Sirina's Stuff

Missing In Action

2007-04-29T22:04:00.000-06:00

So I've been missing in action, the only reason for this is... Facebook.

I'm baaaack!

2007-03-04T21:01:00.000-07:00

I'm back from Mexico! I tried to post pictures, but it wouldn't let me. When I get my own internet working agin (main computer is on the fritz) and stop stealing wireless from my downstairs neighbours I will post pictures and tell you all sorts of delightful stories. Many include too much tequila and not enough clocks. And I ate a cactus, snorkeled, saw some blue footed boobies (only on these deserted islands and the galapagos!). I can boast that I swam in the ocean every day! The pictures are way more exciting, I hope to have them up soon!

Day of Dread

2007-01-28T22:52:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I must go bathing suit shopping. It is a day I have been dreading. But the only suit I have is a speedo racing suit, not at all for the beach. Plus if I'm going to wear a bathing suit everyday, I think I want more than one for variety's sake. But college has not been kind to me and I have gained the freshman 15 many times over. This is something I am quite self conscious about. I have been trying to tell myself that there is no fluorescent lighting on the beach and that no one will be looking at me quite as closely as I'm looking at myself in the mirror but it's not doing much to ease my fears. Don't you just wish you could airbrush yourself in real life? Plus all the "helpful" website designed to help you pick the most flattering suit are not helpful at all. How am I supposed to pick just one flaw? What if I have a big chest AND thick thighs? Then what do I do? Perhaps a wetsuit is the way to go. With Spanx underneath for good measure.

Hola!

2007-01-22T19:40:00.000-07:00

For the first time in my university career I am going somewhere warm during Reading Week! Shaun, Rachel, Greg and I are headed down to Puerto Vallarta for a week of sun and relaxing. Except not relaxing because I don't relax on vacation, I see the world! That's what travelling is all about!

Other than that, I don't really have any other big news. The life of a student is boring. Well other than my potential health crisis, but it's not for sure so I'm not worrying about it yet.

Too bad I already switched out of Science, eh?

2007-01-09T15:28:00.000-07:00

You Are An INTJ

The Scientist

You have a head for ideas - and you are good at improving systems.
Logical and strategic, you prefer for everything in your life to be organized.
You tend to be a bit skeptical. You're both critical of yourself and of others.
Independent and stubborn, you tend to only befriend those who are a lot like you.

You would make an excellent scientist, engineer, or programmer.

What's Your Personality Type?

Just call me the Crazy Cat Lady

2006-12-12T16:01:00.000-07:00

Shaun does. And he tells everyone else to.

Cute, eh?

Ahhh...the Holiday Season is upon us.

2006-12-05T09:33:00.000-07:00

WARNING: You are herein invited to attend a Holiday Party. Should you choose to attend this event, you are herein advised that you do so at your own peril. Food served may be manufactured in factories that may contain machinery that may have touched peanuts. In the absence of any coherent party-based sexual-harassment policy, you are warned that any hugging/touching/casual flirting/wine-stem fondling/hair tossing/breast gazing/butt grabbing will be deemed actionable at law. All guests must maintain a 5-foot distance from all others at all times (spouses included). Appropriate topics for conversation are: work; sports; light political banter; reality-television shows. Any unapproved conversational topics shall be cleared in advance by the Human Resources department. All dance moves shall be preapproved by the HR department. Seminars on these moves shall be conducted twice daily in the small conference room on the second floor between now and the day of the party. All closets, conference rooms, restrooms, and other possible areas of sexual misconduct are to be padlocked for the duration of the event. Small children are to be chaperoned at all times. Any child found playing or otherwise conducting himself in a childlike manner will be summarily removed from the premises. Should you or your partner feel at any point during the party that you have been sexually harassed, socially discomfited, religiously proselytized, or otherwise made to feel uneasy in any way, a team of HR lawyers will be made available to you immediately. Do not minimize your feelings or wait a few days to see if the bad feeling blows over. Prompt attention to any social discomfort is critical to eradicating it in the workplace. Once again, we wish you and yours a very happy holiday season, and hope to make this year's office party the best ever.

Introducing....

2006-11-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

......Hamlet. He's my NEW kitty. We adopted him from the Edmonton Humane Society. I had to leave Lucky with my mom because she's so attached to her house. But I missed her and having a cat around so, we adopted one. Hammy's not the same as Lucky, but it's okay. I'll just have to go visit Lucky more often. What do you think?

2006-11-09T20:58:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of the condo!

2006-11-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

So Rob wanted me to write more about my job with Foodscapes so I will. The foodscapes project looks at mapping people's access to food, whether it be healthy food or fast food, by mapping the locations of fast food outlets and supermarkets as well as little mom and pop type corner stores. It also looks at the qualitative side of the research by taking in the environment and cleanliness in the store as well as the quality of the food and the hours that it is open. Basically it is trying to answer the question of whether poor people have the same access to healthy food as rich people. Basically I go to town hall meetings and take notes, do some literature searches, fact check, make tables and graphs etc. Going to the town hall meetings are my favorite part mostly I think because it gives some hands on experience. It's actually a lot of fun and more stimulating than a lot of the jobs I've had in the past.

On the flip side of things, we're almost moved in and unpacked though we don't have any of the office furniture in, so the office is just full of boxes right now. There's garbage everywhere and I can't make my printer print the pictures the way I want it to so I may have to have about 5 or 6 pictures printed professionally for me. Maybe tonight if I clean it up a bit (Shaun's out reffing, so I won't have anyone following me around undoing my cleaning) I will take some pictures and post them.

I'm not allowed to get a kitty right away, so I'm getting some fishies! Shaun bought me a 10 gallon tank and stand that we set up over the weekend, but PetSmart won't sell us any fish until we bring them a water sample. Which is smart. Shaun and I have never had fish, so it could potentially be a disaster.

Okay so I think that's all I have for now, midterms are finally over, I just have 2 papers left before finals so I'm feeling a lot less stressed. I think I'm going to drop my evolution class at 8 am because we got this new prof who can't speak english and just reads the power point slides and I only got a B- on the midterm and I seriously am doubting my ability to pass the final. Okay really now, I think that's it.

2006-10-27T23:51:00.000-06:00

I've been wanting to say for over a month now, that I've gotten a job with the EAS department at the U working on the foodscapes team as the undergrad research assistant. It's a really big deal, because I get to work on a funded research project and learn about how it all works. What we're researching is people's accessibility to healthy vs. fast food based on socioeconomic status. I get to represent the university at open houses in the community and work on a variety of things. I'll write more later as I learn more about it!

