And here, my friends, are some more of my summer pictures...arranged in an appallingly bad manner on a ridiculously simplistic site. I need help.
Pictures
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Sunday, September 11, 2005
The first of this summer's photos
This is the only one that survived from the first roll of film...most of the pictures on in were Mom's, and all but one of mine failed to expose properly. Curses. But on Tuesday i'm getting two more rolls so I'll post more very shortly. And someday i'll have time to surf so that I can update the fun stuff on my sidebar. Someday...
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Holy horseshit, Batman
So I was reading my complimentary copy of the Globe and Mail yesterday, and it seems that in the midst of this catastrophe in Louisiana and Mississippi, Congress chose to spend their time passing a bill that will make it mandatory for anyone crossing the US/Canada border into the States will require a passport to get through. Not only will this hurt Canada's economy (even more than softwood lumber, "mad cow" and whatever other violations of NAFTA they happen to commit against us) because the 77% of Americans who don't have passports will forgo their visits to Canada for fear of not getting back into their own country, but GET A LIFE PEOPLE THERE ARE MORE PRESSING CONCERNS! You can bet that anybody planning another attack to compare to 9/11 could come up with another, less predictable way to do it than crossing the Canadian border - that's already been done. And meanwhile, Katrina and the aftermath are expected to take upwards of ten thousand lives - that's more than three times the deaths from 9/11. How's that for priorities. The Bush administration is under fire for their slow reaction to the disaster, even though they knew it was coming...not to mention the fact that, according to Bruce Wark in this week's Coast editorial, they cut New Orlean's flood control funding by nearly half, allowed more destruction of wetlands necessary to control stuff like that (for a somewaht more detailed explanation of the role of wetlands in hurricane and flood control, start with Vandana Shiva's Water Wars) and refused to join the world's efforts (i.e. Kyoto) to curb global climate change, which many experts say could have been a significant factor in this and other disasters.
And one more thing. If you're going to actively work to prevent access to birth control and abortions, you're going to have to deal with a burgeoning population. And all those people are gonna have to go somewhere...for example, into cities that are well below sea level and are probably vulnerable settlements. And if people have to go there, then you need to look after them. But obviously that hasn't occurred to the fundamentalists bigwigs in Washington. The world is just fucking insane, if you ask me.
Going to bed now. it's already past my bedtime, so if this rant makes considerably less sense than I intended, that's why.
And one more thing. If you're going to actively work to prevent access to birth control and abortions, you're going to have to deal with a burgeoning population. And all those people are gonna have to go somewhere...for example, into cities that are well below sea level and are probably vulnerable settlements. And if people have to go there, then you need to look after them. But obviously that hasn't occurred to the fundamentalists bigwigs in Washington. The world is just fucking insane, if you ask me.
Going to bed now. it's already past my bedtime, so if this rant makes considerably less sense than I intended, that's why.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Not rich, but cultured
A most excellent weekend, if I do say so myself. I saw my Dad and baby sister on Saturday which i don't get to do nearly often enough, and then, to offset the silliness of being tagged with Winnie the Pooh nickname, went to Matt's going-away party that night. We all sat around at the Tribeca being trendy-ish and talking about intellectual things and drinking obscure brands of beer and then we all left at midnight to go home and sleep because we're just that cool.
Yesterday JennJenn and Lisa and Marky and Sean and Mark and Adam and I went to see Pericles at Shakespeare By the Sea...we were late because it takes longer to walk to the park from Spring Garden than a map would have you believe, but oh well. We saw most of it and it was hella fun. I'm going to miss these random adventures when school starts up again!
Melanie's in town for a week and somehow I need to get in touch with her because we're scheduled for a "group hang," if you will, with a bunch of my SU friends etc.
Anyway I suppose I should pretend to do my job. more later, when I encounter something new and interesting.
Yesterday JennJenn and Lisa and Marky and Sean and Mark and Adam and I went to see Pericles at Shakespeare By the Sea...we were late because it takes longer to walk to the park from Spring Garden than a map would have you believe, but oh well. We saw most of it and it was hella fun. I'm going to miss these random adventures when school starts up again!
Melanie's in town for a week and somehow I need to get in touch with her because we're scheduled for a "group hang," if you will, with a bunch of my SU friends etc.
Anyway I suppose I should pretend to do my job. more later, when I encounter something new and interesting.
Friday, August 19, 2005
It's not the heat, it's the monotony
I've been reading abouta book a day for the past few days. I'm almost ready for school to start, just to break the monotony. Almost. The catch is that once school starts I shall once again become a slave to my own keenerness. And that's just a little stressful.
Anyway, yesterday I learned how to make a calendula salve, becuase we got a workshop on healing herbs for the Urban garden Mentors program. And I gave it to my brother because he's having a reaction to some medication he was taking and just completely broke into hives. It's a pretty shitty deal for him.
So I was all happy that I made a salve and it smelled nice and I got some zicchinis from our UGM garden so I went over to Adam's (taking advantage of my free time while I still have it) and made Mexican-y zucchini wraps because I'm one of those hopeless nurturing types and I like to make sure that he gets at least one nutritious meal a day...
