Goals (not the foobball kind)

Look at me, being all UK with my football reference.


Anyhoo, this afternoon I bought a nice multigrain muffin and thus ended my non-buying of ANYTHING at the uni spree. I went for 1hr short of two weeks without purchasing anything from the uni. No coffees, muffins, snacks, lunches or the like.

This was both for money reasons and food-value reasons. I have made my lunch and brought snacks. I have had tea for my morning and afternoon breaks (my own tea bags and just grab hot water from the caf). So, yay me.



In other news, I have also met some other goals. Namely the flossing of teeth and the attending of yoga. I am getting three yoga sessions in per week and adding to that at least two cardio/weights sessions as well.

And finally, cleaning goals around the house. Silly basements and closets. Gah. Got the one closet mostly done last night, and I have a stack of stuff ready for the Salvation Army next week.

My reward for my goals these past two weeks? A long weekend.

Whoo!

Roll Call!

I find these fun - and I know most of who is here, but just wondering about lurkers. Marissa posting a comment made me squeak, so I thought I'd ask who all is out there these days.

Interesting Day

I went to a talk at the uni today (switched my lunch hour) from a woman who is applying to become faculty in the nursing program, and it really got me thinking. It was very much in the same area of my thesis research - although centred around nursing and education. But all in all, lots of talk about the impact of narratives and identity. I miss this. I miss the interaction. I knew some of the people there, I asked some questions, they were good questions, I talked with people, they asked me about my research for my thesis. My brain was tingling.

I need to figure out what job I could have where I would research and write and talk and be smart.

I don't feel smart these days. Which is okay. These days is more about paying some bills and getting some money in the bank. I'm doing that. But I think it will be okay when this job ends in five weeks.

I don't know if I want to get my PhD right now - just the money and the loss of work time. But I need to figure out what I could do that would still challenge me and let me have ideas and interactions and research and use all these skills I've worked so hard to create.


Or something like that.

Mixed Tapes

Well, it isn't. But it is a mixed CD that I've just made for Podgy. And it is awesome. I have that excited feeling about sending it to her. The whole thing is Ani Difranco and much more mellow than I would have thought I was going to do - but these are my favorite songs of hers. I think I'll make her a second CD of a bit more upbeat bopping around the house kind songs. This is more sitting and knitting/reading Bitch Magazine/thinking kind of CD.

And for those of you who know Ani:
Not a Pretty Girl
Hour Follows Hour
You Had Time
Shy
Everest
Swan Dive
Independance Day
Cloud Blood
Providence (w/Prince)
Trickle Down
Freakshow
Adam and Eve
Hello Birmingham
Serpentine


And because I'm in that mood where I would, at another time in my life, write out all the lyrics for her (did you all do that too - back then it was always for a boy. But that was back then...):

I am not a pretty girl. That is not what I do. I am no damsal in distress. And I don't need to be rescued. So put me down punk, wouldn't you prefer a maiden fair. Isn't there a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere?

Hour follows hour, like water follows water. Everything is governed by the law that one thing leads to another...

And you will take the heavy stuff, and you will drive the car. I'll look out the window and make jokes about the way things are.

Back in the city, the sun bakes trash on the curb. The young men are pissing in doorways and the rats are running in herds. I got a dream of your face and it scares me awake. I put too much on the table and now I've got too much at stake.

So I take a few steps back and put on a wider lens. And it changes your skin, your sex, and what you're wearing. Distance shows your silhouette to be a lot like mine.

I've got a lack of inhibition, I've got a lack of perspective, I've had a little bit to drink and it's making me think - that I can jump ship and swim, that the ocean can hold me, that there's got to be more than this boat I'm in.

And did I tell you how I stopped eating? When you stopped calling me. And I was cramped up and shitting rivers for weeks and pretending that I was finally free.
...

Yeah, I'm totally making a copy of this for at work.

I Said That?

So I was just reading Liz's blog (Mystery Mommy) and she linked back to another entry of hers from last year. Very funny concept of the Gilligan/Dr. Smith award - where on a tv show you pick out who would be killed and eaten if they were all stranded on a desert island. Character is chosen for being lame/annoying or, better yet, both.

