so ... apparently melpie is a child. she sulks in the corner believing the world is against her, when really it is not.
see, melpie keeps a blog. she tries to update it on a somewhat regular basis (if you can call monthly a regular basis). every once in a while someone comments on what she has written and melpie is thrilled. in november, she was so inspired, that she wrote not one, but TWO entries (aren't you impressed?).
melpie doesn't like to admit it, but her favourite part of the blog is that she gets to see ppl's comments. these comments inspire her to write - b/c if no one is going to read your blog, then you might as well just keep a personal diary, right? ok, that's the less selfish sounding reason for liking the comments - really, it just helps to flatter her ego that she has written something that someone feels is worth commenting about. she was becoming quite perturbed b/c many of the comments were simply spammers. spammers who claimed to have great interest in what she wrote and then would direct her to a website to buy hunting rifles and other equipment! THE NERVE!
she used her trusty blogspot options in order to set spam filters. she wrote another entry and waited for the real comments to roll in.
but then there was silence. nothing! weeks went by - not even an acknowledgement that she had written. sure, not everyone comments - but she usually will get one after a month or so, even if it's just to say "why haven't you updated in a while?" she began to sulk, to contemplate whether or not she would ever again publish in the blogosphere. *tear*
well, last week, melpie was chatting with rayne on msn. he inquired why she hadn't made a new post for a while. she pouted and said it was because no one had commented. he promptly set out to remedy this problem.
alas - the comments wouldn't show up. melpie began to doubt whether he had even try to publish any. she waited and refreshed and waited and refreshed. still, the comment counter remained at zero. this resulted in more pouting (hopefully her face won't freeze into a perma-pout after all this sulking).
today, melpie yet again discussed the lack of comments with rayne. perhaps she had to approve comments, he suggested. she thought this would be an odd thing - but she might as well check it out. she logged into her blog ...
EUREKA!
there were 6 comments to be approved!
all is well in the world again. blogging can begin again!
YOU LOVE ME! YOU REALLY LOVE ME!
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Sunday, November 13, 2005
apple beverages
it's fall! and when it's fall, i feel like having apple cider.
i have a fond childhood memory of apples. one crisp fall day on my neighbour's farm, we took a LOT of apples and put them into a giant barrel with a motor and squisher in it (i think the proper name is an apple press). the machine was loud and we got to feed the not so nice apples to the horses. it was wonderful! and the best part, we had fresh, home made apple juice ... and a little while later, we had fresh, home made apple cider.
i love apple cider. i remember it stewing in a pot in my mom's kitchen .... with all sorts of spice ... of stirring it with a cinnamon stick ... of inhaling the wonderful sweet and spicy aromas. it was like a warm hug. a warm hug enjoyed while gazing out onto a crystalline vista - of snow and white christmas lights. *sighs happily*
so there ... that's my attachment to hot apple cider ... and this is why i'm so utterly disappointed in the "apple cider" offerings in the coffee shops around here.
you cannot make proper apple cider with hot water and powder.
putting a cinnamon stick in apple flavoured hot water does not make apple cider.
hot apple juice is not apple cider.
i wish they would stop selling "apple cider".
we live in a country that has a very definite winter season, one that is cold and snowy. for these reasons, we need to embrace those drinks that warm you from the inside out. the hot chocolates, the coffees, the hot apple ciders.
is it that difficult to heat up apple cider versus apple juice? is it really? *sigh*
yet, i know i'll continue to purchase it, and continued to be disappointed. they say a sucker's born every day. and this one was born on a snowy day about 25 years ago.
i have a fond childhood memory of apples. one crisp fall day on my neighbour's farm, we took a LOT of apples and put them into a giant barrel with a motor and squisher in it (i think the proper name is an apple press). the machine was loud and we got to feed the not so nice apples to the horses. it was wonderful! and the best part, we had fresh, home made apple juice ... and a little while later, we had fresh, home made apple cider.
i love apple cider. i remember it stewing in a pot in my mom's kitchen .... with all sorts of spice ... of stirring it with a cinnamon stick ... of inhaling the wonderful sweet and spicy aromas. it was like a warm hug. a warm hug enjoyed while gazing out onto a crystalline vista - of snow and white christmas lights. *sighs happily*
you cannot make proper apple cider with hot water and powder.
putting a cinnamon stick in apple flavoured hot water does not make apple cider.
hot apple juice is not apple cider.
i wish they would stop selling "apple cider".
we live in a country that has a very definite winter season, one that is cold and snowy. for these reasons, we need to embrace those drinks that warm you from the inside out. the hot chocolates, the coffees, the hot apple ciders.
is it that difficult to heat up apple cider versus apple juice? is it really? *sigh*
yet, i know i'll continue to purchase it, and continued to be disappointed. they say a sucker's born every day. and this one was born on a snowy day about 25 years ago.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
hello again
so it's been a bit since the last time i wrote. i've been half away across the world and back since then! well, not quite half way ... but across the atlantic at least. there have been times when i had ideas to write down ... book "reviews" that i was supposed to do .. but, apparently i've just been lazy. but don't worry, i've been doing a lot of opining, internally that is.