Then at the bus stop to go home I saw a little cat trying to cross the road. It tried once, hesitated on the centre line, went back to the side of the road and started running off, and I thought ok good, it'll be safe. But then it tried again...and didn't make it. I saw the cat, saw the car, saw what was going to happen, hoped like hell that I was wrong...and then heard that unmistakeable "thud." Adam covered my ears and hid my face. I had to go and see if it was maybe still alive, but it was nowhere to be seen so I have to assume thatit wasn't. I thought about K.C. and about my cat Nigel who was hit by a car when I was a kid, and I wanted to cry. I thought about it all the way home on the bus and by the time I got to Sackville I thought I was going to be sick. Poor kitty.
Anyway, yesterday I learned how to make a calendula salve, becuase we got a workshop on healing herbs for the Urban garden Mentors program. And I gave it to my brother because he's having a reaction to some medication he was taking and just completely broke into hives. It's a pretty shitty deal for him.
So I was all happy that I made a salve and it smelled nice and I got some zicchinis from our UGM garden so I went over to Adam's (taking advantage of my free time while I still have it) and made Mexican-y zucchini wraps because I'm one of those hopeless nurturing types and I like to make sure that he gets at least one nutritious meal a day...
Then at the bus stop to go home I saw a little cat trying to cross the road. It tried once, hesitated on the centre line, went back to the side of the road and started running off, and I thought ok good, it'll be safe. But then it tried again...and didn't make it. I saw the cat, saw the car, saw what was going to happen, hoped like hell that I was wrong...and then heard that unmistakeable "thud." Adam covered my ears and hid my face. I had to go and see if it was maybe still alive, but it was nowhere to be seen so I have to assume thatit wasn't. I thought about K.C. and about my cat Nigel who was hit by a car when I was a kid, and I wanted to cry. I thought about it all the way home on the bus and by the time I got to Sackville I thought I was going to be sick. Poor kitty.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Silly Email Quiz!
I don't know about anybody else but these are a total guilty pleasure for me. However, to avoid clogging my friends' emails with unwanted mail, I'll post it here so you can read it if you want to and ignore it if you don't.
WHAT ARE YOU READING?
”A Room of One’s Own” by Virginia Woolf
WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Pinky & the Brain
WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE BOARD GAME?
Risk!
FAVOURITE MAGAZINE?
Ready Made – how to make lots of random stuff from random stuff, like lightswitch plates from beer cans
BABIES?
How did this question get in here? Was there a mistake? I’m confused…
FAVOURITE SOUND?
Lapping waves
WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD?
Hangover
FIRST THING YOU THINK OF IN THE MORNING?
I wonder if I could get away with just staying in bed?
HOW MANY RINGS BEFORE YOU ANSWER THE PHONE
3ish
FUTURE CHILD'S NAME
Dylan and Adrianne. I’m not having any more than 2! Although if I happen to have either 2 girls or 2 boys things might get a little more complicated…
WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IN LIFE?
Having faith in something, whatever it happens to be, and making the world a little better than it was before you arrived.
IF YOU COULD PLAY AN INSTRUMENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Bass guitar. For some reason I just think they’re really hot.
DO YOU LIKE TO DRIVE FAST?
I probably would like to if I could drive…but I probably wouldn’t anyway.
DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL?
Sometimes, but Jeremiah the Bullfrog is currently in the wash.
WHAT TYPE WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
Hopefully it will be a Smartcar convertible
WISH YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME AND TALK TO?
Dr. Bronner (as in, the Moral ABC’s, One-God-Faith soap guy!)
FAVOURITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK?
Dark beer - St. Ambroise, or Horsepower
WHAT'S IN THE TRUNK OF YOUR CAR?
A body.
DO YOU EAT THE STEMS OF BROCCOLI?
Pshhh yeah, who doesn’t?
IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY JOB YOU WANTED WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Travelling the world to buy stuff to sell at a cool imports store
EVER BEEN IN LOVE?
"The Greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." Yeah, I've been there.
IS THE GLASS HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL?
I consider myself lucky to even have a glass with stuff in it
DO YOU TYPE WITH YOUR FINGERS ON THE RIGHT KEYS?
og coyrse!
WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED?
Dust bunnies and bobby pins
WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE NUMBER?
8. It’s just the random number that I usually pick when I need to pick a random number.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SPORT TO WATCH?
Power Cheerleading
IF YOU COULD BUILD A HOUSE ANYWHERE WHERE WOULD IT BE?
In the middle of Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica – away from the tourists!
BEACH, MOUNTAINS OR CITY?
Beach
TECHNOLOGY OR ART?
technology hates me so I’m going with art
COMEDY OR HORROR?
COMEDY
FAVOURITE TIME OF DAY?
Lunchtime
THE LAST CD YOU BOUGHT?
Lover/Fighter – Hawksley Workman
LISTEN TO THE RADIO?
Usually Q104, although sometimes I just have to turn it off. BagelRadio (Internet) is great when I’m at home and actually have speakers coming off my computer.
WHERE'S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO BE?