I'm reading the old post. I see a comment from "Jenn" and think oh, Liz has another Jenn who comments on her blog - because the comment is nothing I've ever written. Although, I must note I thought the comment was cute (Janice from America's Next Top Model would win this award). So I click on the "Jenn" to see something about her.

Is me.

Oh.

Now, I know that I would not instantly remember every comment I've ever made on everyone's blogs. But I so totally do not ever remember thinking of that. And nothing went *bing* when I read it. Really. To the point where I wonder if Leone accidently commented as me while using my computer - but that was before she moved in here so probably not.


Weird.

Or maybe not. But whatever.

In other news, just had the BEST lunch with Jill. This great Indian/Thai/Sri Lankin (how DO you spell that?) restaurant. And cheap! We had samosas, pakoras to start and each had a curry (chicken and lamb, respectivly) with the crispy bread and the fried bread and rice and a little salsa with yogurt - came to under $30.

If you'll excuse me, I'll be lying on the front lawn.

Ohh, sleeping above the fridge is hard work...

Ohhh, Books!

Okay, my last order is silly because it won't be here for another month+ as I am getting a translation and an older children's book (the book is not necessarily for older children - well it kinda is I guess - but the actual issue is that it is not as recent so some sort of longer order process).

So I've put in an order for NOW books!

Lenore Comic - Issue 3
Genderqueer
Five Seasons of Angel

How freaken exciting is that!!

In other news, I haven't had the guts to call in as a collection agent to try and find my hairdresser. I'm with Jill, that is one of the funniest things I've heard and I LOVE it... but yeah.

I don't know what to do. Other friend was going to a new place so I asked her today how it went. She said "I cried and cried when I got home."

*eep*

I'm thinking of just cutting my own damned hair.

It is bizzar to think I'm considering using this as the final straw to justify a trip to Vancouver. But no, I'd rather wait until I'm done work so I can go for longer than just two days.

So to cheer myself up, I have bought my cactus soil and collected some rocks from the park and will plant all my new succulents this weekend.

Yay!!

Amazon.ca

They have fixed it - but my worst fear about online and gift certificates and money and what not have come true.

They lost $50 from my account...

After a horrid evening of freaking out and sending them emails, they replied today.

It has been fixed - but I'm still not feeling stellar about the whole thing. And they don't know why it happened.

And she tried to reassure me that their system always had the $50 ($49.05 if you are keeping track of such things). And that no matter what, they would take care of it.

But I pointed out that if I hadn't noticed and contacted them, I would have lost that money. It is only because I'm anal and write down these amounts that I knew things were wrong (I had deposited close to $150 over the past few months due to birthdays and presents of amazon gift certificates). If I didn't track these things, I might just think that I had spent more than I remembered. She didn't have much to offer for that.

So the account is fixed - but they had to give me $25 in promotional because one of my gc just refused to show on my account.

And I'm having to reconsider the whole gift certificate/amazon thing. Blah.

Recovered

Okay, I've made it.

I have recovered, finally.

Now I just need to make it through basic daily stuff. Like work. And the fact that my hairdresser left the salon and I can't get them to say where she went. Grrr.

Went to yoga today (made up for missing saturday morning) and am going to try to make it to yoga again tomorrow. They are now running three classes per week. I'd be very happy to get to two.

Done well on my goal this week to NOT buy food/drink at work. I hate giving them my money - not to mention the calories and such. Two days good, so far. I bought some strategic groceries and I've been resisting afternoon coffees or muffins. I take two containers of fruit, a lunch item, low-fat yogurt, and some kind of veggie.

And with my extra time now throughout the week (my first week with no teaching/marking/prep) I'm going to try out some recipies for homemade muffins, treat cookies, or granola.

In other news, I hate it when I bring my bag home and then don't unpack it - only to get to work the next morning and see I've brought random things back to work. Case in point this morning - my dirty gym socks.

Ewww.

