrating noticeably or didn't fit anymore and I've started, bit by bit, to add better pieces to my wardrobe. Just a couple shirts thus far, and they were from Value Village, but it's a start.
Hair-wise I'm planning on getting a REAL haircut, from a REAL hairdresser for graduation. Just something as a bit of a pick-me-up and hopefully it'll be more flattering than anything I'd be doing myself.
Health-wise, my husband and I have been doing a lot of sporty activities. Each day we play tennis or roller blade and other things might get thrown into the mix. I've also been trying to challenge myself in my morning yoga routine, toning muscles in my lower back and abs. Groceries have also been edited a bit. I've been trying to eat more fish and lean meat as opposed to the heavier meats and I've been buying more fruits and veggies than normal. I've also cut down on the sweets :(
So, lots of changes! I'm hoping they'll stick, but it is a challenge to fit it all into my daily routine....and it'll be even more of a challenge when I'm working all day. We'll see how it goes.
On the clothing front: I got rid of clothes that were either disintegrating noticeably or didn't fit anymore and I've started, bit by bit, to add better pieces to my wardrobe. Just a couple shirts thus far, and they were from Value Village, but it's a start.
Hair-wise I'm planning on getting a REAL haircut, from a REAL hairdresser for graduation. Just something as a bit of a pick-me-up and hopefully it'll be more flattering than anything I'd be doing myself.
Health-wise, my husband and I have been doing a lot of sporty activities. Each day we play tennis or roller blade and other things might get thrown into the mix. I've also been trying to challenge myself in my morning yoga routine, toning muscles in my lower back and abs. Groceries have also been edited a bit. I've been trying to eat more fish and lean meat as opposed to the heavier meats and I've been buying more fruits and veggies than normal. I've also cut down on the sweets :(
So, lots of changes! I'm hoping they'll stick, but it is a challenge to fit it all into my daily routine....and it'll be even more of a challenge when I'm working all day. We'll see how it goes.
With Distinction
Yesterday I received an email from the University of Guelph informing me that I was approved for graduation. It also said that I would be graduating with distinction. Not really knowing what precisely that meant, I repeatedly reminded my husband that I was going to graduate with distinction. I'm sure it was just as amusing the 22nd time as the first.
This morning, before blurting it out to the Facebook world and Twittersphere, I decided to look up what it meant. At some schools, it means that you never failed a single class. Which...I suppose might be difficult for those who like to party a lot. I was a little let down. But then I discovered that the University of Guelph has a slightly different viewpoint. It has to do with cumulative average. A degree with standing is basically, anyone who actually got their degree. A degree with honours is an average between 70-79%. However, a degree with distinction means that your overall cumulative average is above an 80%. That's me. I did BETTER than those people who graduated with honours. Heck yeah!
But now, here is where I get confused. I also have an honours degree. I understood that to mean it was four years as opposed to three. So, does that mean that some people from my program are going to have an honours degree with honours? That'll sound awfully redundant to those watching. I however, will have no such redundancies. I will have an honours degree with distinction. That sounds infinitely better, doesn't it?
Yes...this post was all about bragging. But, come one, I worked my ass off for four years. I'm owed a little bit of bragging rights.
This morning, before blurting it out to the Facebook world and Twittersphere, I decided to look up what it meant. At some schools, it means that you never failed a single class. Which...I suppose might be difficult for those who like to party a lot. I was a little let down. But then I discovered that the University of Guelph has a slightly different viewpoint. It has to do with cumulative average. A degree with standing is basically, anyone who actually got their degree. A degree with honours is an average between 70-79%. However, a degree with distinction means that your overall cumulative average is above an 80%. That's me. I did BETTER than those people who graduated with honours. Heck yeah!
But now, here is where I get confused. I also have an honours degree. I understood that to mean it was four years as opposed to three. So, does that mean that some people from my program are going to have an honours degree with honours? That'll sound awfully redundant to those watching. I however, will have no such redundancies. I will have an honours degree with distinction. That sounds infinitely better, doesn't it?
Yes...this post was all about bragging. But, come one, I worked my ass off for four years. I'm owed a little bit of bragging rights.
Friday, May 27, 2011
It's Finally Paying Off!
Back around Christmas time, my husband bought me a How To Play Keyboard book because I sort of inherited one and always wanted to learn to play it. I started going through the lessons and was feeling pretty happy about my progress, until I realized I sort of hit a brick wall. I wasn't practicing enough, didn't really know what to practice so I kind of forgot about it for a bit.
Then recently I thought, what I really need is to practice moving my fingers over the keys and learning what notes go together and so on. I started practicing scales. First C, then G...then D and A, E and B. All major scales. I started learning where the black keys went and a lot of the theory was beginning to make sense. Then today in the shower I started playing around with a song idea. I really liked it and realized it sounded bluesy, so I looked up in the book how to play a blues scale. The first, fourth and fifth notes of the scale. I realized I wanted it to sound a bit dissonant so I opted for a minor scale, and A minor seemed to be a good range for me so I went with it. Now I've got a bit of a song....at least 2 verses! And it's decent! And played on keyboard! I can play a blues song! My own blues song!
So...for future reference, starting on scales and learning the patterns really is the best way to go about learning music.