Bed
FAVOURITE PLACE TO BE MASSAGED?
On my neck – it’s where I carry my tension, apparently
WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT, STRONG IN MIND OR STRONG IN BODY?
If you’re strong in mind, theoretically you’d have the discipline to go to the gym and work out. So I’ll go with that
WHAT TIME DO YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING?
Usually 7, although I’ll take any excuse to sleep in
DO YOU BELIEVE IN AN AFTERLIFE?
In some form, yes
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SEASON
Summer
IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPER POWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
The whole Elastigirl schtick
WHICH DO YOU PREFER SUSHI OR HAMBURGER?
Sushi with no fish
IF YOU HAVE A TATTOO, WHAT IS IT?
A faerie silhouette on my lower back
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE DAY
The day after exams
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CARTOON?
The Strawberry Pancake guy
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MEAL?
the one that tastes the best
IF YOU COULD TAKE A VACATION ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WHERE WOULD IT BE?
If we’re talking vacatiosn as in, relaxing not adventuring, then the Greek Islands. If we’re talking adventure then India.
DO YOU HAVE PETS?
Not until either my parents get another dog or I move in with JennJenn and K.C.
BAM!!! Did you have fun? I know I did.
WHAT ARE YOU READING?
”A Room of One’s Own” by Virginia Woolf
WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Pinky & the Brain
WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE BOARD GAME?
Risk!
FAVOURITE MAGAZINE?
Ready Made – how to make lots of random stuff from random stuff, like lightswitch plates from beer cans
BABIES?
How did this question get in here? Was there a mistake? I’m confused…
FAVOURITE SOUND?
Lapping waves
WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD?
Hangover
FIRST THING YOU THINK OF IN THE MORNING?
I wonder if I could get away with just staying in bed?
HOW MANY RINGS BEFORE YOU ANSWER THE PHONE
3ish
FUTURE CHILD'S NAME
Dylan and Adrianne. I’m not having any more than 2! Although if I happen to have either 2 girls or 2 boys things might get a little more complicated…
WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IN LIFE?
Having faith in something, whatever it happens to be, and making the world a little better than it was before you arrived.
IF YOU COULD PLAY AN INSTRUMENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Bass guitar. For some reason I just think they’re really hot.
DO YOU LIKE TO DRIVE FAST?
I probably would like to if I could drive…but I probably wouldn’t anyway.
DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL?
Sometimes, but Jeremiah the Bullfrog is currently in the wash.
WHAT TYPE WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
Hopefully it will be a Smartcar convertible
WISH YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME AND TALK TO?
Dr. Bronner (as in, the Moral ABC’s, One-God-Faith soap guy!)
FAVOURITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK?
Dark beer - St. Ambroise, or Horsepower
WHAT'S IN THE TRUNK OF YOUR CAR?
A body.
DO YOU EAT THE STEMS OF BROCCOLI?
Pshhh yeah, who doesn’t?
IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY JOB YOU WANTED WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Travelling the world to buy stuff to sell at a cool imports store
EVER BEEN IN LOVE?
"The Greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." Yeah, I've been there.
IS THE GLASS HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL?
I consider myself lucky to even have a glass with stuff in it
DO YOU TYPE WITH YOUR FINGERS ON THE RIGHT KEYS?
og coyrse!
WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED?
Dust bunnies and bobby pins
WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE NUMBER?
8. It’s just the random number that I usually pick when I need to pick a random number.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SPORT TO WATCH?
Power Cheerleading
IF YOU COULD BUILD A HOUSE ANYWHERE WHERE WOULD IT BE?
In the middle of Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica – away from the tourists!
BEACH, MOUNTAINS OR CITY?
Beach
TECHNOLOGY OR ART?
technology hates me so I’m going with art
COMEDY OR HORROR?
COMEDY
FAVOURITE TIME OF DAY?
Lunchtime
THE LAST CD YOU BOUGHT?
Lover/Fighter – Hawksley Workman
LISTEN TO THE RADIO?
Usually Q104, although sometimes I just have to turn it off. BagelRadio (Internet) is great when I’m at home and actually have speakers coming off my computer.
WHERE'S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO BE?
Bed
FAVOURITE PLACE TO BE MASSAGED?
On my neck – it’s where I carry my tension, apparently
WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT, STRONG IN MIND OR STRONG IN BODY?
If you’re strong in mind, theoretically you’d have the discipline to go to the gym and work out. So I’ll go with that
WHAT TIME DO YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING?
Usually 7, although I’ll take any excuse to sleep in
DO YOU BELIEVE IN AN AFTERLIFE?
In some form, yes
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SEASON
Summer
IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPER POWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
The whole Elastigirl schtick
WHICH DO YOU PREFER SUSHI OR HAMBURGER?
Sushi with no fish
IF YOU HAVE A TATTOO, WHAT IS IT?
A faerie silhouette on my lower back
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE DAY
The day after exams
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CARTOON?
The Strawberry Pancake guy
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MEAL?
the one that tastes the best
IF YOU COULD TAKE A VACATION ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WHERE WOULD IT BE?