i do have an anecdote to share though.
let it be said - melpie is not smart.
she wears contacts. these are silicon contacts or some such nonsense and require this peroxide based cleaning solution. it's an easy enough system... you put the contacts in this little container that has a metal piece at the bottom. once the solution is in the bottle and is touching the special metal piece, it starts its bubbly magic and cleans the contacts. it requires 6 hours to neutralize - i.e. if the solution is not touching the metal magic piece for 6 hours, it will remain as peroxide.
i'm sure you can see where this is going.
so one morning, i get my contacts out so i can see. alas, the bottle has tipped over in the night. i think nothing of it - except for having concern that perhaps my contacts would have dried out during the night. they seemed to be fine though.
i get out the right contact and insert it into my eye.
PAIN. OH SO MUCH PAIN.
yes, that's right, the solution had NOT neutralized. i put a contact covered in a peroxide solution IN MY EYE.
so the next step is to try to get the contact out of my eye. at this time, my eye is not trusting me. it knows what happened last time it let my finger touch it. it squeezes shut, keeping in all the peroxidey goodness.
the final result? one red eye.
boy, did i learn my lesson.
p.s. nba season has begun - and indy better be 2-0 in the next minute or so. or else melpie will not be a happy camper.
i do have an anecdote to share though.
let it be said - melpie is not smart.
she wears contacts. these are silicon contacts or some such nonsense and require this peroxide based cleaning solution. it's an easy enough system... you put the contacts in this little container that has a metal piece at the bottom. once the solution is in the bottle and is touching the special metal piece, it starts its bubbly magic and cleans the contacts. it requires 6 hours to neutralize - i.e. if the solution is not touching the metal magic piece for 6 hours, it will remain as peroxide.
i'm sure you can see where this is going.
so one morning, i get my contacts out so i can see. alas, the bottle has tipped over in the night. i think nothing of it - except for having concern that perhaps my contacts would have dried out during the night. they seemed to be fine though.
i get out the right contact and insert it into my eye.
PAIN. OH SO MUCH PAIN.
yes, that's right, the solution had NOT neutralized. i put a contact covered in a peroxide solution IN MY EYE.
so the next step is to try to get the contact out of my eye. at this time, my eye is not trusting me. it knows what happened last time it let my finger touch it. it squeezes shut, keeping in all the peroxidey goodness.
the final result? one red eye.
boy, did i learn my lesson.
p.s. nba season has begun - and indy better be 2-0 in the next minute or so. or else melpie will not be a happy camper.
Sunday, August 28, 2005
mesmerized
have you ever just stared at something? something that wasn't really anything at all, for hours? it's easy enough with a fire. but here i am sitting watching the blinds. they're vertical blinds and are swaying in the conditioned air as it escapes from the vent (isn't it wonderful that the technology exists that we can condition unruly and unmanageable air. thank goodness). the blinds are playing a sort of domino effect. one sways into the next and they momentarily become two, and then the pendulum effect carries on and the two separate and the second then continues the cycle. i can't stop watching.
so i heard this wonderful joke this weekend.
q. how do you make a tissue dance?
a. you put a little boogie in it.
*giggles uncontrollably*
that is a funny joke, don't you agree?
when it was told to one of the constant houseguests at my boyfriend's, i was informed that this joke was rather disgusting and repugnant.
some ppl just need to learn how to laugh.
so i heard this wonderful joke this weekend.
q. how do you make a tissue dance?
a. you put a little boogie in it.
*giggles uncontrollably*
that is a funny joke, don't you agree?
when it was told to one of the constant houseguests at my boyfriend's, i was informed that this joke was rather disgusting and repugnant.
some ppl just need to learn how to laugh.
Saturday, August 20, 2005
lives of the saints
by nino ricci
interestingly enough, this book was made into a tv mini-series this year. i never did get around to watching it, especially since the book was sitting on my shelf still waiting to be read. i usually prefer reading the book to the film/television version and find it's usually best to read before watching.
so anyway, this was a pretty quick read. and very interesting as well. it was set in the italian mountainy type area in the 1960s. the village was basically inhabited by peasants and didn't have electricity or anything like that. it's strange - i would have imagined that electricity and cars were the norm by 1960 - but that's a rather north american assumption, isn't it?
the story is narrated by a 6 - 7 year old boy (it occurs over a year) whose mother is ... well, a little loose. his father lives in canada and she's gotten a little bored in his absence, i suppose you can say. since it's such a small and pious town, she becomes subject to quite the ... ridicule and meanness, as does little vitto. he sometimes seems to understand, but oftentimes does not.
however, through the eyes of the child, you can figure out what's going on. while he might not understand, he still reports what he's seeing, hearing and experiencing. his mother counts on him for a lot, even if it's something over his head. like, when his mother is in labour and he's trying to find a doctor. he keeps telling ppl that his mother has pains. it's on a ship during a storm - so the nurses and doctor keep telling the little boy that everyone has pains at the moment and his mother is nothing special. it takes quite a while for him to explain what is happening. he doesn't really understand that his mother is even pregnant. he knows that she has a warm swelling in her belly, but that's it.