Then recently I thought, what I really need is to practice moving my fingers over the keys and learning what notes go together and so on. I started practicing scales. First C, then G...then D and A, E and B. All major scales. I started learning where the black keys went and a lot of the theory was beginning to make sense. Then today in the shower I started playing around with a song idea. I really liked it and realized it sounded bluesy, so I looked up in the book how to play a blues scale. The first, fourth and fifth notes of the scale. I realized I wanted it to sound a bit dissonant so I opted for a minor scale, and A minor seemed to be a good range for me so I went with it. Now I've got a bit of a song....at least 2 verses! And it's decent! And played on keyboard! I can play a blues song! My own blues song!
So...for future reference, starting on scales and learning the patterns really is the best way to go about learning music.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Crickets
I said I'd tell you about the crickets, and today shall be the day to tell that tale.
One day I was doing something in the apartment when I thought I heard the sound of crickets. No....not crickets, a SINGLE cricket. Odd....you usually hear them all together, not individually. And not usually so loud. Then dawned on me. It's coming from INSIDE the house!
My husband and I went on the lookout, trying to hunt down the cricket. We eventually got it cornered, but unfortunately, we couldn't reach it...with anything...at all. We'd have to wait until it came out in the open.
So we waited....
And waited....
..........waited.
It was late and we wanted to go to bed, so we thought 'screw it...we'll take care of it in the morning'. So we turned off all the lights, got into our pajamas and crawled into bed.
Funny thing about crickets....they're most active at night.
We had quite a bit of trouble getting to sleep. Every few seconds there was that individual cricket sound that sounds a wee bit like a whistle...or train whistle even. It was loud, obnoxious and persistent. I finally got some sleep, but was again awoken by the sound of the cricket. This time it was louder.
I got up to go to the bathroom, and there was the cricket. Making it's chirping sound in the most echo-y part of the apartment, making the most noise it can possibly make. An epic battle ensued in which I finally won, captured the little cricket (I couldn't kill it) and threw it outside.
....
The cricket came back the next day. Sadly, the cricket lost that battle too and this time I was far less merciful.
One day I was doing something in the apartment when I thought I heard the sound of crickets. No....not crickets, a SINGLE cricket. Odd....you usually hear them all together, not individually. And not usually so loud. Then dawned on me. It's coming from INSIDE the house!
My husband and I went on the lookout, trying to hunt down the cricket. We eventually got it cornered, but unfortunately, we couldn't reach it...with anything...at all. We'd have to wait until it came out in the open.
So we waited....
And waited....
..........waited.
It was late and we wanted to go to bed, so we thought 'screw it...we'll take care of it in the morning'. So we turned off all the lights, got into our pajamas and crawled into bed.
Funny thing about crickets....they're most active at night.
We had quite a bit of trouble getting to sleep. Every few seconds there was that individual cricket sound that sounds a wee bit like a whistle...or train whistle even. It was loud, obnoxious and persistent. I finally got some sleep, but was again awoken by the sound of the cricket. This time it was louder.
I got up to go to the bathroom, and there was the cricket. Making it's chirping sound in the most echo-y part of the apartment, making the most noise it can possibly make. An epic battle ensued in which I finally won, captured the little cricket (I couldn't kill it) and threw it outside.
....
The cricket came back the next day. Sadly, the cricket lost that battle too and this time I was far less merciful.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Shocking
I don't own a scale. Nor have I for a number of years. I've been running on the assumption that my body weight hasn't changed in a long time and likely won't for a while longer. I had been 125lbs from grade.....7(?) until about grade 10/11. Somewhere around there I moved up to 130lbs and then I moved out to university and never bought a scale. I haven't grown vertically since I was about 12.
Yesterday, my husband and I went to Value Village and he wanted to know how much he weighed, so we went to the scales. He had gained a few pounds in muscle mass. I had also gained some weight. According to three separate scales, I'm just a hair under 150lbs now. That's 20lbs more than I was! What the hell?! I didn't think I'd really gained any weight...in fact, I thought I might be losing weight.
I'm telling myself that it's because I'm turning flab into muscle since my husband and I have been so active lately. But....20lbs?! That's like a baby. And not a little newborn either. Yet, most people I talk to seem to think I'm borderline underweight based on the look of me....my BMI is bordering on overweight. What gives?! I could probably handle being 140lbs...but, 150? This is going to take some adjusting.
Yesterday, my husband and I went to Value Village and he wanted to know how much he weighed, so we went to the scales. He had gained a few pounds in muscle mass. I had also gained some weight. According to three separate scales, I'm just a hair under 150lbs now. That's 20lbs more than I was! What the hell?! I didn't think I'd really gained any weight...in fact, I thought I might be losing weight.
I'm telling myself that it's because I'm turning flab into muscle since my husband and I have been so active lately. But....20lbs?! That's like a baby. And not a little newborn either. Yet, most people I talk to seem to think I'm borderline underweight based on the look of me....my BMI is bordering on overweight. What gives?! I could probably handle being 140lbs...but, 150? This is going to take some adjusting.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Self Improvement Challenge
Ok, so, remember when I decided to start taking better care of myself? Or something like that....
I decided to start working on my posture. I used to have fantastic posture because I actively worked on it every day back in high school. When I was about 12 or so, my doctor told me I was developing scoliosis. My dad who blatantly ignores the advice of every professional ever, decided not to do any sort of physical therapy or anything like that. No, he gave me a yoga video and expected me to fix my own damn scoliosis. Well, I did that yoga video every day and practiced sitting up straight and standing properly. Over the years, my good posture kind of became my thing. People could recognize me from a distance because no one stood that straight.