If we’re talking vacatiosn as in, relaxing not adventuring, then the Greek Islands. If we’re talking adventure then India.
DO YOU HAVE PETS?
Not until either my parents get another dog or I move in with JennJenn and K.C.
BAM!!! Did you have fun? I know I did.
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Listening to Kenney's music
It's another hot one in the C-Store, and I'm eatinh a whole-wheat multi-grain bagel and listening to the CDs that the Students' Union general manager left here. Kenney's one of those really interesting people to talk to...you know the type. he has something like 4 degrees and one of them is in Shakespeare or something like that, and he was involved in the Toronto theatre scene and he writes plays and walks around singing along with the singing/dancing Shakira inside his head. So I'm listening to some CD called "God Made Me Funky." The best way I can describe it is disco hip-hop. It's kind of fun.
So on Saturday I went to a BEAUTIFUL wedding at the Acadia University Botanical Gardens and then woke up around noon on Sunday morning with a vicious headache, most likely a combination of too much sun and too much wine. But somehow, JennJenn convinced me to go to the beach and what do you know, my headache went away. We did a little swimming and mostly sat on the beach tanning (I know, I'm SUCH a girl) and eating lots of junk food. Well, tortillas and salsa and peanuts and crackers and Nibs and carbonated fruit juice on my part. But that counts because the people around me were eating REAL junk food. Then we went to the Buskers and instead of actually watching any buskers we shopped for jewelry at the random Buskerfest vendors and ate cotton candy and sat around the Grand Parade looking at the trees and stars.
Such weekends make for rough Mondays. Even more so when you have to put a convenience store BACK TOGETHER after other people have been painting it. So I was cranky. Tired and cranky and hot and Monday-ish. But then Adam came to see me because that's what awesome boyfriends do. We had planned an LSATs-and-Buskerfest date but it turned into a nap-and-LSATs date because we were both exhausted and he wouldn't let me get out of studying. At least one of us is responsible.
Anyway I now need to recruit for my mid-week pub crawl. My cousin Nick from Calgary leaves on Thursday and is staying at our house on Wednesday night so I've been charged with the responsibility of making sure he has a fun night downtown. Unfortunately everybody has to work and shit so it's not turning out to be a big group. But, here's hoping that it'll work out...
So on Saturday I went to a BEAUTIFUL wedding at the Acadia University Botanical Gardens and then woke up around noon on Sunday morning with a vicious headache, most likely a combination of too much sun and too much wine. But somehow, JennJenn convinced me to go to the beach and what do you know, my headache went away. We did a little swimming and mostly sat on the beach tanning (I know, I'm SUCH a girl) and eating lots of junk food. Well, tortillas and salsa and peanuts and crackers and Nibs and carbonated fruit juice on my part. But that counts because the people around me were eating REAL junk food. Then we went to the Buskers and instead of actually watching any buskers we shopped for jewelry at the random Buskerfest vendors and ate cotton candy and sat around the Grand Parade looking at the trees and stars.
Such weekends make for rough Mondays. Even more so when you have to put a convenience store BACK TOGETHER after other people have been painting it. So I was cranky. Tired and cranky and hot and Monday-ish. But then Adam came to see me because that's what awesome boyfriends do. We had planned an LSATs-and-Buskerfest date but it turned into a nap-and-LSATs date because we were both exhausted and he wouldn't let me get out of studying. At least one of us is responsible.
Anyway I now need to recruit for my mid-week pub crawl. My cousin Nick from Calgary leaves on Thursday and is staying at our house on Wednesday night so I've been charged with the responsibility of making sure he has a fun night downtown. Unfortunately everybody has to work and shit so it's not turning out to be a big group. But, here's hoping that it'll work out...
Thursday, August 04, 2005
long-awaited update
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't August supposed to be all laid-back and stuff? Because here I'm looking around and thinking HOLY SHIT I HAVE SO MUCH TO DO and it's bothering me. Bah!
Ah well, I got to Mahone Bay last weekend to do some sailing and take trips to the beach and spend time with my cousin from Calgary so it works out. Now I'm back in the Cornerstore with the incompetent suppliers and the humidity and oh God, help me find the strength to resist that jar of frosting.
So on the to-do list: write those 3 articles for the Mount paper, get my shit together for CPSSA, get my driver's licence and sequester myself in my bedroom until I'm ready for the LSATs. And work and eat and occasionally sleep and maybe even catch a few episodes of the Daily Show or even (gasp!) have a social life. It's not gonna happen. I'd have to be superwoman. And I'm not. I'm just Cornerstoregirl. My superpowers include keeping my temper when Scotsburn messes up our order every week, running with world using nothing but my wits and a cell phone, getting free drinks at bars for doing absolutely nothing and riding the bus 4 times a day withoug going mad. Most excellent skills, to be sure, but sleep is definitely beyond my capabilities.
Ah well, I got to Mahone Bay last weekend to do some sailing and take trips to the beach and spend time with my cousin from Calgary so it works out. Now I'm back in the Cornerstore with the incompetent suppliers and the humidity and oh God, help me find the strength to resist that jar of frosting.