If you believe in love

2006-10-12T12:13:00.000-06:00

I saw this on the 'net the other day and thought it was great. Rips apart all the close minded bible thumpers. Oh and if you are a close minded bible thumper....I don't apologize. Nothing gives you the right to tell other people how to live.

10 Reasons Why Gay Marriage is Wrong

01) Being gay is not natural. Real Canadians (or Americans) always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.

02) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

03) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

04) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

05) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Britany Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.

06) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.

07) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

08) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in Canada (or America).

09) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.

10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.

Pictures!

2006-09-24T19:54:00.000-06:00

So we went back to the condo today to do a "photo shoot" so that we could show everyone what the condo looks like! I tried for many hours to upload the pictures but it just didn't work, so if you follow this link it should work for you. I hope you all enjoy it! Oh, the picture of the tree is the view from the balcony.

Big News...

2006-09-19T22:12:00.000-06:00

So...

We bought a condo!!! And we love it! We really really wanted this one, and we finally got it after some fighting with the unethical real estate agent. It was below or maximum price, something we didn't think would happen as our maximum price was 160,000 and in Edmonton's hot housing market almost nothing is around for that price. I think most people shyed away from it because it's in Clairview, but it's beautiful. Hardwood (techincally laminate) floors, 2 bedrooms, backs onto a ravine, 910 square feet. I'm so very excited! We take possession November 1, so those of you who are in the city mark your calendars! We're going to have a big party (of board game playing)!!!

2006-09-13T09:38:00.000-06:00

create your own visited countries map

I've been there!

2006-09-12T22:52:00.000-06:00

So Rob said, and I quote "UPDATE YOUR BLOG!!!!!!"

Well Mr. Rutherford not all of us have the good fortune to be globtrotting to exotic places! :)

My tales will certainly pale in comparison to yours and besides my life has disintegrated into complaining about Evolutionary Genetics at 8 a.m. When something exciting happens to me I'll post it. I'm actually taking "Intro to creative non-fiction" so I will probably post those up so that people who don't have a vested interest in my grade (ie: those who are not competing with me) can critique it.

Other than that, things have been uneventful. Oh except for our quest for a condo, but thinking about it makes me tired. So I won't right now. I will regail you with tales of Edmonton's ridiculously hot housing market at a later time.

Oh, and I have started sneezing alot.

So....

2006-08-21T22:03:00.000-06:00

I want to begin by apologizing. I have not updated this thing in any sort of meaningful way since... before finals. In April. And I don't have any excuse. My computer is not fried (all hail the power of the Mac) and I am not trotting off on global adventures. I'm just lazy.

Well, a lot has happened since April. Let me see if I remember the big stuff.

I got a job working for Tarrabain and Company. I feel like I have no soul. I got an 8 megapixal Digital SLR camera and a lensbaby. We bought a 42 inch LCD HDTV and a HD DVD player. I went camping with Shaun, Rachel and Greg to Lake Louise/Banff where my famous stamina almost killed them. (I'm like the energizer bunny. Seriously, ask Greg). Shaun and I went to Washington DC for a week while he was on a business trip. I think we were tailed by Secret Service. I saw the White House, the Capitol Building, the Hope Diamond, the Ruby Slippers, Archie Bunker's chair, Julia Child's kitchen, the original Muppets, the National Zoo, Old Stone House (the only pre-revolutionary building still standing in DC) amongst other things. I went camping again with Shaun, Rachel and Greg and much to their collective delight had a charlie horse that significantly hindered my world famous stamina. I decided to apply and got a job at the Student Financial Aid Info Centre for the fall. After my first day of training Shaun picked me up and told me the wedding MAY be off.

I assumed it was cold feet.

Boy was I wrong.

Within 48 hours of this big announcement she had cancelled: the caterer, cake, flowers, photographer, hall, dj, sold her wedding dress, returned the wedding bands.

The most unbelievable thing is that she blindsided Pete with all of this. She's listed their house, looking for a condo and wants nothing to do with him.

And none of us really know why. Well that's a lie, we know she doesn't love him enough to marry him. Good for her for realizing it wasn't right and saving herself the pain of divorce. But none of us know what sparked this decision. At 2:30 she was calling because she was excited that an old friend had RSVP'd and by 6:00 she had called it off.

Other than that, I've been reading a lot of fluff and hanging out with Shaun, Rachel and Greg. I tried twice and very unsucessfully to get the HuGSS people together, but it didn't work so I gave up.

That's it in a nutshell.

2006-08-13T07:09:00.000-06:00

The Wedding is off.

2006-07-15T16:49:00.000-06:00

Okay, I know this is really immature but....

I'VE HAD IT!!! Amanda, the psychobitch bridezilla from hell is now telling me that I can't have flowers in my hair because no one else is. Why is it such a big deal?!??!?!?! Why can't I have flowers. I've been nothing but supportive with her orange sparkly dress the jewelry that gives me a rash, the purple sparkly mascara that she expects me to SHARE, and ther rest of the fucking bridal party. All I wanted was fresh flowers.

So you know what? I'm not going to bridal showerS or her stagette. Like seriously, this is ridiculous. I know its immature, but if she can't even give me flowers in my hair why should I waste 2 weekends and an expensive gift on her?

Maybe I'm being a diva but...Screw that.

2006-07-10T16:07:00.000-06:00

Sirina --

[noun]:

A poltergeist sent back in time to change the course of history forever

'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

2006-07-06T23:37:00.000-06:00

Okay, I have two topics fighting in my head to be the one that is written about. One could be the best Human Geography movie ever made: Over the Hedge. Or I could talk about insanity that is Amanda's wedding. I think I will pick Over the Hedge.

If you haven't seen it, go see it. It's funny in a sad way. We all know the premise of the movie. Suburb is built, cute little animals have no food, resort to stealing human junk food. We see fragmentation of the forest, the result of urban sprawl, the dependence on the automobile and the fact that nature is no longer wild. A lesson in friendship and romance. And my personal favorite, the depiction of the average suburbanite, the angry home owner's association president. Maybe it was just extra poignant because I spent the weekend in the Rockies hiking watching people get too close to angry elk, black bears, feeding squirrels, and dumping their cigarette butts into Johnson's Canyon. I know this is a particularly "geographic" stance to take but....