sometimes while we think that children may be too young to understand, it can be important to explain to them what's happening. you don't have to explain everything, but the basics are probably important to know. children are a lot more sensitive and observant than we think. if things aren't explained properly, they will believe things that are possibly quite untrue and which may cause them to be fearful of events they should not be scared of. but maybe that's just my feeling. who knows what i'll think when i'm a parent.
interestingly enough, this book was made into a tv mini-series this year. i never did get around to watching it, especially since the book was sitting on my shelf still waiting to be read. i usually prefer reading the book to the film/television version and find it's usually best to read before watching.
so anyway, this was a pretty quick read. and very interesting as well. it was set in the italian mountainy type area in the 1960s. the village was basically inhabited by peasants and didn't have electricity or anything like that. it's strange - i would have imagined that electricity and cars were the norm by 1960 - but that's a rather north american assumption, isn't it?
the story is narrated by a 6 - 7 year old boy (it occurs over a year) whose mother is ... well, a little loose. his father lives in canada and she's gotten a little bored in his absence, i suppose you can say. since it's such a small and pious town, she becomes subject to quite the ... ridicule and meanness, as does little vitto. he sometimes seems to understand, but oftentimes does not.
however, through the eyes of the child, you can figure out what's going on. while he might not understand, he still reports what he's seeing, hearing and experiencing. his mother counts on him for a lot, even if it's something over his head. like, when his mother is in labour and he's trying to find a doctor. he keeps telling ppl that his mother has pains. it's on a ship during a storm - so the nurses and doctor keep telling the little boy that everyone has pains at the moment and his mother is nothing special. it takes quite a while for him to explain what is happening. he doesn't really understand that his mother is even pregnant. he knows that she has a warm swelling in her belly, but that's it.
sometimes while we think that children may be too young to understand, it can be important to explain to them what's happening. you don't have to explain everything, but the basics are probably important to know. children are a lot more sensitive and observant than we think. if things aren't explained properly, they will believe things that are possibly quite untrue and which may cause them to be fearful of events they should not be scared of. but maybe that's just my feeling. who knows what i'll think when i'm a parent.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
harry potter - and the half-blood prince
by j.k. rowling
wow ... she actually moved me. she made me want to cry. luckily, i was, riding the rocket, so to speak and this made me hold the tears back. i couldn't believe how fast it flew by, especially relative to number 5. it took me a bit longer than it should have to get to it since i had made this silly decision to re-read the five books leading up to hbp. i thought that this should take me just a couple of months. if i get into a good groove, i can finish one of those books in a day or three. but, the the weeks leading up to july 16 flew by and when it arrived i had only just cracked open prisoner of azkaban. i think that reading the books one after another was a good idea. it refreshed my memory and actually made me have a new appreciation for books 2 and 5, which i was rather disappointed with before. to go with my whole book review theme which i've been trying to keep up with here, i *should* have written an entry for each book. but i have decided to just write something up for first-reads only. that's my story, and i'm sticking to it!
so to get to the meat of it all ... my questions (warning, spoilers ahead... but if you haven't read it by now .. you better have a darned good reason):
1. does the sorting hat really only sort purebloods into slytherin? and was snape a slytherin as a student? i believe he was, but i can't remember for sure. anyway, if the sorting hat only sorts purebloods into slytherin, how did snape get put there? i understand why riddle was put there (slytherin's heir .. he's gotta be in slytherin) and harry had some of voldemort's slytherin-esque powers transferred to him, so that's why the hat wanted to put him there ... but if snape is *really* a half-blood, then why did he get in there? is there something about his heritage that we don't yet know?
2. what reason did dumbledore have to trust snape? there *has* to be a reason. and did dumbledore actually ask snape to kill him in the end? through their legilimens powers? i think dumbledore recognized the fact that harry would never be able to fulfill his own destiny while dumbledore was alive. now that dumbledore's gone, harry has no one else to turn to than himself.
3. will hermione and ron actually skip seventh year at hogwarts? will hogwarts open next year? and if it doesn't open next year - does this leave room for an 8th book? the 7 book series has been defined as such due to the fact that there are seven years at hogwarts ... but if they spend a year not at hogwarts ... can they go back? are hogwarts students allowed to take a year off? hmmm ...
