First Official All-Nighter

I have pulled all-nighters before but there were never truly real ones. When I was young, I would stay up at sleepovers all night, but always returned home in the morning to fall asleep for the rest of the day. When staying up for other assignments, especially in Engineering, I often spent all night working on an project, report, essay, or lab that was due the next day. Usually I would get a least an hour of sleep in there somewhere, or I would work all night, go to hand in the assignment, then go straight home to make up the missed night sleep. Not this time, this time it is an official one. I woke up at 7:00am yesterday and came to work. I worked all day and ran home (the little 2k run I talked about in my previous post.) Then with the help of a lot of coffee, I then spend all night working on an essay, finishing up at 6:30am this morning. I came into work early and will spend the day here before heading to a 3 hour night class this evening, where I will hand in the aforementioned essay. While I would love to go straight home after class and crawl right into bed, I must pack for my trip, which means I won't be to bed any earlier than 11pm. I did it and the essay is done but I never ever want to do it again.

God That Feels Good

I just got in from a little run. As usual after a run I was all hot and sweaty. I have started to worry that the running and the sweating is going to affect my complexion. So while I was thinking about it I decided to go right away to wash my face. Normally I just splash cold water on my face and dry off with a towel, this time I used my facewash. When you sweat all the pores open so by cleaning with warm water and facewash I flushed everything and anything out of them. Then splashing with cold water closes all the pores up. My skin feels great, fresh, clean, and glowing.

NY, NY

Last week a friend at work walked into my office and said, 'There are tickets for The Daily Show available, I just got some for December 1st, you should get some too.' He is moving to New York at the end of August to start his two year masters degree at The New School, a university there. Basically he said I could come and stay for free at his apartment. I went to the site immediately and signed up to get tickets, I love Jon Stewart. Jerrica claims he is her 'silver fox'. It was pretty rash, but I'm such a sucker for travel and have never been to New York City. I also have a weakness for going place where I will have free accommodation, it makes me think the trip will be cheap. What I really need is Steph to go with me, as she brings budget travel to a whole new level. I got 4 tickets for Wed. Dec. 3rd, 2008 as they are free and that is the max you can get. The last day of classes at Carleton is Dec. 1st, which is a Monday and on Mondays I have a full day of class, none of which I will be able to miss. The Amtrak train from Montreal is way cheaper than the bus. but the bus runs more frequently. My plan, as it stands, is to spend Tues. Dec. 2nd on the train down, tour a bit the morning of the taping, and then possibly have to take the night bus home that evening. Carleton exams start on Thurs. Dec. 4th, and while I have never had an exam on the first day, it would be just my luck that it happens the year I have plans. Dependent on my exam schedual I do hope it stay for a few days to see all the sites. I won't know until the end of October when my exams are, which is when I will probably finalize my plans. Because I have 4 tickets, and it is New York, it seems everyone I mention this to wants to come. Obviously there is no limit to the number of people who can go. Beyond one though and I will stay in a hostel, as it would be unfair to my friend and his roommates. Also there are only 3 spaces to go see the show. I thought because of its rash nature, added expense, timing, and the fact that it is more travelling, my parents would be upset at learning these plans. It seems though though that they are behind me on this trip as long as I stay sensible with my spending. I'm really excited. Mind you I just looked at some of Heather's photos on Facebook from her recent trip there and read the description on her blog, which is raising some doubts. Teri tried pretty hard to convince me otherwise last night, as she has been twice and loved it. I'm sure I will have a great time. I will get a great guidebook and plan to do it on the cheap. I find tall buildings inspiring and that aspect alone is vastly different from Ottawa which has height restrictions and no skyscrapers. The city itself is just so iconic. If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere.

Henna

Pretty much every year I get a henna tattoo in the market. I usually just pay the minimum ($5) and tell them to do whatever they want. This year I added the specifics of wanting it symmetrical and that I enjoyed the more traditional look. (Though it isn't truly symmetrical, I have issues.) I like to respect these people as artists and give them some freedom. I went with Jeska (hers is the arm on top, note the ring and pretty nails) who also got them to just freehand something.