Why don't people respect their environment? Why are people so selfish and apatheic? There's no sense of responsibility. The hole in the ozone layer is not MY fault they say. But it is. People who are too good for transit and high density housing. It's the not the turtle's fault that you needed to buy a gigantic house with a lawn full of pesticides and a cat allergic to nature. That the human to car ratio in most houses is 1:1.

This thought process segued nicely into the destruction of native culture as were driving towards Cochrane and their oh so very delicious ice cream. This thought started because I noticed "tagging" on property as we were driving through the reserve. But another post for another time. It's late and I'm tired.

P.S. For all of you shaking your head at me.... yes I do realize I sound like a hippie. After all, I belong to a group called HuGSS.

P.P.S. I will post pictures of my trip as soon as I sort through them all. I took 233 in total, so it might be a while.

I know... I know....

2006-06-19T22:22:00.000-06:00

I know I promised to update this thing and I'm sorry. I'm not around my computer that much. So I thought I'd post a list of things to write about as a reminder to myself of all things I wanted to write. Then maybe I would feel guilty and actually do it. It's like when you write things in your planner it nags you into actually doing it because if you don't it'll just sit there accusingly reminding you of what a lazy sloth you really are. Or maybe that's just me channeling my inner mother.

So without further ado, I present the list:

1. expired friends
2. all my new toys (totalling 3000.00 dollars!)
3. my upcoming vacations (the plural makes me very happy)
4. all that is wrong with hockey and other oddities

I know it's not much of a list, but I promise that numbers 1 and 4 are quite lengthy (in my head) and will account for at least 2 posts. If I ever do them.

Eep.

2006-06-13T22:58:00.000-06:00

I want you all to know that I desperately want to update my blog. I have a list of things to write about so long that I can't remember what was at the beginning. I haven't forgotten, I have many exciting things to report!

Patience dear friends.....

I got a job!

2006-06-05T23:19:00.000-06:00

So I thought I'd update this thing. I got a job working as a legal assistant for Tarrabain and Company. So far all I've done is organize this gigantic file, but the end is nigh! I think I will be done by the end of tomorrow or by Weds lunch.

Anyways, that's my update!

More details later when it's not bed time.

Deja Vu

2006-05-30T15:11:00.000-06:00

I, once again, did not get the job. They hired a guy doing his Master's in Architecture....

Does any one else see a pattern here?

I'm Elizabeth Bennett (Sorry Jace...)

2006-05-27T10:16:00.000-06:00

Which Classic Female Literary Character Are you?

You're Elizabeth Bennett of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen!
Take this quiz!

Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

I don't think I can handle this....

2006-05-24T11:02:00.000-06:00

I have another job interview. With the City Planning Dept. I think I might faint. MOOOOSA

For a full recap of how I am feeling please see "Nerves"

Dissapointment

2006-05-19T15:46:00.000-06:00

I didn't get the job.

They hired two students doing their Masters in Planning, which I guess has restored my faith in hiring people because they are the most qualified and not because of the color of their skin or whose child they are.

It still would have been nice to enter the ranks for those who are gainfully employed.

I can't say that I mind relaxing all day, but eventually my money will run out and then what will I do?

Nerves...

2006-05-17T09:29:00.000-06:00

I have a job interview today!

It's with the City of Edmonton as an Assistant Planner and I'm so nervous. I've gone on many other job interviews in the past and I've never been nervous like I am now. At least I don't remember being nervous. It could very well be a case of "well that wasn't so bad" y'know that whoosh of relief you feel once you've finished something absolutely horrible (like writing two 20 page papers). I don't know, I've always gotten jobs that I've interviewed for, so maybe I'm okay? It's just that before there was nothing riding on the interview or the job. It was just yeah this is a cool job, I don't have to flip burgers or ask if they want fries with that. But this.... this is my future slapping me not-so-subtly on the forehead. Its saying "Hey, Bonehead! This could determine the rest of your life!" If I like what I do this summer, I will invest 2 or 3 years in a Masters program and get a planning degree. If I hate it I'll be back at ground zero.

And its a panel interview! I don't have to impress just one person, I have to impress four people! That is also adding to my nerves. I haven't been able to sleep properly since Monday when they told me they want to interview me. Shaun thinks I will get it because the Senior Planner called me 3 times and sent me an e-mail all within a half hour. He says that someone must be talking me up. I do know one of the planners, and one of my profs seems to be fairly well connected within the planning community so who knows?

But when it comes down to it, I need to stay calm and centered. I wish I still smoked. Or did yoga.

What does this mean???

2006-05-10T15:11:00.000-06:00

So I drew a pig... and it reveals a lot about me.

Apparently, I'm a realist, direct, enjoy playing devil's advocate, secure and stubborn (me? stubborn? nah... ;) ) an excellent listener and I have a fantastic sex life.

To take your own revealing pig personality test go here: http://drawapig.desktopcreatures.com/drawApig.asp

Happy oinking!

Bigger than Jesus

2006-04-23T09:04:00.000-06:00

On friday night I took a break from all my paper writing and studying to go see Bigger than Jesus at the Citadel. Judging by the title it promised to be a night comedy that ultimately got you to question your beliefs (if you are Christian at all... I am not a Christian so really it just promised to be funny) and funny it was. I'm sure it angered some of the more devout Christians in the audience but that was it. It was meant to stimulate thought on how we've allowed the concept of Jesus Christ to become bigger than he really is. All it did was give me a 75 minute history lesson on his life, which I knew about anyways. For the more misinformed (like the 2/3rds of Americans who believed Jesus was a Christian and speaks through their nation's leader *roll eyes here*) I suppose it could have been interesting but in the end he (the actor... little h) did little to stimulate thought. We've fought wars in his name, there are bumper stickers, christmas carols, t-shirts etc etc. All for what? Is this who Jesus is? What has he become?

Personally, I believe in my morality. It's not Jeus, God, the Holy Spirit or Tom Jones. It's just me, and I understand that my life is but a flash in the pan on this cosmic joke of a planet. I probably won't make a difference to anyone but those who I love and love me in return. And that's okay. I'm not going to change the world, because really what's the point? Of course, there are those like Bob who sincerely believe they are more moral than anyone on the planet (probably including Jesus Christ if he were still alive) and that laws shouldn't apply to them because their morality guides them but they fail to realize that their outlook on life will guide their morality and ultimately their decisions. I am pro-choice and I do not believe that a women's right to choose equates her to the holocaust or hitler or the KKK or whatever else the extreme pro lifers want to equate pro choicers to. I find it funny that they are so insecure in their beliefs that competing beliefs threaten them. This goes for any topic area/controversy whatever. I wish people would sit up and realize that they cannot make decisions for other people and they can't judge them especially if they've never been in that situation themselves. Just because they don't agree with you, doesn't make them wrong. And really when the pro-lifers/ Mormons/ Extremists (pick any noun you find appropriate and insert here) are going door to door they tell everyone that God is forgiving and benevolent. But they tell the pro-choicers/ anyone who does anything they don't agree with they're going to burn in the eternal fires of hell and swim with rabid dogs. So is your God a vengeful God? Because if he is, I don't think you're Christian, I think you're Jewish.

