I also made a ring of Power. Because yes, I am that nerdy. 

All in a day's work at THSWSNBN 

you'll be the last one standing

Apparently I have written 17 493 words in this puppy over the last little while. Very unprolific output, considering I've had the bloody thing for two years, but still I am reasonably proud of this, and of the fact that I've made my blogging a little more consistent this summer. So you can bet that next year when I have no friends left, am sleeping five hours a night, and have an ulcer AND pneumonia...I will still be blogging to procrastinate.

I keep forgetting to mention that I did in fact get tickets to the Finn Brothers show in Toronto. It's at Massey Hall (which means I will have seen the Finn in my two favourite concert venues ever) and we have balcony seats, which will be quite fun. My dad is to be one of my concert companions and he is decidedly afraid of heights. I just hope the seats will be better than when we saw Sloan there in '99...as my dad is fond of saying, "there's not a bad seat in Massey Hall...except for our Sloan seats, eh?"

Dust From A Distant Sun has long been one of my favourite reads, and perhaps a tiny bit because it is named after one of my favourite songs. I wanted to give this blog a Finn title as well, but there was just something about the Academia Nuts that greatly amused me, and I couldn't think of a good title, since Something So Finn was already gone...

I remember when Crowded House released Recurring Dream, back in in 1997. It was a few weeks before I would leave for the three months I spent in France, and I remember seeing/hearing "Don't Dream It's Over" on Much Music (which actually played music like this at that time). It was like finding a sweater that you loved and thought you'd lost for good. Dad put Recurring Dream on tape for me and it was one of only three tapes I took with me to Ste. Zacharie. The songs have come to mean much more to me over the years but I still associate them with being away from home, and in that sense, I suppose, they are like friends to me.

the future's so bright...I want to run and hide

Just came back from a semi-successful trip to Guelph. I checked out a few (fairly reasonable) apartments, one of which I would like to take...if I can decide that I want the boy to move down with me, that is.

All of a sudden, I am absolutely terrified. I talked to one of this year's MA students and she really put the fear of god, He Who Shall Not Be Named, gnomes, and all else that is unholy into me about what a rough year it is going to be; citing the usual cohort of ulcers, pneumonias, and other occupational hazards of the MA in English.

The campus itself is gorgeous and the city seems quite nice...if only I could beyond this completely (well, almost completely) irrational fear of everything. I'm sitting here right now with my heart beating quite quickly and I honestly feel like I'm on the verge of a panic attack. this does not bode well for my future.

*sigh*

rocking out is for chumps

Still making with the sick on this end, which is partially why there has been little updating on this end--aside from the part where this week has just been crazy busy with the commencement of Not-dungeons and Not-dragons and trying to spend time all of the various friends.

The role playing is really far more fun than it has any right to be, and I am thrilled with the way my (vaguely Klingon-esque) character is developing.

We also watched Bubba Ho-tep and Grave of the Fireflies. The first is good; the second is better...it manages to be haunting, disturbing, and endearing all at the same time.

In a very short time, I will own this shirt.

did they have airplanes back then?

Another busy day at THSWSNBN. I have seven tours in four days this week, and on the fifth day, I blacksmith. And then we start the new rotation, and that will be really weird. Today was a very random tour day. My morning tour started with my group's teacher announcing to me that I had "the shaft class"...first of all, inappropriate much? (this was said in front of a class of 12 year olds) ...and second of all, WAAAAH! Ironically, they were actually a good group. The afternoon tour was also good, although the kids seemed to get stupider towards the end, which resulted in the question, "Did they have airplanes back then?"

French seniors tomorrow. Wish me luck.

And...I may finally get to see that pesky potter film, at long last.

lying in bed, just like Brian Wilson did

It's funny how sometimes it seems to be easier to talk around things than to actually talk about them. Blogging is a really good example of that. Sometimes I think about things that I would like to blog (during the day) and then when I come home and actually sit down here at the computer, nothing comes to mind and I end up writing about obscure or very general things that aren't too relevant to what's actually happening in my world. I'm not sure whether that's self-preservation or something else.

The weekend was lovely. I am sunburnt now, but that happens when one spends most of two days outside...there is actual COLOUR on some of my skin. it's fabulous. There was poetry, there were good friends, hot tubs, large goldfish, conversations about absurdist theatre, thunderstorms...all this equates to a general feeling of contendedness with the world right now.