Since attending university and hunching over textbooks and laptops my posture has downgraded quite a bit, and I've been noticing more lower back pain than I had before. Yesterday I took a good look at myself in the mirror and realized that I've been holding my stomach area forward and my shoulders were hunched. I had a bit of an S shape going on. It made me look pretty weird.
I tried to correct the flaws in my posture and after having done so, and I was standing up perfectly aligned, most of my bodily complaints about looking disproportionate went out the window. My posture was making me look bad. Well, no more! I am going to add postures to my daily yoga routine (which has downgraded over the years to a few minutes of stretching) that improve my posture. I'm going to work on strengthening my core muscles to help straighten it all up and try to remind myself to keep my shoulders back.
I'll let you know how it goes...
I decided to start working on my posture. I used to have fantastic posture because I actively worked on it every day back in high school. When I was about 12 or so, my doctor told me I was developing scoliosis. My dad who blatantly ignores the advice of every professional ever, decided not to do any sort of physical therapy or anything like that. No, he gave me a yoga video and expected me to fix my own damn scoliosis. Well, I did that yoga video every day and practiced sitting up straight and standing properly. Over the years, my good posture kind of became my thing. People could recognize me from a distance because no one stood that straight.
Since attending university and hunching over textbooks and laptops my posture has downgraded quite a bit, and I've been noticing more lower back pain than I had before. Yesterday I took a good look at myself in the mirror and realized that I've been holding my stomach area forward and my shoulders were hunched. I had a bit of an S shape going on. It made me look pretty weird.
I tried to correct the flaws in my posture and after having done so, and I was standing up perfectly aligned, most of my bodily complaints about looking disproportionate went out the window. My posture was making me look bad. Well, no more! I am going to add postures to my daily yoga routine (which has downgraded over the years to a few minutes of stretching) that improve my posture. I'm going to work on strengthening my core muscles to help straighten it all up and try to remind myself to keep my shoulders back.
I'll let you know how it goes...
Monday, May 23, 2011
Taps Part 2.
Remember when I blogged about the kitchen tap? How it leaked since the first day we moved in, and eventually began whining about it? Well, a month or maybe a couple months ago the tap in the bathroom started leaking as well. It started off as a slow drip, but each time we tried to tighten the tap a little more, the leak got that much worse. Eventually it was a constant stream of water. Made a lot of noise that echoed in the bathroom. So to recap, we had a tap in the kitchen making water noises and the occasional screeching sound and a tap in the bathroom making water noises, some inebriated, loud neighbours and at one point a cricket. If I haven't posted about that one yet, maybe I will soon.
Getting to sleep in my apartment is a skill.
Today however, after months of agony and sleepless nights, we got our taps fixed! Both of them! All in one day! And fixed within an hour! Now it's deathly quiet in here. No running water, no screeching....nothing. All that can be heard is the tapping of my fingertips on my keyboard and the cars driving by outside.
Getting to sleep in my apartment is a skill.
Today however, after months of agony and sleepless nights, we got our taps fixed! Both of them! All in one day! And fixed within an hour! Now it's deathly quiet in here. No running water, no screeching....nothing. All that can be heard is the tapping of my fingertips on my keyboard and the cars driving by outside.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
The Epic Biscotti
I promised my friend that I would blog about the EPIC BISCOTTI. I had planned on documenting the entire process but, well, I arranged all my ingredients and took a picture. Then realized I had too little sugar, so I went out to get more sugar, got sleepy and decided to make the biscotti in the morning. By then I had completely forgotten about documenting it.
Anyways, here we go.
The ingredients are as follows:
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp of baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- however many sliced almonds as I could find (about 1/4 cup)
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 cup of sugar
- 2 cups of flour
- some vanilla and almond extracts to taste
I beat the eggs and sugar until they went all pale from freight. Then I added the almonds, cocoa powder and extracts. And, because I didn't have a second big mixing bowl to mix the dry ingredients, I added the salt, stirred a bit, then the baking powder and stirred a bit more and then finally added the flour last.
The batter is then separated in two and shaped into two loaves on a pan. I baked for 40 minutes at 350F (rotating half way through). After that, I let them cool for a bit, sliced them up and baked again for about 7/8 minutes per side. Then I was left with delicious biscotti to enjoy with my morning coffee! And because they're small, I can tell myself it's ok to have 3 in one sitting.
 |
| Just look at that perfection! |
 |
| Yuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmm! |
R.I.P.
I just received news that my great uncle died on Friday. I wasn't close with him, but I always liked him. He was a good man with a kind heart. I regret not getting to know him better. He was one of those people that you can't help but feel happy when he's around. He died of lung cancer, but he had lived a good, long life. Rest in peace.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Suuu...ooo....ggaaaaar..?
So....I may be neglecting my health. I realized that I've been up since 8:30am...it's now 7pm and all I've eaten is a bowl of cereal, a yogurt snack and some biscotti. Plus ya know, some coffee and tea. I came to this realization when I was writing cover letters and realized I was barely writing coherent sentences and was making an incredible amount of typos. I proceeded to slump over on my couch and lay there for a while. Then I realized....I was probably running out of energy. Literally. Like, you know how they list 'Energy' on the nutrition labels? Well, I believe I was pretty low on it. Like, if I were a Sim, my Energy bar would be verging on red and I'd fall asleep on the floor, then wake up a few hours later and start cursing and swearing. And yet, I don't feel hungry yet....and really...my husband gets home from work a little after 8...and then we can have dinner....so it seems silly to eat now, when I'll be making dinner within the hour.