So on the to-do list: write those 3 articles for the Mount paper, get my shit together for CPSSA, get my driver's licence and sequester myself in my bedroom until I'm ready for the LSATs. And work and eat and occasionally sleep and maybe even catch a few episodes of the Daily Show or even (gasp!) have a social life. It's not gonna happen. I'd have to be superwoman. And I'm not. I'm just Cornerstoregirl. My superpowers include keeping my temper when Scotsburn messes up our order every week, running with world using nothing but my wits and a cell phone, getting free drinks at bars for doing absolutely nothing and riding the bus 4 times a day withoug going mad. Most excellent skills, to be sure, but sleep is definitely beyond my capabilities.
Friday, July 29, 2005
Alex's day
Smack alarm. Roll over. Go back to sleep. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Drag ass out of bed and to the Mount. Eat bagel. Make coffee. Read the Coast. Place a Scotsburn order. Pray taht they don't fuck it up again this week. Sell some coffee, pop, coffee, pop, Fudgee-os. Work on articles for Mount paper. Chat with Scott and that dude that I chat with every Monday and Friday (shit, what's his NAME??). Eat some curry that Angelah brought me (mmmm). Make plans for tonight. Discuss with Keith how bad we've both been about keeping in touch with people from Costa Rica. Email Alexandra and pretend that I've redeemed myself. Sympathise with people who come in and complain about being tired and/or hot. Notice that the freezer is no longer functioning (again). Call the manager. Consider drowning my sorrows in another (deeply satisfying) Simcity 3000 session. Realize anew what a dork I am (see the official taxonomy of misfits, below). And all before 2:30pm.
Bah.
Bah.
Saturday, July 23, 2005
The Misfit Taxonomy
Well, after much debate over our respective labelling systems, Mark and I have finally collaborated on the Taxonomy of Misfits (Official Draft).
Any comments or suggestions are always welcome; just post it here, or email me!
For future reference: I see myself as a dork (specifically keener) and an ecogeek. That is, of course, open to debate, but don't be mean.
In other news, I finally got my hands on a copy of HBP. have i emntioned this before? Anyway, work was slow yesterday, and as a result I am half-way through. For the record, Harry Potter's got the magic stick.
I went to yet another barbecue yesterday. Which gave Kenney a chance to see Adam for the first time in many moons, so maybe Kenney will no longer feel the need to come up with excuses to ask me about Adam. Oh my - what will he and I talk about now?
The important news learned from that experience is that Tofutti Coffee Break Treats are really good. They kind of taste butterscotch-y with a coffee aftertaste. And they're frozen, creamy, vegan-y goodness!
Then proceeded to Allan's for a small boozy gathering, where Allan's new girl inquired whether she had slept with me before. Just a typical Allan's-apartment shindig.
Any comments or suggestions are always welcome; just post it here, or email me!
For future reference: I see myself as a dork (specifically keener) and an ecogeek. That is, of course, open to debate, but don't be mean.
In other news, I finally got my hands on a copy of HBP. have i emntioned this before? Anyway, work was slow yesterday, and as a result I am half-way through. For the record, Harry Potter's got the magic stick.
I went to yet another barbecue yesterday. Which gave Kenney a chance to see Adam for the first time in many moons, so maybe Kenney will no longer feel the need to come up with excuses to ask me about Adam. Oh my - what will he and I talk about now?
The important news learned from that experience is that Tofutti Coffee Break Treats are really good. They kind of taste butterscotch-y with a coffee aftertaste. And they're frozen, creamy, vegan-y goodness!
Then proceeded to Allan's for a small boozy gathering, where Allan's new girl inquired whether she had slept with me before. Just a typical Allan's-apartment shindig.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
STIIIIICKEEEEE!!!!!
The Cornerstore has no air conditioning. Have I mentioned this before? Just a bunch of stupid fridges that produce extra heat. Good thing my job doesn't require me to expend energy.
So Marky declined to lend me his copy of HP & the Half Blood Prince...seems he wants to read it over again, taking longer than 24 hours this time, so that he can truly appreciate it. I think he's just being selfish. But my consolation prize was that since I was over at the apartment to beg for it anyway, Sean lent me Wolves of the Calla (Stephen King) and I'm happy. I have somewhat of an unhealthy fascination with those books...it bothers me to have to take more than one sitting to read them. Thus I am quite tired this morning. And still not even close to finished the book.
No "hard-hitting political commentary" today. Just a comment on the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Canada: about bloody time.
So Marky declined to lend me his copy of HP & the Half Blood Prince...seems he wants to read it over again, taking longer than 24 hours this time, so that he can truly appreciate it. I think he's just being selfish. But my consolation prize was that since I was over at the apartment to beg for it anyway, Sean lent me Wolves of the Calla (Stephen King) and I'm happy. I have somewhat of an unhealthy fascination with those books...it bothers me to have to take more than one sitting to read them. Thus I am quite tired this morning. And still not even close to finished the book.
No "hard-hitting political commentary" today. Just a comment on the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Canada: about bloody time.