4. WILL RON AND HERMIONE GET TOGETHER ALREADY?!?!?
5. so is r.a.b. really regulus black? or is j.k. just trying to trick us? and if it is regulus - how come he was trying to destroy the horcrux? how did he know about the horcruxes in the first place? although, slughorn did know about them and regulus was one of his favourites - maybe he told regulus too. and also - voldemort killed regulus himself, which means regulus must have done something super bad (perhaps destroy a horcrux? or maybe regulus was killed by voldemort's horcrux, which means that he was indeed killed by voldemort) ... and does this mean that regulus was actually good? was he a double agent?
so j.k. do you have any answers?
wow ... she actually moved me. she made me want to cry. luckily, i was, riding the rocket, so to speak and this made me hold the tears back. i couldn't believe how fast it flew by, especially relative to number 5. it took me a bit longer than it should have to get to it since i had made this silly decision to re-read the five books leading up to hbp. i thought that this should take me just a couple of months. if i get into a good groove, i can finish one of those books in a day or three. but, the the weeks leading up to july 16 flew by and when it arrived i had only just cracked open prisoner of azkaban. i think that reading the books one after another was a good idea. it refreshed my memory and actually made me have a new appreciation for books 2 and 5, which i was rather disappointed with before. to go with my whole book review theme which i've been trying to keep up with here, i *should* have written an entry for each book. but i have decided to just write something up for first-reads only. that's my story, and i'm sticking to it!
so to get to the meat of it all ... my questions (warning, spoilers ahead... but if you haven't read it by now .. you better have a darned good reason):
1. does the sorting hat really only sort purebloods into slytherin? and was snape a slytherin as a student? i believe he was, but i can't remember for sure. anyway, if the sorting hat only sorts purebloods into slytherin, how did snape get put there? i understand why riddle was put there (slytherin's heir .. he's gotta be in slytherin) and harry had some of voldemort's slytherin-esque powers transferred to him, so that's why the hat wanted to put him there ... but if snape is *really* a half-blood, then why did he get in there? is there something about his heritage that we don't yet know?
2. what reason did dumbledore have to trust snape? there *has* to be a reason. and did dumbledore actually ask snape to kill him in the end? through their legilimens powers? i think dumbledore recognized the fact that harry would never be able to fulfill his own destiny while dumbledore was alive. now that dumbledore's gone, harry has no one else to turn to than himself.
3. will hermione and ron actually skip seventh year at hogwarts? will hogwarts open next year? and if it doesn't open next year - does this leave room for an 8th book? the 7 book series has been defined as such due to the fact that there are seven years at hogwarts ... but if they spend a year not at hogwarts ... can they go back? are hogwarts students allowed to take a year off? hmmm ...
4. WILL RON AND HERMIONE GET TOGETHER ALREADY?!?!?
5. so is r.a.b. really regulus black? or is j.k. just trying to trick us? and if it is regulus - how come he was trying to destroy the horcrux? how did he know about the horcruxes in the first place? although, slughorn did know about them and regulus was one of his favourites - maybe he told regulus too. and also - voldemort killed regulus himself, which means regulus must have done something super bad (perhaps destroy a horcrux? or maybe regulus was killed by voldemort's horcrux, which means that he was indeed killed by voldemort) ... and does this mean that regulus was actually good? was he a double agent?
so j.k. do you have any answers?
Monday, July 25, 2005
the power of 2
it's interesting what a difference a couple of months can make. it's also quite the change - becoming one of a couple. i swear i had something to say here - but i forgot it - and now i've been sitting, staring blank faced at the screen. guess that means it's time to get a couple more hours rest.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
the days of our lives
wow ... it seems like so much has changed since the last time that i wrote. but summer is the time for change and newness, right? oh wait - my bad, spring is the time for those things. but we can pretend, right?
it's time to finally face the fact. i'm growing up. it's been almost two years now that i've had a job. and not one of those summer jobs you have when you're growing up - but a real, live adult job. well, on second thought, the job isn't alive, but still, it's real. i'm making a living and i have a career? *gasp*
and now .. my friends are getting married. actually, as of last weekend, one of my best friends *is* married. and next weekend, another one will be. it was weird - today i was talking to someone and had the chance to refer to married friend number one's significant other and i said "my friend's husband" .. that's right - husband!
it is that time in our lives though. as surreal as it sometimes seems. we're not growing up anymore. we are grown ups.
p.s. warmest congratulations to miko & kris and best wishes to cath & pat. as they say in the fairy tale books, may you live happily ever after.
it's time to finally face the fact. i'm growing up. it's been almost two years now that i've had a job. and not one of those summer jobs you have when you're growing up - but a real, live adult job. well, on second thought, the job isn't alive, but still, it's real. i'm making a living and i have a career? *gasp*
and now .. my friends are getting married. actually, as of last weekend, one of my best friends *is* married. and next weekend, another one will be. it was weird - today i was talking to someone and had the chance to refer to married friend number one's significant other and i said "my friend's husband" .. that's right - husband!
it is that time in our lives though. as surreal as it sometimes seems. we're not growing up anymore. we are grown ups.
p.s. warmest congratulations to miko & kris and best wishes to cath & pat. as they say in the fairy tale books, may you live happily ever after.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
deeeeeee-troit basketball
i know i don't like to write about things that i do in my day to day life unless their anecdotal nature serve as a perfect segue into some other type of thought pattern or idea. heck, who am i kidding - my rambling makes every anecdote turn into some sort of presentation of my ideas and/or opinions.
but, apparently i haven't written anything lately and i'm being encouraged to write something now. and what is my subject matter? my wonderful weekend trip - to make a bridget jones reference for those of you who get it - it was a mini-break - and you know what a mini-break means ... (perhaps i shouldn't write this here lest i be required to explain this later).