Speaking of biscotti, I will soon post a before and after-type entry about making them. It would have been a step-by-step entry, but I forgot to take pictures in between.
Speaking of biscotti, I will soon post a before and after-type entry about making them. It would have been a step-by-step entry, but I forgot to take pictures in between.
Friday, May 20, 2011
MSN Convo of the Day
Me: hehe wow...gotta love Kijiji ads: "Neef rodbuster to tie steel . Looking to sub contract out .if interested please leave a contact number.thanks. "
Friend X: hahaha
Me: I don't know what a rodbuster is, but apparently they neef one really badly
Friend X: XD
Friend X: hahaha
Me: I don't know what a rodbuster is, but apparently they neef one really badly
Friend X: XD
Chocolate Substitute
Yesterday was a tough day. I went overkill on searching for jobs online, returning phone calls, making other phone calls, doing laundry and getting groceries. I was sore, and aching all over and then went to band practice until about 11pm so not only was I sore, but I was "working" for about 14 hours straight. I underestimated the toll it would take on me because I figured I was "just doing housework".
So I took it easy today. I'll be doing a bit more laundry (I can only do so much at once since the laundromat is a couple minutes' walk away) but I've spent today reading, chatting with people online and walking around in the beautiful weather we're having here. The highlight of the day though has to be the past hour that I spent sitting on the balcony, drinking a cooler and slowly eating a box of raspberries, savouring every bite all the while listening to The Magnetic Fields.
I realized through this experience that raspberries are by far my favourite food. It's better than chocolate, by far. Many women will say that they prefer chocolate to sex. I've never found that to be true, mainly because I crave chocolate but then once I indulge in that craving, I am almost invariably disappointed (however, Ritter Sport chocolate is rarely a disappointment). Raspberries always leave me wanting more. The flesh of the berry is unbelievably soft, and the inside is filled with the most gratifying juice I've ever had, though orange juice is a close runner up. I would gladly take raspberries over chocolate any day.
A week or two back, I posted about taking care of myself as best I can. Well, I believe that part of that will be indulging in my raspberry cravings from time to time. They're sweet, satisfying and healthy (though somewhat expensive for how little you get). I can spare the extra 50 cents or so to opt for the healthier, better option than for a chocolate bar.
I'd be curious to hear about other people's healthy alternatives to chocolate treats, or general chocolate-related opinions.
So I took it easy today. I'll be doing a bit more laundry (I can only do so much at once since the laundromat is a couple minutes' walk away) but I've spent today reading, chatting with people online and walking around in the beautiful weather we're having here. The highlight of the day though has to be the past hour that I spent sitting on the balcony, drinking a cooler and slowly eating a box of raspberries, savouring every bite all the while listening to The Magnetic Fields.
I realized through this experience that raspberries are by far my favourite food. It's better than chocolate, by far. Many women will say that they prefer chocolate to sex. I've never found that to be true, mainly because I crave chocolate but then once I indulge in that craving, I am almost invariably disappointed (however, Ritter Sport chocolate is rarely a disappointment). Raspberries always leave me wanting more. The flesh of the berry is unbelievably soft, and the inside is filled with the most gratifying juice I've ever had, though orange juice is a close runner up. I would gladly take raspberries over chocolate any day.
A week or two back, I posted about taking care of myself as best I can. Well, I believe that part of that will be indulging in my raspberry cravings from time to time. They're sweet, satisfying and healthy (though somewhat expensive for how little you get). I can spare the extra 50 cents or so to opt for the healthier, better option than for a chocolate bar.
I'd be curious to hear about other people's healthy alternatives to chocolate treats, or general chocolate-related opinions.
It Gets Louder and Louder
This song is just so incredibly catchy and has been stuck in my head for at least a week now. So, I decided to share it with all of you...ya know, in case you've been living under a rock and haven't heard it.
Florence and The Machine - Drumming Song
*I apologize for not embedding it....but embedding has been specifically disabled for this song.
Florence and The Machine - Drumming Song
*I apologize for not embedding it....but embedding has been specifically disabled for this song.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Who Doesn't Take Visa?
Yesterday was a long day. Or at least, it felt very long despite not having to really do all that much. At 7:40am, I was dressed and ready to go. I caught the city bus, rode it for almost an hour to where I could pick up the Go bus and rode that bus for about an hour and a half. I finally got to Square One, another transfer point, at about 9:55am and had a little bit of time to kill.
I figured I should get the bus ticket-buying business out of the way right off the bat, so I found the ticket booth and waited patiently in line.
"I'd like to buy two city bus tickets and a Go bus ticket please."
"We only sell city tickets in packs of five."
"Oh.....but...I'm only going to use two."
"You can just pay $3 in change."
"Hmm...I have no cash......(pause) well....I'll take the Go bus ticket anyway. On Visa."
*taps the glass*
"We don't take credit."
*stunned look on my face*
"You don't take credit?"