Flying With God

I dropped Jeska off at the airport this morning and noticed that they have a chapel. I find this strange. I can understand having one in a hospital, people die there and are sick. In a hospital you may want a place to pray for your loved ones but it seems weird to have one at an airport. Maybe it is for the people who are afraid to fly and feel the need to have a last minute conversation with God (or Whomever, dependent on the religion). Possibly it is because of long layovers, God forbid going 8 hours without worship in a designated holy place (God may actually forbid this, I don't know.) I think we have a chapel somewhere in my complex at work and I know for sure that there are a number of them on campus at Carleton, in order to provide space for a variety of different religions. This maybe something that all institutions feel they need to do, though I wouldn't consider an airport an institution. I also wouldn't consider all these chapels really necessary. I know that you have to be at work or school for long periods of time, possibly over the time which you would normally spend in worship, but I don't see it as unreasonable for a person to have to pray or worship in any space. Just do it quietly off by themselves somewhere. It seems excessive to have all these designated areas. I think they should have used the space for extra women's washrooms, as there is never enough of them in any institution or public area, and there is always a line up.

Nightlife x3 (Maybe 4)

The first day Jeska was here for her visit we went to three Ottawa nightlife locations.
-LAGO, grabbed some appetizers at the grand opening of this new restaurant/lounge that over looks the water at Dows Lake
-Caliente, took an hour salsa lesson at the small upstairs latin club and stayed for a few songs dancing with others and together
-Suite 34, met up with friends from work to go dancing at this packed hiphop club for the first time
-Shwarma, ended the night with the traditional Lebanese pita before catching a cab home
Each place had its own strange set of experiences. We had a great time everywhere but no where was a perfect place for what we wanted and were looking for out of the evening. It is great to have someone who loves to dance around and while we are laying low and resting today, we plan to head out on the town again tonight.

My Degree

I have been meaning to post this for a while. It is from XKCD which I only read on occation. It was pointed out by a friend at work and I knew I had to share it.

Dancing Through PMS

I woke up this morning after another night of not enough sleep due to working on school assignments. It is also that highly emotional time of the month. I ended up crying at a YouTube video at 8:30am. The viral videos I was watching were of Matt Harding dancing around the globe. See them at his site. (The YouTube ones seem to skip less.) The first one, Dancing 2005, was taken with a friend as a joke. It is interesting and amusing, as he goes to a bunch of cool places and really has an awesome dance style. I started to well-up when it showed him at Monte Alban in Mexico, which I have been to and is a not really a tourist destination. The second one, Dancing 2006, was sponsored by Stride gum which helped pay for his travel. The third one, Dancing 2008, is what really got me crying, as it is much longer and takes the dancing one step further. It includes large groups of people dancing with him at each location. Needless to say I was very moved.

Seven, Seriously?

I can't believe that Cora's post, below, got seven comments. That is insane. The only two posts that beat that in number of comments was the one I did bitching about a girl's class presentation and speaking manner (Your Inarticulate) and then one a while back when I felt that no one liked me (Humouring Me). I also was freaking out at one point and wrote about it (So Very Stressed) and got seven comments. The crazy thing is that it is Jerrica's cat and she didn't even write in about it. I'm all about the readers, so I am now trying to figure out what it was that engaged everyone so much in Cora's weight loss. The picture? The transformation? The kitty adorableness?

Losing Weight

Jerrica's cat, Cora, has been on a diet since she got her. It is working wonders as she is now almost down to normal cat size. She used to be so big we called her Jabba The Cat and she could barely clean herself. Compared to tiny little Binx she looks gigantic, Binx may have an advantage as black is slimming. I used to say that when Cora sits her body can't fit behind and it stuck out to one side, like 'a cat and a half', but now she can almost totally 'sit behind herself.'

Lottery Winners

I keep meaning to post about this. Early in the month two Ottawa men won Lotto 6-49. It was a really sweet story. One was a barber and they split on the ticket after a haircut. They are now splitting the $32 Million jackpot. What is even cooler is that it is the barber from around the corner. Also they got the ticket at my local corner store. It is just such a cute story, they have been playing it together for decades, every time the one comes in for a haircut. I think of it now because I just got news about my OSAP and it is way more than I anticipated, so it feels like I won the lottery too!

