Power In The Click

Visiting my usual daily sites and I noticed that One Sentence has a new feature. Unapproved. The guy that runs the site has a certain vision for the type of stuff that should appear and doesn't want to give up even a little bit of control to someone else. Mind you, he set up this new feature to give some power to the people. This new 'Unapproved' page displays a single random unapproved sentence and then asks you whether the sentence should be published on the site. You can answer yes, no, or skip it. Once you vote, you’re presented with another random sentence. I could do this forever. I used to love the rating style sites; 'Hot or Not.' 'Rate My Kitten.' This one is even better, it feels almost literary, I am deciding on whether I think the words in the sentence flow and evoke emotion. I have become an editor of sorts, but in a process that is so simple, I just click!!

Life Is Expensive

I have lived alone long enough to have learned a certain amount about money. I recognize that despite the fact that they are expensive and not fun, things like rent, bills, and tuition need to take top financial priority. When not directly paying for them, I need to be saving for them. I also need food and to a certain extent clothes and transportation. After all of that is covered (and it seems like money needed for rent and tuition never ends.) I can spend my money on a few frivolous treats; nights out, pedicures, gifts for friends, fun things. What I keep forgetting about are the emergency expenses that pop up out of no where. On my birthday weekend I ran out of contact lenses. I wasn't overly concerned since I tend to only wear them for sports/working out and when I want to look super pretty. Over the past few weeks, I have also noticed that there was a small crack in my glasses frames and that they were more flimsy than usual. Again, I didn't get overly concerned since I just planned to be careful with them. Well they completely broke last night, and without them or any contacts, I can't see. I repaired them with nail glue and took the day off work to figure something out. I grabbed a last minute eye appointment and got glasses made in a few hours. I can't afford any of this. It all adds up and it all costs so much; the eye appointment, the contact fittings, the new contacts, the new glasses. Also I had to take time off work which I also can't afford, in terms of money or the stress of unfinished tasks building up. Basically what I have failed to learn is that sometimes life is really costly and it sucks.

Wide Eyed

I am so in love with this dress!! I have worn and washed it so much already that it got a little hole in it, which I promptly sewed. That is how much in love I am, I actually sewed something. (Picture and Make-up by Anne)

Champagne Birthday

I turned 24 (on the 24th, which makes it my Champagne Birthday). It was a really nice day. I woke up really early to go to a huge garage sale being held nearby with some friends. Then we watched Aladdin, which is one of my favorite movies. After a restful afternoon I started to get ready to go out. Anne did my make-up, which looked great. Jerrica and I got pretty tipsy and a few of us headed out on the town to look for some dancing. We were less than successful, probably because we went out too early, to the wrong places, in the summer when lots of students have left the city. It didn't matter because I had a great time anyway. After we got home we ordered pizza and hung out. I great way to spend my birthday, as I edge my way to a quarter century.

Pre-Birthday

Today is my last day as a 23 year old. My co-workers took me out for lunch and later on in the afternoon surprised me with cake and a card. It was a great day, mind you I'm crashing a little now from all the sugar. The card was picked out by Anne and was hilarious.
On the Front:
Girl One - "Where's your birthday party at?"
Girl Two - "Don't end a sentence with a preposition."
Inside:
Girl One - "Where's your birthday party at BITCH?"
I totally love it. Also everyone signed it and it is filled with inside jokes and sweet comments. I missed getting my birthday celebrated at work last year. It was nice to have something special at the office.

Lululemon Manifesto

This is the Lululemon Manifesto. (If you click it, you can read it better.) It is printed on their bags, you can buy the poster, and parts of it are up around the stores. A company that sells yoga clothing, it's ideals are based around a healthy lifestyle. I agree with pretty much everything it says. I love the main one which is 'Dance, Sing, Floss and Travel.' I think it completely describes me, especially since for the last two years I have been hardcore into the flossing. I'm a terrible singer mind you, but that doesn't stop me from doing it. I was 'shhhed' by the roommates last night for singing. Also, anyone who knows me is aware of my passion for dance and constant need to travel.

Caving For The Lemon

I have been wanting a Lululemon zip-up hoodie for a really long time, over two years or so. I have watched a couple of friends buy them, but could never justify paying that much for essentially a sweatshirt. The cost isn't totally unjustifiable. The company is Canadian, it started in Vancouver eight years ago. They use really nice materials for the clothing and their products are very well made. It is stylish enough to wear to work, I have seen others in the office wearing them. Much thicker then my other zip-ups, the Remax style is super warm. Also whenever you buy something the bag they give it to you in is a product of itself, I'm going to use mine as a beach bag. I still know that I caved big time to get a specific style from a specific name brand. I am now the not-so-proud owner of a Black Remax Lulu Hoodie.