Normally I'd be all 'Sure, I'll pay debit.' but keep in mind that I've been an unemployed student for quite some time and am now simply unemployed. I had too little money in my account to pay for the tickets. A little miffed, I made the journey to the other end of Square One where I could go to the TD Bank and get money from my husband's account (isn't marriage lovely?) and then got some breakfast and bought my Go ticket, making sure I had enough loonies and toonies to get to where I was going and back.
I had an additional half hour bus ride to my final destination and then had another half hour to kill until my interview. I walked around and made note of the surroundings. I was apparently in Streetsville. And Streetsville has its own Go station mere minutes walking distance from where I had to be. If only I'd known.
The interview went well (I think/ I hope) and soon I was on my way back. The half hour bus ride, then the two hour wait for the hour long bus ride and then a 15 minute wait for another hour long bus ride. I got back home sometime after 5pm. So really, it was a pretty long day, just very boring and tedious...with lots of going from place to place.
Can you imagine how much time we'd all have on our hands if we didn't have to take time for transit? Most people I know commute anywhere from half an hour to an hour and a half twice a day just to work. That's up to 3 hours a day just traveling!
All I'm saying is I wish they'd go ahead and invent that teleportation device already.
I figured I should get the bus ticket-buying business out of the way right off the bat, so I found the ticket booth and waited patiently in line.
"I'd like to buy two city bus tickets and a Go bus ticket please."
"We only sell city tickets in packs of five."
"Oh.....but...I'm only going to use two."
"You can just pay $3 in change."
"Hmm...I have no cash......(pause) well....I'll take the Go bus ticket anyway. On Visa."
*taps the glass*
"We don't take credit."
*stunned look on my face*
"You don't take credit?"
Normally I'd be all 'Sure, I'll pay debit.' but keep in mind that I've been an unemployed student for quite some time and am now simply unemployed. I had too little money in my account to pay for the tickets. A little miffed, I made the journey to the other end of Square One where I could go to the TD Bank and get money from my husband's account (isn't marriage lovely?) and then got some breakfast and bought my Go ticket, making sure I had enough loonies and toonies to get to where I was going and back.
I had an additional half hour bus ride to my final destination and then had another half hour to kill until my interview. I walked around and made note of the surroundings. I was apparently in Streetsville. And Streetsville has its own Go station mere minutes walking distance from where I had to be. If only I'd known.
The interview went well (I think/ I hope) and soon I was on my way back. The half hour bus ride, then the two hour wait for the hour long bus ride and then a 15 minute wait for another hour long bus ride. I got back home sometime after 5pm. So really, it was a pretty long day, just very boring and tedious...with lots of going from place to place.
Can you imagine how much time we'd all have on our hands if we didn't have to take time for transit? Most people I know commute anywhere from half an hour to an hour and a half twice a day just to work. That's up to 3 hours a day just traveling!
All I'm saying is I wish they'd go ahead and invent that teleportation device already.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Adventure
Today I'm off to Mississauga for a job interview. It was very last minute and required me to buy bus tickets on the fly with GO transit, which I've never used before. We'll see how it goes. I plan on giving full details upon my return.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Back!
After a week visiting friends and family I have returned. There was quite a lot of outrageous and interesting goings ons, but unfortunately I cannot in good conscience share all of it in such a public forum.
More to come when I have more time.
More to come when I have more time.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Ugh.
So, I called the human resources department asking about that job I really wanted. I'm pretty sure I didn't get it. They said they'd selected something like 7 applicants already, and I hadn't received a phone call yet, so yeah.
Oh, and now that someone's posted an awareness video on Facebook...I think I may have cancer.
Oh, and now that someone's posted an awareness video on Facebook...I think I may have cancer.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
New Purpose in Life?
It is no secret that I am easily influenced. You may recall my last post made...a couple hours ago regarding using up the milk in my fridge with milk masks and bathing and whatnot. I YouTubed a ton of videos about milk masks, made a milk and honey mask for myself, put it on and while I was waiting for it to dry, started watching more beauty-related YouTube videos.
Through this random selection of videos, I stumbled upon Kandee Johnson's videos, went to her website and became completely captivated by her beauty abilities and the amount of discipline she seems to have when it comes to taking care of herself. I too like to think I take good care of myself, but I've been lacking quite a bit in my appearance over the past couple years. I'm sick of looking in the mirror and being unimpressed, so I think I'm going to embark upon a beauty challenge.
By beauty challenge, I don't mean that I'm going to try a 30 day detox, or a special diet or fitness program. I don't like gimmicky things like that because I find they don't tend to work. Instead, I'm just going to make it a personal goal to take better care of myself and to search for more and better ways to look and feel great.
A while back I tried to do a skin care regime involving a lot of benzoyl peroxide, moisturizer and exfoliant. It worked relatively well...sort of....after a long time, but it left my skin hopelessly dry and I felt dependent on all these harsh chemicals. Not to mention it was extremely costly especially since I've been a student for the past four years with more expenses than income, so really any amount of money spent on personal care seemed frivolous.
Then more recently, in part inspired by the frugality of it, I endorsed the no shampoo movement. This was a mixed blessing since I live in a city with very hard water. Hard water is the arch-nemesis of the no shampoo movement. Though my hair no longer had split ends and no longer became frizzy, it would often feel "gluey" so after almost a year, I was forced to go back to shampoo. Fortunately, I had learned so much about shampoo that I was able to go to Winners and get a massive bottle of Peter Coppola shampoo that smells amazing and isn't as harsh as most other shampoos. I spent $10 and use incredibly small amounts so it will last me a long time.