so this sunday i made a voyage. a voyage to another world. a world we call the united states of america. whatfor you ask? well, if your powers of deduction are a little dull - or you didn't read the title of my entry, for a detroit basketball game. game 5 of the nba finals to be more exact.
after hiking up for a few miles, we finally found our seats in the noise zone. we weren't at the very very top of the nosebleeds, but quite close. still, the view was excellent - on all angles. well, except for the drunk, balding, touchy michigan man beside me who kept insisting on squeezing my knee and then giving my new partner in crime a high five.
i don't think i've ever been somewhere with such energy, passion, and well - noise. imagine noisemakers named thundersticks. now, just one pair of these sticks makes quite the ruckus. now imagine 20,000 of them all in synch. phenomenal.
it's amazing to see such a huge group of people brought together with such passion. high-fiving strangers, giving each other hugs. now if only we could get that energy bridled for things other than sports events. think of the possibilities!
but now it's game seven and i must return to watching it.
in closing, i have but one word:
SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEED!!!!!!
but, apparently i haven't written anything lately and i'm being encouraged to write something now. and what is my subject matter? my wonderful weekend trip - to make a bridget jones reference for those of you who get it - it was a mini-break - and you know what a mini-break means ... (perhaps i shouldn't write this here lest i be required to explain this later).
so this sunday i made a voyage. a voyage to another world. a world we call the united states of america. whatfor you ask? well, if your powers of deduction are a little dull - or you didn't read the title of my entry, for a detroit basketball game. game 5 of the nba finals to be more exact.
after hiking up for a few miles, we finally found our seats in the noise zone. we weren't at the very very top of the nosebleeds, but quite close. still, the view was excellent - on all angles. well, except for the drunk, balding, touchy michigan man beside me who kept insisting on squeezing my knee and then giving my new partner in crime a high five.
i don't think i've ever been somewhere with such energy, passion, and well - noise. imagine noisemakers named thundersticks. now, just one pair of these sticks makes quite the ruckus. now imagine 20,000 of them all in synch. phenomenal.
it's amazing to see such a huge group of people brought together with such passion. high-fiving strangers, giving each other hugs. now if only we could get that energy bridled for things other than sports events. think of the possibilities!
but now it's game seven and i must return to watching it.
in closing, i have but one word:
SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEED!!!!!!
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
the gulls
there's nothing like kicking back after a long day at work, battling through the dense smog that just sticks to your skin. but finally, dusk comes and the air begins to cool. the breeze dances through your hair. ah, relaxation. there's nothing like it. it's strange how kicking back on the patio seems so much more productive than passing out in front of the predictible programming that is supposed to serve as entertainment these days.
it's then i notice something strange.
sea gulls.
tons and tons of sea gulls.
they're circling, they're swooping, they're diving.
think the birds, but with white sea birds as opposed to black crows. wait, was it crows in that movie? they were rather mesmerizing though. they were flying willy-nilly. i can't help but look up ... but ... but ...
i can't even type it! the dangers of looking up, they're unspeakable. best described by an onomatopoeia - *plop*
but don't worry, your fearless heroine was not a victim of the bird droppings. they tried their best, but she was too quick - either that, and more probably, or their aim was not so good.
we finally figured out what was causing the birds to swirl. it seemed quite odd that they were around - we aren't particularly close to the water or any huge piles of refuse. it's the bugs. the big huge bugs. the gulls were hunting them. picking them off. eating them up. it's amazing to see how nature works.
*rereads story*
yep ... i do need to practice writing more. too lazy to edit now though.
it's then i notice something strange.
sea gulls.
tons and tons of sea gulls.
they're circling, they're swooping, they're diving.
think the birds, but with white sea birds as opposed to black crows. wait, was it crows in that movie? they were rather mesmerizing though. they were flying willy-nilly. i can't help but look up ... but ... but ...
i can't even type it! the dangers of looking up, they're unspeakable. best described by an onomatopoeia - *plop*
but don't worry, your fearless heroine was not a victim of the bird droppings. they tried their best, but she was too quick - either that, and more probably, or their aim was not so good.
we finally figured out what was causing the birds to swirl. it seemed quite odd that they were around - we aren't particularly close to the water or any huge piles of refuse. it's the bugs. the big huge bugs. the gulls were hunting them. picking them off. eating them up. it's amazing to see how nature works.
*rereads story*
yep ... i do need to practice writing more. too lazy to edit now though.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
fuzzy vision
so you know how on your license it's supposed to say whether or not you need to wear glasses while driving? well, i checked off the little box on my renewal form that said i need corrective eye wear and they didn't put that onto my license. i hope i don't get in trouble for that. but really, that's not the point of this rambling. although, it has something to do with the point ... it is not the point itself.
so, theoretically, if you get stopped by the cops while driving and they look at your license and it says you need glasses, you can get some sort of fine, right? but what if you're wearing contacts? will they make you take out a contact right then and there to prove that you have them in? b/c if you do that then how do you get them back in ... you don't wanna put a dirty contact back in your eye!
does this make sense? or should i cease to write anything when i'm half asleep?
so, theoretically, if you get stopped by the cops while driving and they look at your license and it says you need glasses, you can get some sort of fine, right? but what if you're wearing contacts? will they make you take out a contact right then and there to prove that you have them in? b/c if you do that then how do you get them back in ... you don't wanna put a dirty contact back in your eye!
does this make sense? or should i cease to write anything when i'm half asleep?