The House Is Warm

We had a housewarming party for Die Höhle over the weekend and so many of my friends showed up. The place is too small for a big party with mingling, so you can pretty much stand or sit in the kitchen or gather around the coffee table. Not much was split on the carpet, and what was came from Jerrica anyway. A few people couldn't make it because they were away for the weekend. Though Taylor and Kristen, who aren't even living in Ottawa for the summer, were around and came over. Heather stopped by and Anne stayed until just before the buses stopped. Anna even dropped in for a bit, despite being in the middle of a fencing tournament. Dave and Steph were at the apartment for dinner first and stayed for the party. Dan and Justain stopped by later. Amanda, a co-worker from my Subway days and who still works there with Jerrica, came with her boyfriend. Em was around trying to choke down some wine and my cousin Carla was staying with me for a visit so she got to meet everyone. It was nice to see so many of my friends, and have them gathered in the new place. I hope we are visited by everyone often.

Happy Birthday Mom

Today is my mother's birthday. Talking with my dad this weekend, he told me he had gotten her a watering can as a present, and had already given it to her. My grandparents and uncles gave her wine and sailing accessories over the long weekend as well. My brother will most likely forget all together. I somehow doubt much fuss will be made over her today. Partly because most of the celebrating happened with relatives this past weekend. The positioning of her birthday is most likely another key reason, a week after Mother's Day. It is also very near my own, as well as her younger twin brothers. Another reason would be her age, after 21 or so birthdays become less special. People only seem to really focus on the multiples of five and let the other ones slip by with a simple card or phone call. I think she deserves so much more than this. My mother is the most selfless person I know, caring and generous with her family and friends, as well as giving in her career in family counselling. Growing up she worked alot with horses, and still rides today, she loves to travel, sail, garden, and over the past few years has started running in local 5k races. She is intellectual and reserved, preferring to rug hook and read by herself over large social gatherings. Able to keep her British charm but also appears worldly and proudly Canadian. She is always happy, and seemingly care-free, has a great sense of humour and is very loving. Happy Birthday Mom, I wish we could all have made it a bigger deal.

Savage Love

It is important to know where you stand on certain issues. I like to be able to simply summarize and explain my personal principles. The small problem with this is that they are often changing and always pretty vast. How I live my life, my morality, and my principles come from so many different sources; my parents, my friends, my experiences, my mistakes, what I see, what I read. Dan Savage, who writes the weekly advice column, Savage Love, has had a surprising influence on my sexual principles. I don't know if he truly influenced them, or just helped me define what I already felt. His column is in tons of papers and can also be read online.

R

Because both Tuesday and Thursday start with the same letter, Carleton Univeristy registration uses a T for Tuesday and a R for Thursday. I forget this every time I go to pick courses. For the one I'm taking this summer it said 6:00pm-9:00pm TR, which at first I thought was just Thursday, but of course it is both Tuesday and Thursday. Twice weekly lectures while working full-time is harder than I thought, and the course is pretty intense. This summer is not going to be all fun and games thats for sure.

Communication In A Nutshell

This is a quote that pretty much completely sums up Communications Studies and actually even just communication in general. Any theory that can be made about our interactions and all analyzing done for my minor in Mass Communication looks at one of these five areas.
"Who said what to whom [through which channel] and to what effect."
-Harold Lasswell, 1926

Garbage Day

I’m not so good at figuring out the garbage system here in Ottawa. First off they have separate weeks for the cardboard/paper recycling and the glass/plastic/metal recycling. At Le Manoir we had a big calendar put out by the city that detailed which week was which. It also showed when you could put out garden waste, or Christmas trees. I forgot to bring it over to the new place when we moved out so now I have to just look at what the neighbours are putting out at the curb and hope that they are right. My landlord told me that I could look it all up online, which is true. The second thing that confuses me is that my landlord, the City of Ottawa, and my roommates all inform me that our pick up day is Tuesday. But this means that the city is actually coming to pick it up on the Tuesday, and they come early in the morning, so you have to put it out the night before. In my mind the Garbage Day is Monday, the day (evening/night) you have to actually do the work of getting the stuff to the curb. Misunderstandings and confusion abounds.

Growing Up

I have lived away from my parents for a number of years now and I'm well into my 20's. Change isn't instantaneous. You don't automatically become an adult after turning a certain age. I'm not all grown up yet but I think I am definitely a big kid now. Slowly, I'm learning and dealing with some key things:
-pulling out the gunk in the kitchen sink's drain
-doing my own taxes and having to pay
-listening to the advice of others
-changing light bulbs and hanging pictures
-taking out the trash
-accepting disappointment with dignity
-cleaning out cat litter
-going to bed at a decent time when having to wake up early
-buying a vacuum
-hooking up the internet and installing the new modem
-sewing on buttons
-putting money towards rent, toilet paper, and tuition
-spell checking an e-mail before sending it
-having breakfast
-using a hammer, a level, and screwdrivers with ease
-paying off loans
-making and eating salads
I'm not all the way there. I'm no where near ready for the responsibility that is mortgages, or marriage, or babies, or a circular saw. I also can't handle live mice or any type of dead animal. Still, I think I maybe maturing.