Then around New Years, I became aware of my particular form of OCD - skin picking. I hadn't really done anything about, at least not successfully but I'm contemplating a trip to the doctor for some help (as recommended by counseling services).
So really, there've been a number of ups and downs and confusing variables in my appearance and though I don't know exactly what's to blame, I have noticed a lot of breakouts that aren't healing well. I also cut my hair a few weeks ago in response to some fairly extreme stress....which kind of needs to be fixed. To add another layer to all of this, I've also been going through my clothes and realized that just about all of my clothes are either deteriorating or don't fit me so I need a new wardrobe and have no money to do it.
Sorry, I realized this post is very unstructured and rambly, but I felt it necessary to add in all the different angles to consider in my sudden, and possibly temporary, decision to improve how I look and feel. Summary: I'm broke but every aspect of my appearance has been degrading...rapidly...and it makes me sad.
What does this mean? I've got a fresh start and the motivation to make myself the best I can be. As I come across different things, I'm going to try them out and update you all on this blog. The first thing on the agenda is the milk and honey mask I mentioned before. You take nearly equal parts milk and honey (slightly more honey than milk though) and mix them really well so it's all a cohesive liquid. Spread it on your face with clean hands and let it dry for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with cool-ish water. Do it a couple times a week and there we go. I'll let you know how it turns out after a few times of doing it.
Through this random selection of videos, I stumbled upon Kandee Johnson's videos, went to her website and became completely captivated by her beauty abilities and the amount of discipline she seems to have when it comes to taking care of herself. I too like to think I take good care of myself, but I've been lacking quite a bit in my appearance over the past couple years. I'm sick of looking in the mirror and being unimpressed, so I think I'm going to embark upon a beauty challenge.
By beauty challenge, I don't mean that I'm going to try a 30 day detox, or a special diet or fitness program. I don't like gimmicky things like that because I find they don't tend to work. Instead, I'm just going to make it a personal goal to take better care of myself and to search for more and better ways to look and feel great.
A while back I tried to do a skin care regime involving a lot of benzoyl peroxide, moisturizer and exfoliant. It worked relatively well...sort of....after a long time, but it left my skin hopelessly dry and I felt dependent on all these harsh chemicals. Not to mention it was extremely costly especially since I've been a student for the past four years with more expenses than income, so really any amount of money spent on personal care seemed frivolous.
Then more recently, in part inspired by the frugality of it, I endorsed the no shampoo movement. This was a mixed blessing since I live in a city with very hard water. Hard water is the arch-nemesis of the no shampoo movement. Though my hair no longer had split ends and no longer became frizzy, it would often feel "gluey" so after almost a year, I was forced to go back to shampoo. Fortunately, I had learned so much about shampoo that I was able to go to Winners and get a massive bottle of Peter Coppola shampoo that smells amazing and isn't as harsh as most other shampoos. I spent $10 and use incredibly small amounts so it will last me a long time.
Then around New Years, I became aware of my particular form of OCD - skin picking. I hadn't really done anything about, at least not successfully but I'm contemplating a trip to the doctor for some help (as recommended by counseling services).
So really, there've been a number of ups and downs and confusing variables in my appearance and though I don't know exactly what's to blame, I have noticed a lot of breakouts that aren't healing well. I also cut my hair a few weeks ago in response to some fairly extreme stress....which kind of needs to be fixed. To add another layer to all of this, I've also been going through my clothes and realized that just about all of my clothes are either deteriorating or don't fit me so I need a new wardrobe and have no money to do it.
Sorry, I realized this post is very unstructured and rambly, but I felt it necessary to add in all the different angles to consider in my sudden, and possibly temporary, decision to improve how I look and feel. Summary: I'm broke but every aspect of my appearance has been degrading...rapidly...and it makes me sad.
What does this mean? I've got a fresh start and the motivation to make myself the best I can be. As I come across different things, I'm going to try them out and update you all on this blog. The first thing on the agenda is the milk and honey mask I mentioned before. You take nearly equal parts milk and honey (slightly more honey than milk though) and mix them really well so it's all a cohesive liquid. Spread it on your face with clean hands and let it dry for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with cool-ish water. Do it a couple times a week and there we go. I'll let you know how it turns out after a few times of doing it.
Cleaning Out The Fridge
My husband and I are leaving Tuesday morning to go back home for a week. There are still a number of perishables in the fridge. Sour cream, salsa and cheese - mix 'em together with some nachos, no problem! Juice - we'll go through that pretty fast. Meat can be frozen. Onions and carrots can be made into soup. But...we've got a ton of milk. We use milk for coffee and cereal, but I've been having eggs and bacon for breakfast in order to use that stuff up before we leave. This means I need to find a way to use up our milk in two days.
I recalled reading somewhere that milk was good for your skin. So after a quick search, I found this blog post that has inspired me to bathe in it.