Sunday, May 15, 2005
friends forever?
i was talking to my friend today - about having relationships with a co-worker. the general agreement was that if one was to pursue a relationship with a co-worker, one should go into it with the intention of it being long-term. that's the only time it's really worth the risk. if you don't think it's going to work out with someone that you have to work with, that you have to see every day - why chance it? it will just make for very awkward situations. unless, of course, there's a set of guidelines set out beforehand about the relationship - so that there's not too big of an emotional attachment (although, it's hard to really put guidelines on emotional involvement ahead of time).
i think this most likely applies to pursuing a relationship with friends as well. or in taking a relationship with a friend to another level, whether it be the relationship type level or friends with benefits. if you're good friends with someone , you can't pursue a relationship with them unless you think it'll last. or that's my feeling at least. especially if it's a close friend, with whom you have a special bond. that bond better be worth risking. it's gotta be something you're sure about.
you never know how it will end. will it be like when harry met sally or more like my best friend's wedding?
is it worth it?
i think this most likely applies to pursuing a relationship with friends as well. or in taking a relationship with a friend to another level, whether it be the relationship type level or friends with benefits. if you're good friends with someone , you can't pursue a relationship with them unless you think it'll last. or that's my feeling at least. especially if it's a close friend, with whom you have a special bond. that bond better be worth risking. it's gotta be something you're sure about.
you never know how it will end. will it be like when harry met sally or more like my best friend's wedding?
is it worth it?
Saturday, April 30, 2005
the white bone
by barbara gowdy
it's been quite a while since i've read an animal-based novel - one where the narrator is an animal and it all takes place in that animal's world (eg. one of my all-time favourites, black beauty or watership down) if you didn't figure it out yet, the white bone is much in this strain. the setting: the world of the she (i.e. elephants) in africa.
the elephants have been facing two different problems - they're being hunted for their tusks by "the hindleggers" (i.e. humans) and there's a horrible drought. to survive this all, they are looking for "the safe place". the legendary "white bone" will point them in the direction of the place. so really, they are in search of the white bone.
it was a rather interesting novel ... to say the least. it was educational, much like the discovery channel is. but, some of it was just a little too much. i don't watch the animal stuff on the discovery channel for a reason. i don't find the mating rituals of animals all that ... fascinating. and there was quite a bit of talk of that in the book.
what i did like though, was the creation of a whole belief system. it was the world of the she. they didn't give birth, they simply had calf tunnels dug through them. the bulls were nothing but diggers. the she-ones (i.e. elephants) saw themselves as the superior creature. but every animal had a name for itself - they all thought they were the superior creature. i can't think of any of them right now, but i found it interesting. the way that every creature thinks of itself as the best - humans are no exception.
also, the she-ones thought humans were evolved from the she (which is interesting b/c that put humans on the same intellect level as the she-ones); two elephants were on a trek once and so hungry that they ate the flesh of another animal (that is seen as one of the hugest sins ever by the she-ones) and thus turned into hindleggers.
i find it hard to take novels taking place in the animal world and narrated by an animal as a really adult novel. but that's just my book snobbishness shining through, i suppose. why am i a book snob? i don't think i really have the right. ah well.
it's been quite a while since i've read an animal-based novel - one where the narrator is an animal and it all takes place in that animal's world (eg. one of my all-time favourites, black beauty or watership down) if you didn't figure it out yet, the white bone is much in this strain. the setting: the world of the she (i.e. elephants) in africa.
the elephants have been facing two different problems - they're being hunted for their tusks by "the hindleggers" (i.e. humans) and there's a horrible drought. to survive this all, they are looking for "the safe place". the legendary "white bone" will point them in the direction of the place. so really, they are in search of the white bone.
it was a rather interesting novel ... to say the least. it was educational, much like the discovery channel is. but, some of it was just a little too much. i don't watch the animal stuff on the discovery channel for a reason. i don't find the mating rituals of animals all that ... fascinating. and there was quite a bit of talk of that in the book.
what i did like though, was the creation of a whole belief system. it was the world of the she. they didn't give birth, they simply had calf tunnels dug through them. the bulls were nothing but diggers. the she-ones (i.e. elephants) saw themselves as the superior creature. but every animal had a name for itself - they all thought they were the superior creature. i can't think of any of them right now, but i found it interesting. the way that every creature thinks of itself as the best - humans are no exception.
also, the she-ones thought humans were evolved from the she (which is interesting b/c that put humans on the same intellect level as the she-ones); two elephants were on a trek once and so hungry that they ate the flesh of another animal (that is seen as one of the hugest sins ever by the she-ones) and thus turned into hindleggers.
