Working Not WoW

I got a part-time job because I was running out of money. I start today and am up way too early. Really I would just prefer to be playing WoW or Sims, which is why neither are currently loaded onto my computer. I need to start writing papers too, the rest of this month is going to suck.

Walked Home!

Kristen and I had intended to go to the gym this afternoon and she came to campus to meet me after I finished my meeting with one of the professors I mark for. It was a beautiful day so she suggested that we walk home. It is a long walk! I have always meant to do it but had really been procrastinating actually trying it. We walked for 55 minutes, though took a short break for a few minutes and sat down on a bench in a park. We had dinner at a pub on the way home. (I had salad with steak on it so was good and stuck to my diet.) It then took us 34 minutes to get home from dinner, though it was a short distance, it was up hill. It took an hour and 24 minutes of walking, I just mapped it and sadly it is only just over a distance of 5km. At one point I could run that in less than half that time. I need to start training again!!

A Break To Paint

This is the painting I did for a creative assignment at school. (The text is part of a poem by Alfred Tennyson called The Lady of Shallot.) I don't want to show a close up of the person, since I'm not very happy with that part of it, I'm still so bad with painting people. But I do like the frame and the shattered mirror effect. Painting it was such a nice break from essay writing!

Close up on the text:

Sincerely

---from an email forward

Dear Icebergs,
Sorry to hear about the global warming. Karma's a bitch.
Sincerely, The Titanic

Dear Noah,
We could have sworn you said the ark wasn't leaving till 5.
Sincerely, Unicorns

Dear America ,
You produced Miley Cyrus. Justin Bieber is your punishment.
Sincerely, Canada

Dear Yahoo,
I've never heard anyone say, "I don't know, let's Yahoo! it..." just saying...
Sincerely, Google

Dear Windshield Wipers,
Can't touch this.
Sincerely, That Little Triangle

Dear iPhone,
Please stop spellchecking all of my rude words into nice words.
You piece of shut.
Sincerely, Every iPhone User

Dear Nickleback,
That's enough.
Sincerely, The World

Dear World of Warcraft,
Thank you for ensuring my son's virginity.
Sincerely, Parents Everywhere

Dear Fox News,
So far, no news about foxes.
Sincerely, Unimpressed

Dear Saturn,
I liked it, so I put a ring on it.
Sincerely, God


I find the following funny, but they might offend others...

Dear White People,
Don't you just hate immigrants?
Sincerely, Native Americans

Dear jf;ldsfa/kvsmmklnn,
Please lknvfdmv.xvn.
Sincerely, Stevie Wonder

Dear Osama Bin Laden,
Marco....
Sincerely, United States

Dear Michael Jackson,
You really should have became a Catholic Priest.
The pay isn't great, but the benefits....
Sincerely, The Pope

So Cold

For the last couple of days Rrunuv Bayit has been freezing cold. Now I am always cold, though at the same time believe I should be able to walk around anywhere indoors in thin pajama bottoms, a tank top, and bare feet. Normally I don't have any problem in Bayit and it is a pleasant temperature. However, we only have one furnace for all three apartment, which is heated with water radiators, no one has a thermostat, I don't even know how it all works.

This morning sitting on the couch I am doing school work wrapped in a blanket. This does make typing a tad difficult and it is terrible to admit but I spent some time thinking that 'a snuggie' would be a good idea - my hands would be free to work on my laptop but I could still be totally covered by a blanket. I am ashamed to have considered it.

Money Money!!

I don't have any more OSAP coming in for my summer semester, the amount they have already given me is supposed to have lasted, (yeah, like that happened.) However, I should be getting a Research Assistant job through my program as it was part of my funding. It looks like that will be sorted out in the coming weeks. I'm also going to work at the polls on election day and that will make me a bit of money. I just got confirmation that I got the job today and am heading to a training session (also paid) on Friday. Finally, I did my taxes with my dad last night. Normally I do them by myself but it was good to have the company and double check. I mailed that off today and if I did the calculations correctly, and this fact is doubtful, than I should be getting a couple of thousand dollars back. I hope to soon be 'in the money' again!

Birds

During the drive from Toronto to Long Point, my dad and I saw some sort of bird of prey perched on a wire. Dad said that it had been there when he had driven by on his way up to Toronto too. Thought I would post a picture of a falcon I saw in Mongolia. It was an evil bird, I swear it tried to attack me and I was only saved by the fact that it was tied by a leash to the pole it is sitting on. A Cairn (or Ovoo) is a ceremonial rock pile used by Buddhists, people stop while traveling to walk around it, clockwise, three times and throw a rock on the top for good luck or protection. One can be seen behind the scary bird, an enjoyable juxtaposition of good and evil...

On The Road In Mongolia
By Christine Sweeton
August 2010

Louder In The Spring

I arrived at the cottage this evening to the sound of waves. I couldn't figure out why it was so loud until I walked towards the water and realised that in the winter when ice is along the shore of the lake there are no audible waves. It makes it feel like spring. The ice is beautiful but having water at the water's edge, and hearing it, is so much better.