I recalled reading somewhere that milk was good for your skin. So after a quick search, I found this blog post that has inspired me to bathe in it.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
The Shit is About to Hit the Fan
I may post once or twice over the next week, but it'll be sparse. I'm in the middle of a storm of craziness and I honestly have no idea how this is going to end.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
The Storytellers' Guild
About a week ago, I spent some time on Google looking for free things to do in Guelph, or really anything to do in Guelph that sounds like fun. There were a bunch of art galleries, and some live music every so often but what really caught my eye was 'Storytelling'. Intrigued, I clicked the link and was delighted to discover that it wasn't specifically for children, but rather was targeted at 'thinking adults'. I'm an adult, and I think....therefore I am.
It also just so happened that it was free. So I decided to give it a try. Upon arriving at the library (where it was reportedly held), I had the hardest time finding where it was supposed to be. For some reason it made sense to me for it to be in the seated area where people tend to read, despite being disruptive to anyone trying to read or get work done. I suppose this is because the University library does this. They don't care if you've got a paper due in one hour, they'll bring in the campus tours and guest speakers. Anyways, the public library was more considerate, but also more mysterious.
To get to the event, I had to climb a set of stairs that led to an unknown destination. Once I climbed the stairs, all I saw was a children's section and a mysterious little room that appeared to have some elderly people sitting with rapt attention listening to a man addressing some housekeeping issues. I mistook this preamble for some official-type board meeting of something important. After double-checking with the Information clerk, I entered the room. Immediately all eyes went on me because a) I was late and b) I was new...and conservatively 20 years younger than the average attendee.
After the initial awkwardness, some more preamble took place and then they went right into telling stories. So it WAS what I had anticipated. Storytelling for grown-ups. Traditional folk tales, poems, monologues...all were performed and I was thoroughly entertained. I must say, I was seriously considering joining the guild. But then I heard the unfortunate news. Though many members were going to tell stories at various events over the summer, they were not going to have anymore guild meetings until the fall.
Why must I always discover such wonderful things after it's too late to enjoy them fully? I don't know if I'll be around in the fall, but if I do, I believe I'll be busy telling stories at the library to an intimate audience of 60-somethings.
It also just so happened that it was free. So I decided to give it a try. Upon arriving at the library (where it was reportedly held), I had the hardest time finding where it was supposed to be. For some reason it made sense to me for it to be in the seated area where people tend to read, despite being disruptive to anyone trying to read or get work done. I suppose this is because the University library does this. They don't care if you've got a paper due in one hour, they'll bring in the campus tours and guest speakers. Anyways, the public library was more considerate, but also more mysterious.
To get to the event, I had to climb a set of stairs that led to an unknown destination. Once I climbed the stairs, all I saw was a children's section and a mysterious little room that appeared to have some elderly people sitting with rapt attention listening to a man addressing some housekeeping issues. I mistook this preamble for some official-type board meeting of something important. After double-checking with the Information clerk, I entered the room. Immediately all eyes went on me because a) I was late and b) I was new...and conservatively 20 years younger than the average attendee.
After the initial awkwardness, some more preamble took place and then they went right into telling stories. So it WAS what I had anticipated. Storytelling for grown-ups. Traditional folk tales, poems, monologues...all were performed and I was thoroughly entertained. I must say, I was seriously considering joining the guild. But then I heard the unfortunate news. Though many members were going to tell stories at various events over the summer, they were not going to have anymore guild meetings until the fall.
Why must I always discover such wonderful things after it's too late to enjoy them fully? I don't know if I'll be around in the fall, but if I do, I believe I'll be busy telling stories at the library to an intimate audience of 60-somethings.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Limit To Your Love
You must be listening to this song while reading this post:
I tried to follow HyperboleAndAHalf today. I clicked the 'follow' button and it became clear there were problems. I panicked a little, and after lots of waiting, I was finally alerted to the problem. I could not follow this blog. It had reached its limit. There are only 50000 (only!) followers allowed to follow blogger blogs, and that limit had been reached. Too many followers and now she will never know my love for her hilariously drawn portrayals of simple dog, her younger self or unicorns. I have been refused the right to follow her. There is a limit to the love allowed for her blog. And this saddens me.
I tried to follow HyperboleAndAHalf today. I clicked the 'follow' button and it became clear there were problems. I panicked a little, and after lots of waiting, I was finally alerted to the problem. I could not follow this blog. It had reached its limit. There are only 50000 (only!) followers allowed to follow blogger blogs, and that limit had been reached. Too many followers and now she will never know my love for her hilariously drawn portrayals of simple dog, her younger self or unicorns. I have been refused the right to follow her. There is a limit to the love allowed for her blog. And this saddens me.
Revivals
Since I did so well the other day with getting back into song writing, I figured I'd get back into other things I used to do, too. So I looked up my old website from high school (http://webs.psychadelia.com) and re-read the first few chapters of that book I started to write. What? I started writing a book? Yes, yes I did, and upon reading it again I realized it's actually vaguely entertaining.
However, I liked it so much that I realized how unlikely it is that I'll be able to write like that again. I've changed far too much as a person to write the same way. And even if I was capable of writing in that style again, I hadn't thought out a plot yet. No plot. No story. Not really even a particular genre yet other than general fiction.
So, how do I proceed? Do I proceed? Is it worth my time to write a book that will likely never get published? Probably not, but if I wrote a book, it might someday get published, right? Probably not, but at least I could say I wrote a book and feel good about myself.
Maybe...if any readers out there would like to go to the aforementioned website, click on 'Book' and read what's there thus far...maybe, offer suggestions for how you'd like to see the book play out? What should happen to Caprice, and what should be revealed during therapy? Feel free to comment.