People In Pairs

Em pointed out that I befriend alot of people with similar names and it is so very true.
-Erin/Erin (I will be posting about them soon)
-Anne/Anna (I have posted about this, they still both sign as A.)
-Kristin/Kristen (I have posted about this one way back)
-Dan/Dave (Two guys I have known forever, yet rarely post about)
Surprisingly the one I have historically had the most trouble with is Dan/Dave and their names aren't even that similar. For the first few months I knew them I just called them both Dale, as it was so much easier than messing it up all the time. Then Steph started dating one (Dave) and I had to learn the difference. Now I sometimes trip up on the Anne/Anna thing, but not often. I do have to specify to people though which Erin I'm talking about and which Kristin/Kristen. I have moved from saying Second Cup Kristin to calling her Downtown Kristin even though she has moved a bit out of downtown and still works at Second Cup. Mind you I haven't changed from calling the other one, First Year Kristen and she is actually starting her Fourth Year in September.

Pretty Powerpoint

I finished creating my first ever Powerpoint Presentation today. It is a little strange that I have never made one before, I'm very proficient in Excel, Word, and Outlook, the rest of the Microsoft Office Suite. I haven't had to do many presentations, and when I did they were usually in a group, someone else always wanted to make the Powerpoint. I defnitily had help to get started and have been working on it steadily the past week. Now that it is done, I'm so proud of it. I want to show everyone every slide. (Above is the first slide in the deck of 15.) I can't dwell much longer on this achievement since I need to move on and write an essay. But the whole thing is just so pretty!!

Smirnoff Ad

I noticed a strange new advertisement in the market. It was huge and projected on the blank side of a stone building. I can't really remember which specific vodka product it was for, but I do know the brand was Smirnoff. Not only was the projection idea cool but the text was really good. It switched between two; "Smirnoff and Citrus, Friends With Benefits" and "Kissed by Citrus, Spanked by Smirnoff". I love the later. My thought is that perhaps because of the product and message, the projection is turned off during the day when the Bywood area is mainly a farmers market, family tourist location, upscale dinning and boutique shopping district but turned on at night when people come to the bars, pubs, and clubs to drink and enjoy the night life.

Drinking Pros and Cons

Well I guess it is more about not drinking as I'm still doing the dry thing. Last night a bunch of us went to Peir 21 in the market. It was great because The Peir is always a good time and I have no trouble dancing, or my terrible excuse for dancing, sober and totally enjoy it. What was hard was the total awareness of everything else around me. Because I was so alert and my brain was firing on all 12-cylinders (Yes, my brain is a Ferrari), I noticed things I am not normally aware of when I'm out at a bar. When sober you maintain your ability to do multiple things at the same time and are able to concentrate on a wide variety of thoughts. I was observant of what people were wearing and how everyone was hitting on each other. I very intrigued and slightly depressed by the observed social interactions. Also you can see the buzzed joy in all the drunk faces. Drinking can be so much fun, and I missed that. Also there were times when the friends I went with who were drinking were at the point where they only really made sense to each other. Mind you I am also enjoying the benefits of waking up this morning at a reasonable time and feeling great. I could also see those that were not having a good time, feeling sick or dizzy. I'm also not missing the money and calories I would have spent on a night of drinking.

Canada Mention

The other night on The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert was talking about George Bush's recent quote at the end of the G8 Summit meetings in Japan. Bush said, "Goodbye from the worlds biggest polluter." Bush also went on to punch the air. Colbert seemed a little appalled by this, "Just picture it, he said this to the most powerful leaders on earth" (pictures of members of the G8 appear on the screen) "and the Canadian Prime Minister" (a picture of Stephen Harper pops in to join them.) I don't know if it comes off as funny when it is typed out but it was so hilarious at the time. We are such a joke.

Leaving The Teens

Today is Jerrica's 20th Birthday. I'm at work and then class so won't get to really be around to spend her first day as an 'adult' with her. Oh, so young. Happy Birthday Jer.