Recovery Period

Yep, mine has gotten just a bit too long.

Ended up on one of those spur-of-the-moment night out with girlfriend type evenings. Dinner led to wine, wine led to cab rides downtown, let to the country and western bar (what were we thinking?) and a smirnoff Ice, led to the next club and a mikes hard lemonaid, and then - oh yes then - deciding we should hit the new hot spot in town. With the youngsters lined up. We quickly acknowledged many of them were a good 10-13 years younger than us, but we didn't give a rat's ass.

As we get our little wrist bracelet from the door girl "oh, are these the over 30 ones?"

We think we are too funny!

And we dance. And dance. And keep dancing. Until I realise it is coming up on 2am and that 1:30 is when things shift to skanky. I suggest to my friend (a very nice woman from work with two lovely little daughters and a very nice living room set) that if she likes so we can keep fitting in, I could grid against her from behind as she bends over and plays with her boobies. I'd even smack her ass as the one gentleman was doing with his, er, date.

We laughed again.

God we were funny.

She noted that the one fellow needed some different detergent as his shirt must have been itching him - he had to keep pulling it and tugging it and riding it up his chest as he danced on the speaker. She thought she might let him know about the new Tide Sensitive.

And then we were ready to head home.

Our words of wisdom - "let's leave while this is still the night where we had TOO much fun for words." And it was. Being all responsible, I waited the fifteen minutes after the cab dropped me off and then confirmed she was home. We chatted for a while about how drunk we ended up, how spontaneous that all was, and how much freaken fun we had. It was a blast. We should totally do this again.





Then came Saturday morning.

At around 5:30 pm I managed to get myself dressed, controlled my headache, put on my shades, and got to her house to get my purse (we had ditched such baggage before heading out that night). She woke up from her spot on the couch to get the door when I arrived. We sat on the porch and agreed - we won't be doing this again any time soon. She confessed "thank god it is father's day weekend and [her ex] has the girls." I was just glad that I only had cats. They thought my day spent on the couch watching Pretty in Pink followed by The Breakfast Club was perfect.

Last night I was well enough to get some marking done, and today I got up early, got groceries, cleaned the kitchen, and did some more marking. I think I've made up for the lost time, and it was so totally worth it for the fun we had (that we both really really needed after the last silly week we've endured). But yeah, my recovery time has really changed. And I'm okay with that. There's no worry I'll ever take to drinking away my paycheque!

(Unless we're talking soy lattes.)

Thanks to everyone!

I really appreciate the comments regarding the landlord fiasco. I reread them because they make me laugh my evil laugh and realise I don't care quite so much.

Past three days I'm marking papers like a mad woman (final exam is tonight and I'll had papers back then) . Final exam is completed and ready to give out 6pm this evening. After that, I'll have a couple days to mark the exams and get final grades into the office.

And then the class is done!

I shall be so very very lazy on my weekends and evenings!

In other news, since getting over that silly cough that hung about for the extra week after the cold - I've been to the gym three times since Friday and went golfing on Saturday. I like golfing. It was fun and funny.

Conversation between myself and the real golfer on our team regarding my technique:
Him: "if you hit the ball, don't worry - it will, um go. Trust me... They are built to go, so..."
Me: "So stop trying to KILL the golfball?"
Him: "Yes. Please."
Me: "So I don't need to smack it as hard as I can? I can think about just making good contact and keeping it on the fairway?"
Him: "Yes."
Me: "So I can stop with the missing it completely and almost knocking myself unconscious with the golf club? And stop firing the ball at ninety-million miles an hour into the nearest tree where it then rebounds back at us like a sick frantic army-military exercise?"
Him: "Yes."

Me: "... for what it's worth, I'm more used to baseball."





Hee.

Grumble

I'm in a bad mood this morning. Well, it lasted since last night. I don't know - a few things really got under my skin, but I can't tell if that is what caused the mood, or if they got under my skin because I'm in a bad mood.

Regardless. Bad mood. I feel like Calvin when he makes that grumpy face and the bubble above his head has just black zig-zag marks.