Tara wrote about creative drought yesterday, which begs me to consider why I haven't *really* written in a pretty considerable amount of time. I think that at a certain point, it simply becomes easier to not write. I read a book once called "The War of Art" which was essentially about not procrastinating and actually sitting down and writing (by the guy who wrote the Legend of Bagger Vance, weirdly enough)...of course, it didn't actually motivate me to write anymore, but I am hoping that will change soon and that I will have a chance to actually get some of what I'm feeling down on paper.

I actually blogged about the graduation ceremony last night but then my computer froze. Figures. The ceremony itself was fantastic...very short (1.5 hours, a Nipissing record) and I got to see most of the people from my program, and spend the night with Kristabelle, which is always a highlight.

I didn't think graduation would be that big of a deal...even in high school, I knew that I would be doing at least two degrees, so I'd always kind of figured that this one would be more just a stepping stone on my way to the big Bachelor of Education. In reality, it was a beautiful, exciting, wonderful day. I actually feel like I've accomplished something. I think it has a larger impact because I won't be at Nipissing next year.

Me and Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser 

the joke is always on me

so I was all excited, as you can see in the post below, about not being sick anymore...so when I get to work on Tuesday morning, what do I do? Take a cab to the boyfriend's house, 'cause once again I am the president of Sickville.

The last two days have been mercifully healthy and *knock wood* tomorrow will hopefully be as well, as I suspect THSWSNBN might implode if anyone calls in sick tomorrow, as we are severely overbooked.

Gradumauation is this weekend, so I am headed back to the Bay after work tomorrow, to seek the comfort of roommates and to test drive the wedding shoes...by walking across the stage to get my diploma. Hey, I didn't trip in high school, with any luck that will still hold true.

I am all road-trip mix-CD-ed up now, so I am off to bed. g'night!

happy one hundred and one

this is my official post #101. How exciting is that?

Not too much new in the world of the skylark, aside from the fact that I feel human for the first time in almost a week. People keep complimenting me on how I look, which is nice, but I feel I should always be adding "yes, this is what happens when you eat virtually nothing for a week" to my "thank you." No matter, I suppose, I have plenty of time to play calorie catch-up.

I got my shoes for the wedding today. These ones, to be exact, only in black and not white. They are very cute, and not too tall--not that it matters, since I am taller than my escort (whoever he may be) in bare feet.

The Cranium party this weekend did not go as well as planned; although it was still a lot of fun. I hadn't realized when I picked the date that it would be Game 6 of the Stanley Cup. This was the first party I've been to in ages where there were more boys than girls, a vast majority of the people there were more interested in the hockey. Personally, I was more interested in the hot tub, but that's just me. I think I will have a Cranium evening later in the summer that will be a little more low-key...

Back to work tomorrow, with a French tour of grade 11 and 12 students. Worse luck...

on the election trail...

Stephen Harper, leader of the new Conservative Party of Canada, may or may not have blown his chances for election this week...Abortion is always a sticky subject, regardless of where you live, and it seems the Canadian Press want to make it an important issue in this election. The Globe and Mail offers an interesting take on it, as does this story from the CBC.

Harper has said that his government would not table abortion legislation; he has also said that his government would not table abortion legislation in its first term, which is a pretty important distinction to make. Now he has said that he would not object to a private member's bill to criminalize abortion, and would not force MPs to vote along party lines.

I was going to write something a little more rant-y about this, but I've lost my enthusiasm for doing so, and in closing, I will simply note that Paul Martin wants to offer $7/day daycare.

you can buy my vote

I got my voter registration card from Elections Canada today. The election is coming up on June 28th, and I am grateful that this time there will be no repeats of the "from my cold, dead hands" debacle of the last provincial election. It's interesting because I'm now in a different electoral district than I originally assumed I was; which is a different one from virtually everyone I work with.

We only have three confirmed candidates in this riding so far...none of which I want to vote for. The Christian Heritage Party just rubs me the wrong way...when you click on Party Platform, you somehow end up at a page that gives you seven reasons why you should vote for the CHP...which, last I checked, was NOT a platform.

Yes, I do have too much time on my hands.

please, please explain to me

Spending quality time with the computer is always a good thing. I'm hoping that soon I will be able to purchase another ethernet cord so that I am not always at the mercy of other people with whom I share the internet connection. We all know how much I like my internet.

The Squidge started a new blog she wants to call "The Life of Chai" which is a wonderific title.

My blogging has been really flat as of late, and I apologize for that. Work is keeping me quite busy (in a variety of different ways--mostly social) and I am thankful that I will be getting a full paycheque tomorrow.

The girls are taking me shopping on Sunday.