Burnt Out

Today is the day between classes. It always stretches before me as long night of productivity. I look forward to Wednesday every week as a large block of free time. Tonight I needed to finish my presentation. I don't do it until July 24th but I want to get the preparation for it out of the way so that I can work on my essay. The essay isn't due until Aug 5th but I need to hand it in early because I'm away at the cottage for the first week in August. Jeska is coming the last week in July so I want all the school stuff finished before then. It is hard to do school work when the due date is so far away. Tonight though I did nothing, and wasted away a precious night of free time. I slept and snacked and watched TV. I'm just so tired from running, class, work, and life. Now though, I'm pissed at myself because the only thing I did that was even close to productive is have a shower so I don't need to have one in the morning. My apartment is dirty, there are dirty dishes everywhere, my room is a mess, all my running clothes are dirty, my presentation isn't finish, the research for my essay hasn't even been started, I'm behind on the course readings, and I'm discouraged about work. I really hope that tomorrow is a better day but I'm not holding my breath.

Debt Free

I am so happy to have FINALLY paid off my Student Line Of Credit. I got it a couple of years ago to help pay for school. It has bounced up and down over the years as to how much I owe off of it. It never really reached the full $5,000 but it often got close. It is now totally gone and I'm having it frozen on Friday. Later on in my school career, if I need it again, I can activate it but for now I'm enjoying being debt free. Now I just have to start saving for school, seeing as I only have about $18 to my name I have a ways to go.

Office Small Talk

I love to talk but I hate meaningless office small talk. It is inevitable though; in the elevator, hallways, washroom. I sit right near the mailbox area so I actually get to overhear other people doing it. This can be annoying or amusing. Please see below a list of preferred topics:
-the weather, especially snow
-spouses or children
-the day of the week
-the commute, parking, gas prices
-travel or even just vacation days
Uhhh, I bore my self even typing about it!! I just want to stand up and scream some comment related to sex, religion, politics, money, or something else really inappropriate.

Army Tan

Many people get a 'farmers tan' in the summer from wearing t-shirts out in the sun. This results in a tan on the arms from mid-bicep down and for a person with short hair, a red neck. This is also the bases for the term 'redneck'. Those who are married tend to get a 'ring tan' where it is white under their wedding bands. There is also the 'watch tan'. My mom used to get a strange tan from reading in a lawn chair at the cottage, her neck would be white from having her head bent and she would also get 'raccoon eyes' from wearing sunglasses. When we were younger Ter sometimes got a 'sandal tan' from the old school style of velcro strap sandals. Well, my brother now supposedly has what he calls a 'hand tan' and what think should be called an 'army tan'. At his training he spends all day out in the sun in combat boots, camouflage pants, a vest, hat, and shirt sleeves to the wrist. The hands are the only thing exposed to the sun.

Dork

While trying to figure out our social labels, a guy at work decided that I was 'a dork.' This was pretty much unanimously agreed upon. Urban Dictionary claims that a dork is someone who has odd interests, and is often silly at times. Someone who can be themselves and not care what anyone thinks. An individual who is keenly interested in and good at mathematics, science, and technology, and applies mathematical and scientific principles to everyday occurrences, while at the same time being lovable and very personable, often having many friends due to wittiness, often loves video games. Ummm, not quite me. Mind you, other entries in Urban Dictionary claim that dorks tend to be more humorous and extroverted and don't mind laughing at themselves. Someone who does things that are kinda silly and not necessarily cool but always cute. The term dork tends to specifically refer to a person who often shares the characteristics of geeks or nerds but are not ostracized as a result. There is a current preference with the mainstream for dorks over geeks or nerds. Maybe?

Free Speech

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
-Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet) 1694-1778

OC Transpo

My favorite cheer I ever learned when I was a Carleton Cheerleader was one we never got to do. It was considered a taunting cheer and would be in poor taste. In a basketball game when a player for the opposing team travels: "You travelled, you walked, you took too many steps, next time you travel take the B-U-S, OC Transpo, OC Transpo, OC Transpo." I love it. What I don't love is our bus tickets costing $1 each. Every year The City of Ottawa and OC Transpo, our bus system, raise the prices of either tickets or passes. This time the tickets have crawled up. I remember when they were around 80 cents. Now it is going to cost me $3 if I am pay cash and $2 if using tickets since it takes two for adult bus fair.