My landlord brought over the new lawnmower. This is a huge deal as the old one is older than I am, weights ninety-million pounds, overheats, and quits part-way through the lawn and won't start again until the next day. A real beast. A monster. Deserving of its own Buffy episode as a big bad.

So we've been indicating this needs replacing, and this year I've had it. Leone can't operate the damned thing, and we've had it with taking three days to cut the front and back lawns. So I tell the woman landlord we need a new lawnmower. And I get a very frustrating reply "oh yes, we were wondering how you kept managing as [their son who had the house before us] kept saying this mower needed replacing."

This was three years ago. So now I say - okay, need it now.

So they bring it over this friday and mow our lawn "because we left you too long without a mower and the grass needs cutting." I guess my flower beds also needed weeding. Which is cool on the one hand - weeding done; but not cool on the other hand - feeling self conscious and grumpy. And then they want to show me how to use the mower.

I know how to use mowers. This was not the issue.

I am told by the husband "don't worry, we got a more girly one." Again, not the issue. It is not girly to buy a mower that runs without overheating or doens't weigh ninety kabillion pounds. I suffer through a few more comments indicating that it has to do with my uterus that the mower needs replacing. Even after they have said a number of times that their son said the same thing.

Then he starts up the old mower. "There's nothing wrong with this. It runs. It is fine" - accusation, dismissing everything I've been saying, proving he does not listen to one single word I say.

ARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I AM NOT USING THAT FUCKING MOWER ANY LONGER! I NEVER SAID IT DIDN'T START - I SAID IT WON'T KEEP RUNNING AND IT IS A HUGE PAIN IN THE ASS AND WE DON'T ASK FOR ANYTHING AT THIS PLACE SO JUST GIVE US A NEW FREAKEN MOWER WITHOUT THE BULLSHIT "GIRLY" COMMENTS FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST!

But I don't say that. I clearly state that the issue is overheating and inability to negotiate the lawn with the old one. Then I firmly, but calmly state, I will not be able to use the old mower any longer.

The wife, somewhat trying to calm the husband "Oh okay, we'll take this one to the lake." He keeps muttering and says we can just take the new one back and return it. This one is fine.

I can't stand shit like this. We have totally fixed the place up, we keep it very nice, he can just fuck off.

Needless to say, I had to deal with them two more times over the weekend. They wanted to get into the house last night but did not give us any notice. This has not been an issue before, but last night I was tired, the place was a mess, and they needed into the basement where we had laundry all over and boxes and mess and I would be mortified to have someone see it. So I said, "sorry, this is not a good time" and I got totally snipped at.

So weird. I know they must be dealing with something right now because they are awesome about giving notice if they need in the house. They know the law and they are usually very respectful. But I think they are pissed because I had finally made them come over earlier in the weekend and deal with a few things outstanding for OVER A YEAR.

All in all, just kinda a crappy interaction with them and I'm glad enough to have this stuff semi-done and them out of our sphere for another six months.

[/end rant]

I'm going golfing today

And I don't know about the rest of you, but I find the idea rather funny.

I realised this morning that I am preparing to "Perform Golfer" because I'm trying to pick out what is a good golfer outfit, golfer mentality, and golfer sensibility.

I'm wearing capris with little white and blue sneakers.

Dammit, I don't have a visor!


Or a golf shirt.


But hey, my foursome is using Canadian Tire money to bet on the various holes. Hee!

Ah, that sneaky gay agenda exposed!

On the WD a friend posted this article on Gay Mounties to Wed.

This is one of the comments within that article:

"This does nothing to strengthen the family," said Dave Bylsma, president of
the Ontario Council of the Christian Heritage Party. "Personally, it doesn't
matter to me if they are RCMP or dogcatchers or garbagemen. But they are
obviously using the fact that they are Mounties to rub our nose in it."

And now I present you with Rob's most excellent recreation of that sneaky gay mind:

*** flashback montage .... fade in to six years ago **

CAPTION ON SCREEN: Nova Scotia, Canada. 2000.