I also find it funny how many people are Sunday Christians. You tell me you belive in God and Jesus you observe Advent and Lent, you don't eat fish on Fridays you've been baptised, gone for confession, and partaken in the Eucharist. You're not really a Christian. Up until the age of 13 I participated in all of the above (except the fish thing) because I went to a Catholic school and was forced. I prayed every morning and sang the national anthem not to the flag but to the cross. None of this makes me a Christian. I've been to temple, made offerings and mediated with monks but that doesn't make me Buddhist (much to my Mother's chagrin).

So here's the big question for you: What makes you you? Do you truly know or are you doing what your parents have always told you? And if so, why are you so afraid to question them? And why is it so bad if you can't define what you believe?

What if I just believe in myself?

Update

2006-04-17T20:08:00.000-06:00

I wrote a post a few days ago, but ultimately decided it was too personal and so I didn't post it. I may edit it and post it later, who knows? I am writing my 392 paper and it is going well for now, I'm going to spend all day tomorrow running stats and hopefully be able to finish it up by tomorrow night. If not, I guess I'm not studying for the final. Writing this blog is making me feel guilty for not working on my paper, so to ease my conscience I'm going to go now. I hope I live through this. In the end I'm sure it will make me a better person, but right now I'm just trying to survive.

2006-03-30T16:34:00.000-07:00

These are my new glasses. I will wear them forever because I love them very much.

We are venturing into the home stretch and I have 2.5 weeks (okay, closer to 2) to write 2 20-page papers. Excuse me while I hyperventilate.

It's my birthday

2006-03-16T15:31:00.000-07:00

So the WEIRDEST thing happened to me today on the bus and it's sort of throwing me off of my game. I was on the bus this morning (late) and this guy gets on and he sort of looks vaguely familiar in the sense that maybe I've met him briefly as the friend of a friend of a friend. But anyways, he gets on the bus and sits down somewhere at the back. Bus ride progresses as normal (and by this I mean I try not to become bus sick as people in various states of cleanliness sit around me. Thank goodness all of the HuGSS buddies are clean and nice smelling people or Kamloops could have been a disaster) until the familiar stranger sits down beside me. He wished me a happy birthday told me I was unforgettable and then got of the bus!

?!?!?!

Who does that? Who the hell is this person? He MUST know me to know that today is my birthday. Unless Shaun played a cruel joke on me and stuck a "It's her birthday, freak her out" sign on my back. And this guy must know me well to know that its my birthday. Stalker?

Meet Bug

2006-03-02T18:01:00.000-07:00

adopt your own virtual pet!

Yellow....

2006-03-02T16:50:00.000-07:00

I read Rob's blog and felt immediately guilty that I hadn't updated my blog since yesterday. Mostly because I want Rob to have something to read to take his mind off the gigantic pile of work that Bob has given us. He calls it a rite of passage. I say that's bullshit and he's just getting back at us for all the crap his professors put him through. I think that's what all profs do. But deep down I still have to say its okay because he's one of the best profs I've ever had. Ever. I think only my sixth grade teacher, my eighth grade english teacher and my high school history teacher were better. Better because they had WAY more time and resources to teach with. It's 4:54 and I'm just waiting for it to be 5:00 so I can leave work. I've gone beyond not caring about anything at work. I planned out my 494 midterm paper, starting my next 392 assignment and looked at a plethora of houses/condos that I (and by "I" I mean Shaun) can't afford. I have also caught up with the loves lives of everyone in hollywood, checked mortgate rates, compared cars (though I'm terrified of driving) and read all the spoilers for all the tv shows I watch. All in all, a pretty succesful day. Anyways, its time to go home.

Laid off at 22

2006-02-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

So...

I've been laid off. Travel Alberta Contact Center is moving to Calgary. I'm trying not to panic because I have to write a midterm paper. MOOOSAAAAA.... Breathe in Breathe out. It's okay.

Reading Week

2006-02-25T00:42:00.000-07:00

So it's reading week. Actually, it's the end of reading week. It's been kind of a random week. Reading week always starts out with family day. Family day. I have spent an ungodly amount of time with family this week and have come to realize something: I can't stand to spend more than a couple of hours with them. A month. This is Shaun's family. Sometimes I can handle it, but right now I can't. I don't want to get into any details, but I just can't hack it. My mom and I have been getting along well, I even taught her how to send e-mail and post on message boards. For those who have never met my mother she's... well in a word she's... cute. She's probably one of the few people on the planet older than 5 who can be legitimately described as cute. But I digress. I have been reflecting on something that I read on Jacelyn's blog about what she's looking for in a partner. She's taken it down, so you'll all have to trust me on this. What if the guy has all the right stuff and the family all the wrong stuff? Now I know it's supposed to be like this, the great American romantic comedy tells us so but what if I don't want MY life to be a romantic comedy? Can't I just leave that up to Jennifer Aniston?

I have also been reflecting on spirituality (something else I read on Jacelyn's blog) and I have come to this conclusion: I just don't get it. A true positivist ladies and gentlemen. I can't put my faith into something that isn't tangible. Hell, I can barely put faith into myself. And I went to Catholic school for six years, I've been told that God is everywhere that He lives inside me and that I am one of his children. But I never believed. I was raised a Buddhist and while I enjoy the "middle-path" lifestyle His teachings offer, I'm not a practising Buddhist. I don't find any salvation or sanctuary or anything from spirituality. Maybe I just wasn't built that way. Maybe I'm like my dad. I think the man was every religion he could possibly be before he was atheist. But he didn't really give anything a fair shot. He stopped being Lutheran when they told him dogs don't go to heaven. He stopped being Mormon when he craved coffee. He stopped being Hindu because he loves steak. Maybe I'm mixed up because my fourth grade Catholic school teacher was Jewish. Maybe I'm mixed up because when I was 15 I went to Sunday school with my friend Andrea and we spent the entire hour insulting people and consciously trying to make them feel bad. I think it was supposed to show how persecuted Jesus felt, but it just felt wrong and ridiculous to me.