However, I liked it so much that I realized how unlikely it is that I'll be able to write like that again. I've changed far too much as a person to write the same way. And even if I was capable of writing in that style again, I hadn't thought out a plot yet. No plot. No story. Not really even a particular genre yet other than general fiction.
So, how do I proceed? Do I proceed? Is it worth my time to write a book that will likely never get published? Probably not, but if I wrote a book, it might someday get published, right? Probably not, but at least I could say I wrote a book and feel good about myself.
Maybe...if any readers out there would like to go to the aforementioned website, click on 'Book' and read what's there thus far...maybe, offer suggestions for how you'd like to see the book play out? What should happen to Caprice, and what should be revealed during therapy? Feel free to comment.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Election 2011
The results are still rolling in, but so far it looks like we're going to have another Conservative government with an NDP opposition. Many people seem to be upset about this, but to be honest, I think it was a good step forward.
Now, let me preface this by saying I am no political expert. I didn't really read much of any party's platform and most of what I know is hearsay, but it seems to me that this outcome isn't half bad. Time and time again, the winner is always either a Conservative or a Liberal. It would be nearly ludicrous at this stage in Canada's history to have thought that any other outcome was possible and I for one would not be content with Ignatieff as Prime Minister. My confidence in the Liberal party has been pretty shaky for a few years now and a Liberal government would make me sad.
As for NDP as the opposition, I think that's awesome! I've been a student up until a week or two ago, so as you can imagine, I'm fairly in favour of the NDP. Gaining official opposition status is a huge leap forward for the party and allows for Canadians to conceive of them as a big player in future elections.
I'm glad that the Green party has lost its hold on the uninformed and I'm even more glad that the Bloc Quebecois has lost its footing as well. Especially in times of crisis, Canada needs to be united and a separatist party is in direct conflict with that goal.
So yeah...I think this is possibly the best case scenario for this election while remaining in the real world.
Now, let me preface this by saying I am no political expert. I didn't really read much of any party's platform and most of what I know is hearsay, but it seems to me that this outcome isn't half bad. Time and time again, the winner is always either a Conservative or a Liberal. It would be nearly ludicrous at this stage in Canada's history to have thought that any other outcome was possible and I for one would not be content with Ignatieff as Prime Minister. My confidence in the Liberal party has been pretty shaky for a few years now and a Liberal government would make me sad.
As for NDP as the opposition, I think that's awesome! I've been a student up until a week or two ago, so as you can imagine, I'm fairly in favour of the NDP. Gaining official opposition status is a huge leap forward for the party and allows for Canadians to conceive of them as a big player in future elections.
I'm glad that the Green party has lost its hold on the uninformed and I'm even more glad that the Bloc Quebecois has lost its footing as well. Especially in times of crisis, Canada needs to be united and a separatist party is in direct conflict with that goal.
So yeah...I think this is possibly the best case scenario for this election while remaining in the real world.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
I'm Back, Baby
Back in my glory days a number of years ago, I went on a mad song-writing spree and wrote enough songs to make an album, and they weren't too bad either if I do say so myself. The plan was to save up some money and get myself to a recording studio to make an album that I could then sell at shows (because obviously people would just want me to sing for them once I had an album). Sadly, university happened and my plans to save money to record an album were taken from me...for tuition.
I more or less gave up on my dreams and studied like my life depended on it. Having just graduated, I can now recognize my folly. There was no need to study that hard. A 70 would have sufficed, there was no need to make the Dean's list every semester (except for my irrational needs). I could have spent that time becoming a pop superstar...or a psychologist popstar.
Now that I have copious amounts of time to kill while waiting for employers to call me and tell me I have an interview, I've slowly been bringing music back into my life. Well, maybe not slowly as I joined a band before school ended and recorded a bunch of my songs for the whole world (read: for a couple friends and immediate family) to hear. But I was still nervous about one thing in particular: would I still be capable of writing music after all this time?
The answer: YES! I didn't think I had it in me anymore, but it turns out I do. I wrote a song today...mind you, it's not really totally done, but done enough to say I wrote a song. Like, a few verses and a chorus with music. And what's more, I actually like it. It's simple and captures a feeling that I often have - not wanting to get out of bed when it's rainy outside. Ok, so that sounds lame, but I swear it's good. You'll see. You'll all see.
I more or less gave up on my dreams and studied like my life depended on it. Having just graduated, I can now recognize my folly. There was no need to study that hard. A 70 would have sufficed, there was no need to make the Dean's list every semester (except for my irrational needs). I could have spent that time becoming a pop superstar...or a psychologist popstar.
Now that I have copious amounts of time to kill while waiting for employers to call me and tell me I have an interview, I've slowly been bringing music back into my life. Well, maybe not slowly as I joined a band before school ended and recorded a bunch of my songs for the whole world (read: for a couple friends and immediate family) to hear. But I was still nervous about one thing in particular: would I still be capable of writing music after all this time?
The answer: YES! I didn't think I had it in me anymore, but it turns out I do. I wrote a song today...mind you, it's not really totally done, but done enough to say I wrote a song. Like, a few verses and a chorus with music. And what's more, I actually like it. It's simple and captures a feeling that I often have - not wanting to get out of bed when it's rainy outside. Ok, so that sounds lame, but I swear it's good. You'll see. You'll all see.
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