Monday, July 18, 2005
Hippie-hippie Shake
And what I mean by that, is that my brain feels like it's gone through a blender. It's currently 11:37 am and the Cornerstore is bloody hot. I usually like the heat but this is ridiculous. Add to that the fact that I'm still sleep-deprived and it makes me a very cranky girl. Plus I'm bored because I don't have any attention span to keep me occupied with one task for any appreciable amount of time. And the shelf under the counter that usually serves as a footrest is borken and all the little paper bags keep spilling all over the floor whenever I absentmindedly try to rest my foot.
Although I didn't get the editor job, I've decided that I'm going to be a superkeener in terms of contributing to it. It's gonna kick ass and some of the credit is going to me. The bonus is that I can let my contribution slack when the pressure's on...whereas if I had gotten the job, that option would not have been available to me. Whee! Plus, B has expressed disdain and skepticism about the prospects of the new Mount paper so I'm determined to prove him wrong.
Although I didn't get the editor job, I've decided that I'm going to be a superkeener in terms of contributing to it. It's gonna kick ass and some of the credit is going to me. The bonus is that I can let my contribution slack when the pressure's on...whereas if I had gotten the job, that option would not have been available to me. Whee! Plus, B has expressed disdain and skepticism about the prospects of the new Mount paper so I'm determined to prove him wrong.
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Allergyism
Yeah, I'm allergic to dust in a big way. And we just had a yard sale.
There's nothing like a good yard sale to make one reflect on how ludicrously materialistic our culture is (what, do you expect ME to NOT comment on this?). Impulse purchases, useless gifts that nobody really likes or wants but that are given just because gifts are expected, and then kept around unused for years because figts are not supposed to be sold or re-gifted...stuff that we keep around "just in case" because we're terrified of someday not having enough. Then when we're tripping over all our junk because we've run out of places to put it, we stick a 25-cent price tag on it and somebody buys it so that it can collect dust in their basement. It's fascinating, really.
Admittedly, I'm more anti-consumerist in theory than in practice. I just skip the plastic junk and electronics and consider myself better than other people. I'm working on that one. But today I resisted the temptation to visit the other yard-sale tables on my street and I'm proud of myself. No more junk! Well, Manda gave me a movie. But it's William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. I swear, I'm over Leonardo DiCaprio (who, interestingly enough, looks exactly like Billy H on the movie cover). But I am eternally in love with the work of Baz Luhrman.
Anyway, I'm off to partake of some fresh air that will hopefully relieve the burning in my eyes.
There's nothing like a good yard sale to make one reflect on how ludicrously materialistic our culture is (what, do you expect ME to NOT comment on this?). Impulse purchases, useless gifts that nobody really likes or wants but that are given just because gifts are expected, and then kept around unused for years because figts are not supposed to be sold or re-gifted...stuff that we keep around "just in case" because we're terrified of someday not having enough. Then when we're tripping over all our junk because we've run out of places to put it, we stick a 25-cent price tag on it and somebody buys it so that it can collect dust in their basement. It's fascinating, really.
Admittedly, I'm more anti-consumerist in theory than in practice. I just skip the plastic junk and electronics and consider myself better than other people. I'm working on that one. But today I resisted the temptation to visit the other yard-sale tables on my street and I'm proud of myself. No more junk! Well, Manda gave me a movie. But it's William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. I swear, I'm over Leonardo DiCaprio (who, interestingly enough, looks exactly like Billy H on the movie cover). But I am eternally in love with the work of Baz Luhrman.
Anyway, I'm off to partake of some fresh air that will hopefully relieve the burning in my eyes.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
"Paris Keen for Keenan"
In case you live under a rock and haven't heard, the French recently created a monument to my awesomeness. It kicks the Louvre Pyramid's pansy butt.
In other news:
Price-Gunning Cashier Discovers Mysterious Rise in Price of Nerds
Universit Brochure Arrives from Auckland
Bad Singers Rock Sidelines Tonight
In other news:
Price-Gunning Cashier Discovers Mysterious Rise in Price of Nerds
Universit Brochure Arrives from Auckland
Bad Singers Rock Sidelines Tonight
Monday, July 11, 2005
Pod Life
Did you exchange a walk-on part in the war for a leading role in a cage?
Blah. Maybe it's due to being somewhat sleep-deprived for nearly a week now, but between that, and being confined to MSVU-home-Adam's place (just down the street from MSVU)-the bus between home and MSVU, I feel kind of cut off from the rest of the world at the moment. I'm used to doing Sierra Club stuff and just generally being all over the place and engaged in what's going on in the world, but lately I haven't been so I feel kind of trapped. Worst feeling ever. But tonight I'm going to bed early and Tuesday night I'm going (woot woot! camping so I should get over it soon enough.
And right now? I'm learning Greek!
Blah. Maybe it's due to being somewhat sleep-deprived for nearly a week now, but between that, and being confined to MSVU-home-Adam's place (just down the street from MSVU)-the bus between home and MSVU, I feel kind of cut off from the rest of the world at the moment. I'm used to doing Sierra Club stuff and just generally being all over the place and engaged in what's going on in the world, but lately I haven't been so I feel kind of trapped. Worst feeling ever. But tonight I'm going to bed early and Tuesday night I'm going (woot woot! camping so I should get over it soon enough.