Anyways, between my overly materialistic in-laws (they totally clash with the middle-path mentality) and my confusion over spirituality its been one hell of a week. And I did no reading. But really, who reads during reading week? (Don't answer that.)

2006-02-18T19:14:00.000-07:00

There's Vera Wang stemware, cutlery and tableware involved now. I feel my soul slowly dying from participating in this insanity.

Consumerism at its best

2006-02-12T00:31:00.000-07:00

So the whole family is getting new cars. Everyone except for us. And do you know what they're all getting? Chevrolet Equinox. For those of you who aren't familiar with cars, this is a Chevrolet Equinox:

It's big, and a gas guzzler. It's an SUV. Now for those of you who may not know, I absolutely hate pick up trucks and SUVs. Maybe that makes me distinctly un-Albertan. Who knows? But so the family leased 3 of this suckers today. No one needs them. Not one of them needs a car any bigger than our Aveo. For anyone who hasn't seen the Aveo it looks like this:

They got a purple one for Amanda, a gold one for Shaun's mom, and a black on for Shaun's dad. Is that creepy or what? It's like... I don't know the twilight zone or something. It just proves to me that no one, not even in the family is really capable of independent thought. Or this how it seems to me. They are buying into the marketing and buying into the lifestyle that GM markets with the Equinox. Nevermind the fact that none of them need a car that big, the fact that they are polluting, spending far too much on gas and insurance, and are at greater risk to health problems brought on by the fact that they could roll the SUV (with Amanda, is any given day now. I strongly believe that there should be a city wide warning system for the City to warn our hardworking and honest citizens everytime she's on the road. It's for our own protection. Trust me.). Not to mention the increased stress, the urban sprawl. But what about critical thought? NONE! Just keeping up with the Jones', that's all. And I'm not one of those crazy Ad-busters. I don't really care one way or the other about advertising, because if you're not smart enough to think critically about what you're seeing and what you're being fed by corporations then maybe you deserve to be taken for all your worth. I don't know. It's just a thought.

But this is coming from a family who is shelling out five grand for a photographer and five hundred because apparantly none of us can do our own make up for "the wedding". So really why am I surprised?

I'm really glad that Shaun didn't turn out like his sister.

I think I'm too jaded for this now.

Oh, and I got a new cell phone. It was free. It's really pretty and takes pictures.

I DON'T CARE!!!

2006-02-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

So tonight I got a call from Jason. Who is Jason you ask? Well that's a REALLY good question. Who is Jason? I sure didn't know, so I asked him. Well he's Pete's (Amanda's fiance) best man. Oooookaaay. Why was he calling me? And how in the hell did he get my phone number??? Oh, well he got an email from Amanda where she gave 10 perfect strangers my phone number and didn't even have the decency to ask me! What the HELL? Well it's not Jason's fault that Amanda is crazy so I decide to be polite. Jason wants to know when I would be available for the stagette party because he's trying to make sure the stag and stagette party are on the same weekend. No one said anything to me about going to a stagette. And besides, it's February. The freakin' wedding isn't until September!!! The last day of September. Well tentatively what does my schedule look like? Hmmm... Jason since I will still be a student next September it will probably be full of paper writing. Since I wasn't planning on going to any stupid stagette party or spending the night before the wedding with Amanda I don't really care. Maybe that makes me a bad sister-in-law or a bad bridesmaid or a bad person. But she was rude enough to let me know that I wasn't first choice and that really she didn't want me in her wedding. Which was fine by me. I'm a place holder. Like a zero. I don't think that should require me to do any more than put on the ugly dress and walk down the aisle while trying to pretend to cry when really I'm trying not to laugh. I'm sorry, but they're doing a "Rose Ceremony". They might as well write cowboy poetry to one another and recite it to the beat of an Afrian drum. They're missing family dinner because it is the anniversary of the day Pete proposed. Who cares? If you celebrate that you might as well celebrate the first hair cut after the proposal, the first time you brushed your teeth after the proposal, the first time you wore orange.... No I'm not angry at all. Not only do we get screwed out of everything because Amanda's a whiny baby and will use you to get whatever she wants, it always freakin' works!!! ARGH!!!

Wow that was really therapeutic. I feel better now.

Please don't laugh at me....

2006-02-02T22:26:00.000-07:00

So this is my ugly dress....

And I think Shaun would look better in it than me....

And this is to remind me that even if Amanda hates me (and she must to make me wear this hideous dress) Lucky still loves me.

The Attack of Bridezilla

2006-01-28T23:52:00.000-07:00

"I have been stalked for many years by a helicopter...."

This is how one recent letter to Travel Alberta started off. And no surprise, it was written by a teacher. I have to come to believe, over the years, that most teachers go crazy. They go crazy because of the kids. Anyone who has met my mother (though I love her, she is a tad eccentric) or has ever dealt with Helen ChiChi will know what I'm talking about. It seems that "the kids" will eventually break your spirit and you'll wind up in a home. I'm not saying this to offend because indeed I have had some very positive teachers and met some very positive teachers, but it seemed to work as a nice segway into my actual discussion.... Bridezilla.

Anyone who has ever been a bridesmaid will understand me. In the blink of an eye your formerly nice sweet God-fearing friend has turned into a colossal bitch. They don't even know its happening and they don't mean to. For the most part. But something inside them snaps and suddenly the wedding is all you hear about. And if their wedding is not the first thing on your mind or your number one priority that automatically makes you the worst possible human being in the universe. At one recent famiily dinner we had to sit through Amanda and her mom going over boutoniere counts. I have been harassed for the past month to go pick up my dress because it seems that everything needs to be absolutely done at least 10 months prior to the actual wedding date. So today I went to go pick it up. It is UGLY. I'll try and take a picture of it and post it so you can all get an idea of how bad it is. It's orange. But not orange. More of a coral-hay- orange. With pink undertones. Looks like something Lucky would throw up. And it has sparkles. All I have heard for the past year is wedding, wedding, wedding. Mommy buy my wedding dress, mommy pay 5 thousand dollars for a photographer, mommy buy my wedding bands, mommy pay the caterer, mommy I need 2 wedding cakes, mommy make Sirina grow her hair out. I can't take it!

Please no one be offended if I just elope.....

A challenge

2006-01-28T22:55:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I was just reading Jace's blog and it challenged me. So I'm doing it.