JASON: Y'know, David, we've been together for a couple of years now and it seems like we're both pretty committed to this relationship. I think we've reached that a point where it's time for us to start thinking about the future. Specifically, in the future, how should we piss off Dave Bylsma, president of the Ontario Council of the Christian Heritage Party?

DAVID: You're reading my mind -- I've already been thinking about how to piss him off! And you know what would totally bug him? If we got married!

JASON: Dude, we can't. It's illegal here in the year 2000. Maybe it'll be legal at some point in the future, but right now, no can do.

DAVID: Crap. Man. Think how sweet that'd be ... Two dudes getting married. Can you imagine the look on the face of Dave Bylsma, president of the Ontario Council of the Christian Heritage Party?

JASON: Oo! Oo! I just thought of something that would reaaaaally piss him off! What if we were Mounties who were gay and got married?!

DAVID: Oh, dude that is sweet. Now I really wish gay marriage was legal!

JASON: You know what ... We should become Mounties just in case gay marriage is legalized. That way ... when it's legalized, BAM! We get hitched! We'll be married gay Mounties! Dave Bylsma, president of the Ontario Council of the Christian Heritage Party, will shit his pants!!

DAVID: Excellent!! That's worth giving up my lifelong dream of being a garbageman or dog catcher! Let's go join the Mounties now!

Two classes left!

And one of those two starts in 15 minutes.

On the one hand I feel like this can't have been six weeks already (or, as I pointed out to mom last night - it hasn't. It's been five weeks and this is the sixth. But I digress.) But on the other hand it has been a long while since I've felt rested and I think a bit of that is working and teaching at the same time. I love the teaching, though, and would gladly trade off where I finish up the Advising and just keep teaching. But alas, that is not the case right now.

So we're doing peer edits tonight and their papers are due thursday at the start of class. Thursday is our review for the final exam and I've made a decision: I'm giving them the terms and topics to study. Like a list. I thought about my teaching goals for this class and realised that those goals were not served by the class trying to re-read the entire text or anything like that. I want a few key things:

For them to end this class with some clear definitions. Too many times I think people can get to upper level and not know some of the key terminology or ideas. And while I can debate the actual definition of post-modernism, for the purpose of this class I want them to be able to write down a single sentence that tells me they've got that first step securely under their belt.

I want them to be able to give a quick chat about the main ideas, theorists, etc.

I want them to be able to apply those theories to their own reading of a media text.


And so, I will tell them just that. Along with the terms I want them to study. Saves them time, and saves me time marking a bunch of exams where they don't know the answer and babble on hoping to randomly stumble onto the answer.

Off to class!

When you order things from Amazon...

Do you check your account over and over the day after waiting to see some movement?

Do you keep wondering if it might be in the mailbox RIGHT NOW?

Even though one of the items will take a couple weeks to get in?

And mail doens't arrive on Sundays?




*goes and checks again*

Made It!

It is the weekend. Whew! And now I'll try and just take it easy. All I really have planned is some marking, write up the final exam for my class, and order some Me books from amazon.

I have some gc saved up and can now order anything my heart desires. What is it about having total permission to buy numerous books that makes me unable to even find ONE book I really want right now?

Sheesh!

I'm wanting a good book on Sociology (I just do), thinking of grabbing a few Sandman graphic novels, might get Lenore 3 (whoot!), and there is a Robin McKinley Water I've read but don't own.

I'm also thinking about the Angel Reader which would go nicely with my Serenity Reader. And even though Leone has it, I might need my own of that Philosophy of Buffy.

Okay, stratch that top part about not being able to find a book. I just have a few too many.

Yay weekend!

I've been sick.

Poor me. Off work all day Wednesday and half of yesterday. I just need to make it through today. It is 8:34am and I have to get to 4pm.

Gah!

In other news, my class only has one more week - two classes. I'm pretty much prep'd for the one class, but I need to make up the final exam this weekend so I can use it to put together the review for the final class. Six hours to go!! (Well, and then the marking and the final exam and all that marking - but I digress.)

:)
*blows nose*
Jenn