Humouring Me

I think that a lot of people around me are quietly humouring me. I feel as though they are tolerating me as I am, while they wait for me to; grow up, get a fashion sense, shut up, go back to school, learn to do my hair, become professional, date again, say something funny, stop whining, become more intellectual, start putting on make-up, learn to spell, move on, lose weight, mature, be intelligent, go away, be cleaner, etc. The reality is, those that have known me a long time understand that none of these things are really going to happen anytime soon.

A True English Major

I really want to write and read. Just for the hell of it. (Otherwise known as reading and writing for pleasure.) I should just jump to and go to the library or borrow a book from a friend and start reading. I also should just start typing away at something, a story, essay, bad poetry, whatever. Maybe even finish the little script project I was writing for a friend. I don't know if it is that I feel bored or creative, not really quite motivated though, since I haven't done anything about this feeling.

Flower Service

As a thank you for some travel and form help I had given her, a co-worker brought me a bouquet of flowers in a vase last week. Flowering sticks from some sort of shrub as well as a bunch of daffodils and tulips, all from her garden. Because of my disdain for tulips (see previous post) I kept the flowers on the bookshelf across the cubical from my desk. This let me admire them from a far, and allowed other people in the office a chance to see them. She then brought me a pretty little bunch of primroses in a small vase today. I found out that if I returned the vases to her, she told me that she would take them home and keep bringing them back filled with flowers from her garden. I think it is the greatest deal ever and means I may have bunches of fresh cut flowers in my office all summer.

Dreaded Tulips

I can look at the photograph above and see the beauty. I also look at it and wish it was of any other flower besides tulips. I have been mocked for my fear of this spring time bulb ever since I mentioned that I don't like them and that they make me uncomfortable. I admit it is irrational, but most fears are. I think people who are scared to fly are crazy, I love aeroplanes. I'm not petrified by tulips, and on occasion I do enjoy looking at them. (Though those times are few and far between.) We had them in the garden when I was little and growing up, I wasn't a fan then either. They are thick and waxy flowers, then as they open and die their dark and creepy looking stamen appears. It is Tulip Festival time in Ottawa so they are everywhere, especially in the park I go through on my way home. As are a whole bunch of tourists and about a billion photographers, because what else to do you do at a festival based around a flower. I want to involve myself in all the events since I think it is important to attend these cultural things, but it doesn't seem as interesting or as well organized as others.

(Picture: Carleton Tulips by Stephanie Beach)

Proud Of Myself

I got my mark back for the one course that I have been trudging through since September. Third Year Shakespeare, a mandatory credit for English. I got an A. I had been hoping for an A+ since I got an A on both the essays and thought I rocked the exam enough to pull up my mark. I’m still really happy though, since it is the highest mark I have so far in Arts. I got another A back when I was doing engineering but haven’t seen one since. It was my first third year course and better then the standard A- I tend to pull off in my English courses. I also have almost paid off my little student loan, after which I can start saving money for going back to school full-time. I thought I was super close to paying it completely off, then I had to pay a huge chuck to Carleton for the Mass Comm course I’m taking over the summer. Also we had to pay first and last months rent at Die Höhle. I’m still proud of myself for the high mark and that I’m trucking along at paying back my line of credit. Great start to the summer semester!

Cut Off From The World

We moved into Die Höhle yesterday. There is still lots of unpacking to do. I don't think the phone has been connected, it will be the same number. We also don't have internet yet. I have to wait until Bell delivers our modem which will take about a week, then I can set it up and be online from home. Until then I will have to do my basic online things (banking, e-mail, Facebook, my blog) from work. Unfortunately work blocks my e-mail and my Facebook inbox. Luckly a co-worker is letting me access his home computer from my work computer and use the internet through that, which bypasses the restrictions. I now have to spend the weekend underground and disconnected.

The Rideau Club

I go to a number of trade shows for work. They tend to all be very similar. This week Tourism Montreal decided to put a new spin on the whole trade show networking concept. They ran an evening event at The Rideau Club downtown. Event coordinators and their guests showed up and giving the name of their favourite charity on the back of their business cards, spent the time eating, drinking, and mingling with hotels and other events related businesses from Montreal. Throughout the evening the different companies representatives handed fake money over to the guests, at a designated time all the money was collected and counted. The corporations then donated that amount to charity. They drew from the business cards and the winner got a weekend trip to Montreal and the money went towards their chosen charity. Besides being a strange style of trade show, the draw of visiting The Rideau Club was very interesting. Tons of tasty fancy appetisers and an open bar made the night even more enjoyable. Anne came with me, as I had no idea when to expect from the event and even less of an idea about The Rideau Club, which is an exclusive club with a strict dress code. It has what must be the best view in the entire city, situated on the 15th floor in one of the office buildings downtown, right above the parliament buildings, looking over them to the Ottawa River. The Rideau Club started in 1865 and was an initiative of Sir John A. Macdonald, who was their first president. They have a fine dining restaurant, private library, piano bar, lounge, even a private elevator, which has only two buttons, Ground and 15. I thought that I might see it and start to dream of the point in my career where I would be a member at such an establishment, but I didn't. I was rather put off, and still don't really understand what the point of it is. It is too elitist, which I sometimes enjoy but in this case seems pointless and overly pretentious.