Instructions:Use the picture you like best from the first (no clicking around for 44 pages) page of the search results on Google Image.

1. The city and province of the town where you grew up, no quotation marks.

This is Edmonton. It's the city that tries to be cosmopolitan and sophisticated while mainting its small town charm. Just look at the LRT. We tried to be cosmopolitan and have an underground subway like New York, but we stopped after 7 stations.

2. The town where you currently reside.

I'm still in Edmonton. See above. I'll probably leave one day to go to school, but I'll come back. Good place to raise a family. Despite the daily stabbings and weekly murders.

3. Your name, first and last, but no quotes.

I too had to use just my first name. This is Sirina the cat. She lives in France and is 2 years old. Looks surprisingly like my cat Lucky.

4. Your grandmother's name.

My grandmother's name is Audrey. I never really got to know her, when I was younger my cousin Dustin was the favorite, and when I turned 12 she disowned me. Now she has Alzheimers and wouldn't know me from a hole in the wall. So I chose a very abstract picture.

5. Your favorite food.

I love Mexican Food. Mostly because it's spicy. I like spicy because I have a stomach of steel.I use Franks Hot Sauce like ketchup and I can eat greasy K-Days food and then go on the zipper right after. It's fantastic.

6. Your favorite drink.

I love cosmopolitans. Because they're pink. And yummy.

7. Your favorite smell.

Old Spice. It reminds me of my dad. But we won't get into that. That's a can of worms for a different day.

8. Your favorite song.

My late step father and I used to sing this Sophie B. Hawkins song, as I lay me down to sleep... and it has been my favourite song. It reminds me of him.

Drumroll Please...

2006-01-24T21:34:00.000-07:00

For anyone wondering..... I won my court case. Or rather my father's court case. Apparently, he was livid, but that's to be expected. I wasn't there, I thought it best to avoid confrontation. Apparently he wants me to call him so he can talk to me "one last time". I kind of think its a baited trap. I spent all of last week trying to be unemotional and I approached it "like a boardgame" as Bob put it. I don't know when the emotions of it all will catch up with me, so I'm hoping to have a relaxed weekend. I know they will eventually catch up with me as the reality sets in. I'm just trying to stay zen which is why I've posted this picture. It's at Horseshoe lake in Jasper for anyone wondering, one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I am trying to relive the feelings of tranquility I felt while I was there.

When you first come upon Horseshoe Lake its a murkey mosquito infested swamp. Why anyone would stop there was beyond me. But if you had the courage to make the tricky trip around the bend the lake opens up into this breath taking scene. I thought to myself, this is what heaven is. The feeing that you get when you first experience it must be... something sacred. This is true even with the rather chubby lads cliff jumping near by. And by cliff jumping I mean belly flopping so hard they could not move. Nothing could have ruined that moment. It was perfect.

OH, the pain!

2006-01-22T22:04:00.000-07:00

On Friday evening I volunteered myself (and my good friend Rachie) to help our friend Rob paint his new room. I thought it would be nice and a nice way to distract myself. And I was right, a good time was had by all, though we aren't sure if it was legitimate fun or just the paint fumes. In any case in my fume-y stupor I threw out my back and didn't realize it until I got up on Saturday morning and could barely move. I think more than the painting it was sitting in a court room for the better part of a week that did it to me. Man, are courtrooms uncomfortable. Without divulging too much into the details (I've noticed it makes people uncomfortable to learn anything personal about their "friends" but another topic for another post) I spent the week in court trying to argue that my father should be supporting me. And sitting in very uncomfortable chairs. I have also spent the better part of this week arguing with my mom that no she can't have my computer because yes I do need it for school. I finally convinced Shaun to fix her computer, which is what I'm doing now. Yes me. Shaun left to go ref a hockey game and left me in charge. Anyone who knows me knows about my extraordinary ability to break a computer by looking at it. I don't think this is going to end well, but he seems to have confidence so who knows.

The randomness of this post reflects the randomness of my week and my life for that fact. Shaun marvels at the fact that I can get through it all, but I guess deep down I harbour this naive belief that it will all work out in the end. So far it's worked for me despite a number of incredible catastrophes. I'm ambivalent at this point about winning my court case. Rather I should call it my father's court case. That's right folks, he took me to court. And the judge is waiting until TUESDAY to give his verdict. See the need for the distraction? But its out of my hands so I have to move on. I've already wasted enough of my life on this and I'm not ready to waste anymore. New year, new beginning and all that jazz. And I'm lucky to have such good friends. People ask how I get through and I think its the same for anyone. Good friends, strong family.

My mom is an amazingly resilient person who survived a bitter and slanderous divorce (my father tried to convince the judge she was a jungle guerilla) losing custody of me, getting me back so severely malnourished the doctors thought for sure I'd have a learning disability, raising me on her own and encouraging me through dance lesson, swim lessons, karate lessons, surviving the death of her second husband, Bill, who we all love intensely, having enough love to deal with me through my teenage years and to still encourage me today. All of this and she never made much more than minimum wage working in a daycare, doesn't speak or understand English well and is now disabled.

Shaun is my pillar of strength and knows when to stop me from thinking myself into a tailspin. He loves me unconditionally and as I've said before, I hope everyone finds their "Shaun". I really have no words to describe him, and really its just a feeling. Rachel is probably my best friend, though I hesitate to use that word. It seems so 7th grade to me. Closest is probably a better measure. She's everything a good friend should be. Cheerful when I need cheering up and sympathetic when I need a shoulder to cry on or just someone to vent to. I have many other friends, many of whom I feel bad for leaving them off this post, but if I wrote about all the good friends I've had over the years I don't think I'd ever leave this computer. And alas, mom's computer is crying for attention.

I encourage all 3 of you who read this blog to think about the people who make your life possible and who stop you from going insane in all of those ARGHHHHH moments. When you look at it, no problem is really THAT important. Except happiness.

The importance of language

2006-01-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

Recently in my methodology class we had a "discussion" about the theory of knowledge. Discussion is in quotations because it wasn't a discussion so much as it was one Master's students steam rolling all of us undergrads because she was under the impression that she was so much more knowledgeable. If she had something valuable to teach from her experience, I'd listen. But she doesn't. Among many things we talked about was the political nature of knowledge, the theory or math and the existence of reality. Without the pit bull of a Master's student it could have been a very interesting conversation.