Fashion 101

Lessons I learned today in the area of fashion:
-It is way to hot outside right now to wear even a light sweater
-Avoid sleeves and potentially avoid sweat spots
-Wide necklines mean wearing a strapless bra
-Once underwire in a bra pokes out the bra is toast
-Black is truly slimming and elegant
-Dress pants are more appropriate for work than jeans
-No socks in shoes makes your feet smell
-Breaded pigtails are not professional looking
-In humidity, hair products must be used to avoid frizziness

Slave Driver

I'm sitting at home procrastinating for another few minutes before starting to do some research for school. I was supposed to go for a run to the library and get some books out but I really don't feel like it. Jerrica scolded me over the phone and told me I could stay at home as long as I did research from my computer for two hours. She is letting me count reading the article for next class as part of the two hours. Obviously blogging, Facebook, and The Sims don't count, she informed me. When she gets home from work we are going to go for a run as well, so I will get everything I wanted to do today done, I hope. I think she really enjoys keeping me on track.

Bell Canada Quote - Part 2

Our home phone line is still broken. Our landlord was supposed to be handling it with Bell but they were not returning his calls or allowing him access to our file. He ask that I call and sort things out, as well as grant him permission to see our repair history. So enraged at Bell's incompetence, I responded to the Bell guy I was talking to with, "Getting the run around? Your right I'm getting the run around. I have been run around so much I can see my own behind!!" The trick is to find amusing, funny, and creative ways to express your anger without using swear words.

Performance Evaluation

I have been at my government job for a year now, almost to the day. In early December I changed from Administrative Support into the newly created Events Coordinator position. This switch brought me into a different team with a new manager. That manager gave me my performance review today which was pretty much glowing. I have had a rough couple of weeks, I returned by thanking her for being so supportive of me, she is just incredible. The main concern was that I tend to take on too much, which I'm going to try to work on. Besides that she is happy with the job I'm doing. We had both been initially concerned that there would be some negative feedback from me taking so much time off, but she told me that she has never heard anything and that all reports on my performance from other managers and team members has been positive. I'm looking forward to my last two months there, and hope that there is an opportunity to continue to work there part-time during the school year.

Canada Day

Right before the fireworks. Z, Anne, Mer, Jer, and I. Happy Canada Day!!

Running Dry

I pushed myself hard this past weekend and ran twice, but that still isn't good enough. There are too many times that I plan to run that I end up staying in. Not only do I want to do the 5K in October but I also want to trim down. Right now I totally hate my body, I hate it so much. This was confirmed by pictures which I'm continually deleting from my camera because I'm in them and look terrible. I'm huge, and my face is losing definition and features so that I don't even look my myself anymore. (See Photo.) So I have a new oath to work at the running more. I also have decided to stop drinking for a while. My mom pointed it out last time I drank that when I do I always feel down afterwards and end up missing work. A depressant like alcohol is never an good idea when you suffer from depression and it also tends to go against the anti-depressants, which is counter productive. I now know that my mom was right, I drank yesterday on Canada Day (because come on, it was Canada Day!) Today I'm not doing so well. I don't feel hopeless, miserable, and so sad that I want to hurt myself, but I do feel very down, empty, sad, and emotionally hollow. It shouldn't be hard to go the rest of the summer without drinking; since I have always said I'm more fun sober anyway, I know that I don't need to drink to have a good time, and most of my friends that are around this summer aren't really drinkers anyway. So I'm going to take a break from the booze for a while until I have the depression thing under control, which will happen through the anti-depressants as well as exercise, another reason for the running.

No Life

I am having such a lame summer that I really don't have much of a life at all. I spend so much time at work and school, neither of which are much fun at the moment. I spend my free time watching Friends and playing Sims. So basically my life right now is watching other people have lives on TV and creating fake lives on the computer. Uhhh, my life sucks.