i find it hard to take novels taking place in the animal world and narrated by an animal as a really adult novel. but that's just my book snobbishness shining through, i suppose. why am i a book snob? i don't think i really have the right. ah well.
sloth
i always knew that i could be rather lazy, slothful even, but i never realized just how lazy i was - today it dawned on me.
i just took a shower. i'm in my towel-robe. and i just sit here, doing nothing. i'm apparently too lazy to change into clothes. isn't it great that you can freely admit to these things on the seeming anonymity that is a blog?
p.s. aren't saturdays great?
i just took a shower. i'm in my towel-robe. and i just sit here, doing nothing. i'm apparently too lazy to change into clothes. isn't it great that you can freely admit to these things on the seeming anonymity that is a blog?
p.s. aren't saturdays great?
Sunday, April 24, 2005
paper
so why is it that paper comes in packs of about 500 pages (printer paper that is) .. but printers never fit a full pack of paper - so you have like 30 pages left over?
just wondering.
just wondering.
Thursday, April 21, 2005
the saga continues
so i got my phone back, i thought everything would be wonderful. everything would be fixed. alas, it was not.
the same old problems started occurring. then, a new problem arose. according to my call history i received a call on friday april 10 and on sunday april 10. according to my calendar (yes, i checked - just in case), this is impossible.
so back i trudge to the store. return my phone once again. get a loner phone once again (this one is silver and flips ... it's not too bad) ... except ...
well, i tried making a call on the phone tonight - and it appears that it wasn't activated. yep, that's right .. they gave me a phone that i can't actually use. and out there in lala land, if anyone was trying to reach me on my cell phone, they wouldn't be able to. at least i have a phone period, so i can pretend to be cool by pretending to make and receive calls on the unactivated phone.
thank you telus, you really are wunderbar.
the same old problems started occurring. then, a new problem arose. according to my call history i received a call on friday april 10 and on sunday april 10. according to my calendar (yes, i checked - just in case), this is impossible.
so back i trudge to the store. return my phone once again. get a loner phone once again (this one is silver and flips ... it's not too bad) ... except ...
well, i tried making a call on the phone tonight - and it appears that it wasn't activated. yep, that's right .. they gave me a phone that i can't actually use. and out there in lala land, if anyone was trying to reach me on my cell phone, they wouldn't be able to. at least i have a phone period, so i can pretend to be cool by pretending to make and receive calls on the unactivated phone.
thank you telus, you really are wunderbar.
Saturday, April 09, 2005
the raccoons
do you remember the show "the raccoons" from back in the day. i'm pretty sure it was a canadian cartoon - it had something to do with promoting environmentalism, if i remember correctly. i was a fan of the show mostly b/c one of the raccoons was called melissa .. it's always fun to have a character on tv to share a name with. (although, they do seem to like to use my last name on law & order, and it's not always a good thing. i don't like when the characters that share my name are the perpetrators of crime). but back to the raccoons. on that show they were so cute and helpful and funny! and sometimes bert was just downright goofy. why did the cartoons lie to me? WHY?
there are quite a few raccoons that seem to like to gallyvant around my neighbourhood. they have decided to take over the neighbourhood as their own, i fear. luckily these raccoons are not quite as big as some of them that i've seen occasionally lying on the shoulders of the country roads. still, they're nasty little critters.
yesterday, i was venturing out of my humble abode and saw one removing a garbage bag from a garbage can and then proceeding to tear through it. it's interesting to watch them actually do that. usually, i just see the evidence that that's what they've done, never have i caught one in the act. then on my way home yesterday evening, one opened my neighbours gate and was cavorting on their porch ... this wouldn't be so alarming except that they're porch is attached to mine!
this is just an introduction for my final story though. i was returning home the other night and i looked up ahead of me and there was a raccoon standing on the sidewalk. he was staring something down. i kinda stamped my foot - he puffed himself up. great, i thought - now i've angered the beast. so, i scampered over to the other side of the street. then, i saw the other one. he was in a tree, almost eye level with me. he was staring down critter number 1.
lessons learned? never get in the middle of a raccoon fight.
p.s. what's up with old navy commercials. do they realize how annoying their ad campaigns are? the latest one, bust a tun (as in tunic) ... dear me! it's just wrong! ever so wrong!
there are quite a few raccoons that seem to like to gallyvant around my neighbourhood. they have decided to take over the neighbourhood as their own, i fear. luckily these raccoons are not quite as big as some of them that i've seen occasionally lying on the shoulders of the country roads. still, they're nasty little critters.
yesterday, i was venturing out of my humble abode and saw one removing a garbage bag from a garbage can and then proceeding to tear through it. it's interesting to watch them actually do that. usually, i just see the evidence that that's what they've done, never have i caught one in the act. then on my way home yesterday evening, one opened my neighbours gate and was cavorting on their porch ... this wouldn't be so alarming except that they're porch is attached to mine!
this is just an introduction for my final story though. i was returning home the other night and i looked up ahead of me and there was a raccoon standing on the sidewalk. he was staring something down. i kinda stamped my foot - he puffed himself up. great, i thought - now i've angered the beast. so, i scampered over to the other side of the street. then, i saw the other one. he was in a tree, almost eye level with me. he was staring down critter number 1.
lessons learned? never get in the middle of a raccoon fight.
p.s. what's up with old navy commercials. do they realize how annoying their ad campaigns are? the latest one, bust a tun (as in tunic) ... dear me! it's just wrong! ever so wrong!