Now, I cannot deny my training. I am a scientist. I am what I would like to term a positive-realist and that is how I view the world. It doesn't make it wrong, it's just one way of looking things. When I see a Tim Hortons cup, I see a paper cup for holding a hot beverage. I don't associate things with it. Not to the pit bull. The cup was representative of our collective experience as a society and blah blah blah... it was her way or the highway. God forbid she ever go into teaching. What if I don't see it that way?? Am I not entitled to my own beliefs and opinions? We then debated the nature of math. The Pit Bull again, contended that math is a social creation and those who had not been socialized like us would not understand it. Her idea was challenged by another, apparantly stupid undergrad, who said that even though some who had not been socialized like us may not understand the symbols, they would understand the concept of say four divided by 2.

She then took up the task of trying to convince us that every machine we've ever used has bias because it was built by humans. I'm of the opinion that in order to introduce bias an interpretation must be made. A particle accelerator is simply going to take measurements. It cannot decide which results to display and which to ignore. A computer with a camera that rated beauty would be introducing bias because it would be making an interpretation of beauty based on what its programmer told it.

And then, the ever important question of "If a tree falls in the forest and there's no one there to see it, does it still make a sound?" (A can of worms if I've ever seen one)

My opinion is that no it doesn't. The word sound has connotations of hearing. Which requires ears. I'm sure that the tree falling still causes vibrations which we interpret as hearing and sound when we are there. If we left an instrument there, it would measure these vibrations. But does the instrument hear the sound? She thinks I'm wrong and its just semantics. I'm just using different words to describe the same thing. She got off on some example of dogs running away when trees fall. That I still don't see the relevancy in.

But it can't be just semantics because language defines reality. It is one of the major ways in which we conceptualize our world. The inuit have like 30 different words for snow and we have one.

What do you think? If a tree falls in the forest and no one's there to hear it, does it still make a sound?

For your viewing pleasure

2006-01-15T19:14:00.000-07:00

I have for your viewing pleasure randomly clicked on a number of pictures just to see what would show up. This is what I got. The two pictures of scenery are from my trip to Jasper this past July. The top one is of Maligne Lake and the bottom is taken from the top of Whistler's mountain in Jasper (where the tramway is). The second picture is of my "nephew" (okay, not really my nephew but my boyfriend's sister's fiance's son.. but really who wants to say that all the time!) The third picture is of Bailey (aka the she-devil) who is Shaun's sister's dog and the fourth picture is of Kodi, Shaun's parent's dog. We are a very pet friendly family. Tomorrow I will publish some more random pictures. If only I could find my Vegas and Montreal pictures. You will notice that there are no people in my pictures (Amanda took that picture of Dorrian) because I believe that people ruin pictures. People will never be as beautiful as the world, therefore I dont' want them ruining my pictures. I also hate having my picture taken. Dean and his disposable camera at TA used to drive me crazy!

2006-01-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

I was recently pondering the amount of waste that exists in our society. That's not true. I was actually pondering the immense amount of reading I have to do this weekend. Most notably Bob's insistence on single-handedly destroying the global forest by giving me a gargantuan stack of hand-outs to read. And a weekly discussion paper to write. The worst part? I pay the University 400 dollars a course for this! Plus text-books. They say (whoever "they" really are) that I will benefit someday from this torture and that it will all be worth it in the end. But really where is "the end"? WHEN is "the end"? When I die? Life is about learning and all that jazz, but I like watching the food network all day. And some would say, "Ahh! But you are learning to cook when you watch the food network!" But I enjoy cooking! I don't enjoy reading about global information systems, social research methods, Canadian Politics or the metaphors and language used to describe the environment. I can't lie, I do enjoy geography immensely, enough to make it my life's work. But I don't really want to grow up and go out into the world. I like being a kid.

On the plus side, tonight is games night, always a riot! I get to play my new Price is Right DVD game! Really its just an excuse to make me pay 30 dollars for a bunch of commercials but I don't care. Advertising doesn't bother me as much as it seems to bother others. Maybe because I'm so eccentric (as Shaun puts it). Anywho, the mice have taken over, Lucky is going crazy and my mom is being forced to go through all her crap and throw it away. If she doesn't, I'll just throw it away when she's not looking!

Of mice and men

2006-01-11T21:38:00.000-07:00

So we have mice. This is something that Lucky finds delightful. In all of her hunting prowess she's forgotten that she's supposed to kill the rotten things and instead plays with them. She inadvertently killed one from playing too roughly but the second one got away. My mom doesn't want us to set traps because it would be killing an innocent creature and she thinks we should let Lucky the Mouser take care of it. Like I'm going to leave it in the paws of Lucky. She caught a (dead) bird over the summer and carried it around like her trophy. She didn't even kill the damned thing herself!

I have also discovered the scanning properties of my new printer (bought on boxing day for 59 bucks!) and am scanning anything I can get my hands on. So for your viewing pleasure I present... PICTURES! (it won't let me put them here, so I put them at the top. Just a random assortment. I'll find more.)

(after all they are worth a thousand words)

An Ode to Alberta

2006-01-10T14:27:00.000-07:00

Alberta is full of charm. She has her idiosyncrasies and her bad habits but she's loveable. Only in Alberta would you find a town where people drive pick up trucks and mini vans exclusively. Most residents of Red Deer do not need to drive a pick up truck, they just do. Only in Alberta will you find the quaint city of Edmonton, too shy to shout its glory from the rooftops and the bustling city of Calgary, often times shouting its glory a little prematurely. The cities of Lethbridge and Medicine Hat chugging along, minding their own business. Lloydminster and its split personality. Only Edmontonians can claim to be the worst drivers in the country and Calgarians the angriest. Our list of World's Largest is shocking (world's largest duck anyone?) and our rocky mountains majestic (compared to Colorado's "piddly dinky rockies" as one caller put it). Banff in all its commercial glory and it's little brother Jasper who wants to grow up but we hope will stay young. I love our oil (and the 400 dollar cheque), our beef, our grain and our people. I'm not a conservative, but I still love it here!

Can any one tell I'm bored at work? ;)

What is marriage?