And right now? I'm learning Greek!
Friday, July 08, 2005
Rant
As soon as I published my post yesterday I heard about the bombings in London. Since then I've heard plenty of comspiracy theories...whoever did it, and for whatever reason, it's absolutely disgusting that innocent people are killed, and that innocent families are destroyed as a result, to advance somebody's political agenda.
My condolences go out to everyone whose lives were affected by this latest event. But while everybody's watching out for news on this latest attack, attention is being diverted once again from poverty in Africa...and poverty in the rest of the world for that matter...and a whole bunch of things that also really matter and are on a much huger scale and can be HELPED if the world would only pay attention to them long enough to actually do something. How about Zimbabwe's situation? 70% unemployment, 4 million starving people, the government is knocking down the slums and driving the poorest citizens out of their homes in the middle of (their) winter and call it "urban renewal." It got an editorial in yesterday's Globe, but most people have forgotten about it already. It's like in Hotel Rwanda (If you haven't seen it yet, SEE IT), when an American journalist tells the African who's trying to save his family and friends from slaughter that people in the rest of the world will see coverage of the genocide on TV, think "Oh that's terrible" and then go back to eating their dinner.
I'm a poli-sci student...I hear lots of complaining about the media giving shallow coverage to things. But aren't we also to blame? The media gives shallow coverage because we have shallow interests. Maintaining an abstract idea of poverty and violence and AIDS rather than seeing them as issues affecting real pople with real lives protects us from feeling guilty when we do nothing about it, even go about our business in ways that perpetuate the problems. But I'll try to leave my cynicism at that for the day.
In fluffier news, I had a really good beer yesterday at the Tribeca. It's called Griffon, it's made in Montreal and it's BEAUTIFUL. Bruno has great taste in beer. Go Bruno!
My condolences go out to everyone whose lives were affected by this latest event. But while everybody's watching out for news on this latest attack, attention is being diverted once again from poverty in Africa...and poverty in the rest of the world for that matter...and a whole bunch of things that also really matter and are on a much huger scale and can be HELPED if the world would only pay attention to them long enough to actually do something. How about Zimbabwe's situation? 70% unemployment, 4 million starving people, the government is knocking down the slums and driving the poorest citizens out of their homes in the middle of (their) winter and call it "urban renewal." It got an editorial in yesterday's Globe, but most people have forgotten about it already. It's like in Hotel Rwanda (If you haven't seen it yet, SEE IT), when an American journalist tells the African who's trying to save his family and friends from slaughter that people in the rest of the world will see coverage of the genocide on TV, think "Oh that's terrible" and then go back to eating their dinner.
I'm a poli-sci student...I hear lots of complaining about the media giving shallow coverage to things. But aren't we also to blame? The media gives shallow coverage because we have shallow interests. Maintaining an abstract idea of poverty and violence and AIDS rather than seeing them as issues affecting real pople with real lives protects us from feeling guilty when we do nothing about it, even go about our business in ways that perpetuate the problems. But I'll try to leave my cynicism at that for the day.
In fluffier news, I had a really good beer yesterday at the Tribeca. It's called Griffon, it's made in Montreal and it's BEAUTIFUL. Bruno has great taste in beer. Go Bruno!
Thursday, July 07, 2005
It's purple!
That would be my new shirt. Sale rack at AE, first article I've ever bought from that store. $9.95 plus tax. Good thing I bought it, too, because after about 40% of a litre of wine I ended up crashing on Ange's bowl chair and I needed to come straight to work from there this morning. So at least I have something to wear.
I also found APLLE CINNAMON POP-TARTS!!!!! Which I have been looking for everywhere, they're unforsted so they don't have gelatin in them. Apple-cinnamon Pop-Tarts are one of my guilty pleasures, when I can find them.
Speaking of food, I told one of my SU friends about the Crisper thing, and then she wanted to know what was in everything that she bought. So I told her and then she was traumatized and then another SU friend came in and said, "Alex, are you ruining food for people?" Hey, don't balme me - if people ask, I tell them. Sometimes I tell them even if they don't ask, but quite often they do. And a seeker of truth has to be prepared to learn things they don't like. Aaaaand i'm also a bitch. And a vegan. Anyone who hasn't read the "Passive-Aggressive Vegan Grocery Clerk" (see sidebar) is strongly advised to do so. Although I'm sure some of the humour is lost on those who are not passive-aggressive vegans.
Anyway it's early registration day so the store is sort of busy. Thus, today's entry will be short-ish and shallow...no hard-hitting (sarcasm intended) political commentaries this time. Ciao dudes.
I also found APLLE CINNAMON POP-TARTS!!!!! Which I have been looking for everywhere, they're unforsted so they don't have gelatin in them. Apple-cinnamon Pop-Tarts are one of my guilty pleasures, when I can find them.