2006-01-08T00:56:00.000-07:00

Shaun and I got to pondering today about really what makes a marriage a marriage. I think it was mostly me doing the pondering, this subject seems to make him queasy and uncomfortable. Maybe he thinks I'm hinting; I'm not. We were pondering this because last night his sister's fiance was cross-checked from behind (he plays competitive hockey in case you were wondering) and dislocated his ankle and broke his leg. He was in Rocky Mtn. House when he did this and could not be treated there and instead had to come back to Edmonton where he is now waiting for surgery. This is after he took a stick to the eye earlier in the season requiring him to have eye surgery because it tore his retina. The doctor advised him not to play hockey for the duration of the season. Apparently he didn't listen. Shaun and I have always wondered about his insistence on playing such competitive hockey mostly because it seemed to detract from the time he spent with Shaun's sister. It worries us because we really just want her to be happy. As much as Shaun claims to hate her and as much as they fight, I know that he loves his sister and not in that "I love you because mom said I had to" way. We want her to have everlasting love and happiness and all the goopy things people say at weddings. I genuinely hope she has it.

And really what makes a marriage? If you're religious a marriage requires vows and God and church and the like (neither Shaun or I are religious so I'm not actually qualified to say...) but does that actually give you a marriage? Many religious leaders say that a marriage is between a man and a women. Is it really? I'm not saying this rhetorically or snidely or sarcastically or anything. I'm asking the question: is it really? Because I really don't know. Do you need rings and a white dress and a fancy party where you will receive far too many breadmakers for one household? Do you need two people of the opposite gender? Do you need to spend $5,000 on a photographer??? Britney Spears probably spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on her wedding and I wouldn't call that a marriage in a million years.

To me a marriage has to be a partnership. I have to know that my better half has my back 100% of the time and is always looking out for my best interests. I will do the same in return. I have to know that my partner is there for me unconditionally. And I have to know them. Really know them. I'm not talking knowing their favorite color. I mean KNOW them. (Hmm... my fancy formatting buttons have disappeared.) And they have to know me. I think this is true of all people regardless of their personal beliefs. So why do we let personal belief interfere? It turns a pure thing like love into an ugly hotly contested political debate revolving around who we should be allowed to love. Leave it alone. I just hope everyone is as lucky as I finds and a "Shaun." If people do decide to marry I hope they give marriage some serious thought before investing themselves, a lot of money and, above all, a lot of time returning the 39 breadmakers they didn't need.

Where have all the tourists gone?

2006-01-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

Where have all the tourists gone? In an increasingly computer saavy world many tourists are simply opting to do their own research and plan their own trips. But what about me? I studied intensively (yeah, right!) for two weeks to be able to help tourists maximize their time in our great province but no one is calling! Emails and web requests up the wazoo, but no calls! Do we live in such an impersonal world now that most people would rather stare at a computer screen than listen to my delightful voice. I, personally, would rather talk to a real for 45 minutes than get increasingly frustrated with my computer and huck it out the window. Perhaps I'm just not as computer saavy as the rest but who needs a computer when you have it all right up here (she says as she points to her head)? And we wonder why we're so stressed out. I think its sad that people are able to profit from our frazzled-ness by opening a spa and charging 300 dollars an hour for relaxation. Sad thing is people are willing to pay. I used to work at a spa, I should know. Vacations are a good way to relax (unless of course you're vacationing with me. Then plan a vacation for after your vacation) and they cost about the same as some spa treatments. Go see the world! See it before our selfish consumer driven society wipes it out and there's nothing left to see. Or before the US requires an MRI scan of your body before they'll let you through their border. Because really, when you're old its not the millions of dollars in your bank account that will make you happy, it's the experiences you have.

Back from "vacation"

2006-01-01T22:16:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Shaun and I took a mini vacation down to Calgary. In our defense going to Calgary is technically going south. I did all the things a good Travel Alberta Specialist does. I booked my hotel room in advance (very nice, despite the temperature control issues), printed off my Holiday Card coupons (that's right folks, just cuz I work for the tourism board doesn't mean I travel for free or even cheap) and set off early. I am a bad specialist because I did what we tell everyone not to do: I super-loaded my 3 days. I went to Canmore and Kananaskis and Zoolights the first day, I did the Glenbow and Canada Olympic Park (COP) the second day and, well, today I just ate. A fabulous brunch, which I totally ignored in favor of the chocolate fountain. And Krispy Kreme. And we were planning on hitting Peter's Drive Thru... but it was closed. Since when is New Year's a family holiday??? What a good start to my New Year's resolution to get in shape. I used my brand new suitcase (Kudos to Aunty for getting me something useful) on this trip and it was perfect. First time I was able to pack in one bag (the concept of packing light is completely lost on me.)

For anyone heading down to Calgary I would strongly recommend Petra:Lost City of Stone at the Glenbow and bobsledding at COP. Both were excellent. I think that's all I have to say for now. Oh, one more thing. Remember ladies: Always spend more than your husband makes; it'll keep him motivated!

I got a suitcase for Christmas. What did you get?

2005-12-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

So Christmas has come and gone for another year. I refuse to take part in anything that calls it "Xmas" not because I'm a radical religious fanatic (like the lady who called Travel Alberta because she thought there was a spelling mistake on a map and that this was blasphemous because a map is God's view of the world....) but because how lazy do you have to be to write Xmas instead of Christmas???? Christmas ignites a plethora of negative attitudes and emotions and I unfortunately unleash them on the world. Or on Shaun at the very least. He's very patient and should probably consider checking me into a mental hospital at some point.

For the last month or 6 weeks I've had to contend with the present room at Shaun's parents house. Seriously, who needs to buy an entire room full of presents? His mom that's who. And after spending hours and days and thousands of dollars shopping, guess what? She was still out on Christmas Eve buying more presents because someone didn't have enough in their stocking. When a stocking has two or three hundred dollars worth of stuff in it, I think its time to stop! I got a lot of stuff, most of which has already been regifted. At least I didn't get clothes. I'm totally doing Christmas like the Kranks next year.

The plus side to all of this was I, surprisingly enough, didn't have to listen to any wedding talk this holiday season. That was the best present of all.

Who Am I?

2005-12-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

So after taking much enjoyment from reading other people's blogs, I have decided to give back and regail the world with my own blog. Admittedly my life isn't all that exciting; however, I do have interesting/funny stories to tell because I work for Travel Alberta and tourists are notoriously misinformed. I am also in the bridal party of my sister-in-law's wedding (odd because her own brother isn't in the wedding party...) which makes for some interesting stories as well. I guess I should also mention that I am a university student and that always keeps life busy, if not all that interesting. I have a cat named Lucky (she is a devil... or a witch if you're my mom and you believe that cats turn into witches at the age of 5) and a boyfriend named Shaun and I belong to the Human Geography Students Society at the University of Alberta. To answer your question: No we don't map the human body. That's me in a nutshell.