Speaking of food, I told one of my SU friends about the Crisper thing, and then she wanted to know what was in everything that she bought. So I told her and then she was traumatized and then another SU friend came in and said, "Alex, are you ruining food for people?" Hey, don't balme me - if people ask, I tell them. Sometimes I tell them even if they don't ask, but quite often they do. And a seeker of truth has to be prepared to learn things they don't like. Aaaaand i'm also a bitch. And a vegan. Anyone who hasn't read the "Passive-Aggressive Vegan Grocery Clerk" (see sidebar) is strongly advised to do so. Although I'm sure some of the humour is lost on those who are not passive-aggressive vegans.
Anyway it's early registration day so the store is sort of busy. Thus, today's entry will be short-ish and shallow...no hard-hitting (sarcasm intended) political commentaries this time. Ciao dudes.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
"food" products
Somebody else got the editor job. Ah well, as long as she does a good job I'm happy...and as long as Angelah doesn't hire too many people for the store in the fall, I'll be making more money.
So I wrote off 52 bags of expired Crispers today. For a store this size that's a lot. Anyway I took a gander at the ingredients because that's what I do...you know, 5 years of vegan training and all. Those mothafuckas have a lot of weird shit in them. My mission this afternoon, should I choose to accept it (and I do), is to look up the ingredients of which I don't know the original source. And I'm taking you along for the ride. Here we go:
Sodium acid pyrophosphate: This would appear to be one of those mysterious chemicals that are spontaneously generated in test tubes, as I could find plenty of information on its usage but nothing on its source. Apparently it's considered safe for use in food. Good thing.
Sodium Stearoyl-2-Lactylate: Could be made from milk products but not always. I know it also has vegetable sources, I learned that in grade 12.
Sodium Bisulphite: Not sure where it comes from, but apparently it's also used as a bleaching agent in the pulp and paer industry.
Ascorbyl palmitate: It's made from ascorbic acid, sulfuric acid and palmitic acid. Which, of course, magically appear in the test tubes.
Sodium acetate: Used as a runway de-icer.
Monosodium glutamate: According to Wiktionary, it's "the mono sodium salt" of glutamic acid, an amino acid that comes from plant and animal tissues. Best known for bringing to mind images of lab rats with brain tumours.
Annatto: A seed, used to colour stuff.
Sodium metabisulphite: Apparently it's not allowed to be added to wine in Australia.
Until sodium acid pyrophosphate grows on trees, I think I'll stick to crackers. Even chips - at least Lays are now trans fat free, even if they do still give you cellulite.
So I wrote off 52 bags of expired Crispers today. For a store this size that's a lot. Anyway I took a gander at the ingredients because that's what I do...you know, 5 years of vegan training and all. Those mothafuckas have a lot of weird shit in them. My mission this afternoon, should I choose to accept it (and I do), is to look up the ingredients of which I don't know the original source. And I'm taking you along for the ride. Here we go:
Sodium acid pyrophosphate: This would appear to be one of those mysterious chemicals that are spontaneously generated in test tubes, as I could find plenty of information on its usage but nothing on its source. Apparently it's considered safe for use in food. Good thing.
Sodium Stearoyl-2-Lactylate: Could be made from milk products but not always. I know it also has vegetable sources, I learned that in grade 12.
Sodium Bisulphite: Not sure where it comes from, but apparently it's also used as a bleaching agent in the pulp and paer industry.
Ascorbyl palmitate: It's made from ascorbic acid, sulfuric acid and palmitic acid. Which, of course, magically appear in the test tubes.
Sodium acetate: Used as a runway de-icer.
Monosodium glutamate: According to Wiktionary, it's "the mono sodium salt" of glutamic acid, an amino acid that comes from plant and animal tissues. Best known for bringing to mind images of lab rats with brain tumours.
Annatto: A seed, used to colour stuff.
Sodium metabisulphite: Apparently it's not allowed to be added to wine in Australia.
Until sodium acid pyrophosphate grows on trees, I think I'll stick to crackers. Even chips - at least Lays are now trans fat free, even if they do still give you cellulite.
Monday, July 04, 2005
Job conundrum
I've always wanted the word "editor" in my job title. Now I potentially could...if the Students' Union reopens the University's newspaper editor position (highly likely since the lone applicant didn't even show up for her interview the first time around) and if I get the job. The one problem is that they want to have an issue done in time for school to get back in session...and because of some stupid ass stupid union by-law, a person can't work at 2 SU services at once. So I'd have to quit the store in August. That would mean that Angie would have to hire someone new, which wouldn't be so hard because the Cornerstore is a really cushy place to work. But I'd be losing out on a LOT of money because full-time hours selling chips pay way better than the monthly salary of the newspaper editor. As in upwards of $500/month more, which is significant for a student. Plus it would be a more stressful job during school. But amazing experience and a fantastic resume-builder and I'd get an office. Emphasis on the office (cue porn music). And I'd get all this amazing creative input into the paper. Kenney says that the writers are going to get lots of input this year, too, so I could consider doing that. But the writers don't get paid. Or the job title. Or the office.
Anybody know somebody who's hiring for August?
Anybody know somebody who's hiring for August?
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