Monday, March 28, 2005
fierce invalids home from hot climates
by tom robbins
so i finally finished the book. it took me a while.
after gettin over the rather show-offy nature of the prose (which apparently was infectious), i rather did enjoy the book. some of the situations were just bizarre. i rather like bizarre situations. the absurd. situations and events that you can just take a step back and look at and smile. b/c, you've gotta be able to smile at life.
and i guess that was the point of the book - you can't take life too seriously. one of the things that separate humans from the other mammals... that along with curiosity and sexuality and some other stuff.
the book was a rather amusing combination of crazy highjinx (is that redundant? is there any highjinx but the crazy kind? and while we're on the subject - can you have just one highjink? or one shenanigan, for that matter?) and a lot of talk about religion and the relationship with life beyond what we currently know.
so ... if you aren't easily offended - i say read it. it provides some ideas that are a little different than your usual ones (i might provide some quotes tomorrow .. if i get around to it). but in the end, i still think robbins is a show-off who uses his writing as a type of ... type-writer masturbation - rather narcissistic. but i guess, if i were him, i'd do the same. he can be quite clever.
so i finally finished the book. it took me a while.
after gettin over the rather show-offy nature of the prose (which apparently was infectious), i rather did enjoy the book. some of the situations were just bizarre. i rather like bizarre situations. the absurd. situations and events that you can just take a step back and look at and smile. b/c, you've gotta be able to smile at life.
and i guess that was the point of the book - you can't take life too seriously. one of the things that separate humans from the other mammals... that along with curiosity and sexuality and some other stuff.
the book was a rather amusing combination of crazy highjinx (is that redundant? is there any highjinx but the crazy kind? and while we're on the subject - can you have just one highjink? or one shenanigan, for that matter?) and a lot of talk about religion and the relationship with life beyond what we currently know.
so ... if you aren't easily offended - i say read it. it provides some ideas that are a little different than your usual ones (i might provide some quotes tomorrow .. if i get around to it). but in the end, i still think robbins is a show-off who uses his writing as a type of ... type-writer masturbation - rather narcissistic. but i guess, if i were him, i'd do the same. he can be quite clever.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
ring ring
oh cell phones ... it took me quite some time to enter into the world of mobile telephone communications. and i must say it has been handy at times. (although, at other times ... it just re-emphasizes the fact that i rarely receive any phone calls .. which is ok, b/c my preferred method of communication isn't via the telephone and as such my phone time is generally limited to giving and receiving logistical details regarding a specific activity.) when i finally did make the plunge, i got a cute little phone. it's shiny, it's silver, it flips and has a colour screen (a far cry from the zack morris phone of yore). all was well and good. or so i thought. unfortunately, i've had a few problems with my phone and have been having some difficulty in resolving them.
the biggest problem is my phone's decision to randomly not ring when ppl call me. so i took the phone back to the store. first, the store helper person called my phone and it rang. they said, it seems to be working fine now. i had to once again explain how this was a RANDOM problem. next, i was given the wonderful explanation that the ringer wasn't on - i.e. this problem was caused by my own idiocy. (this just angered me a bit seeing as i had already told them the story that i was holding my phone in my hand, with the ringer on and the phone gave a little beep and i looked and i had missed a call ... i was holding my phone in my hand at the time b/c i knew it had a
tendency to not ring when i was supposed to be meeting someone somewhere, which was the case at the time) ... so i repeated the story of the phone beeping in my hand. i also added that my phone would either be on vibrate or ring+vibrate ... and i often missed calls when the phone was in my purse, under my arm. the vibration provided by the phone is not something that one easily misses. (my purse isn't so large that the phone gets swallowed into a sea of old cosmetics, wet naps and fuzzy mints).
this was not the only problem with my phone. the other two are more amusing than annoying though (like the above). first... sometimes names in my address book would get combined. for example, say i had jane smitherson and mary browning in my address book. sometimes, when jane would call, in my call history her name would come up as jane smithersoning. it was quite strange. the other problem was again with my call history. i've had called come up in my call history as: 4Ú$ |~|~|~| (note, the tildes came up more as just little speckles than actual tildes ... but i think they work well for the example). i found this display rather strange - so i turned off my phone and turned it back on again. this erased ALL my call history. (the strange
display occurred again and all my call history disappeared ... although ... i must say that i did lose my phone for a short period of time and when i retrieved it, all the call history was gone. but that's a story for another time).
so, after numerous failed attempts to return my phone (they had to send it back to the manufacturer ... so they said they would provide me with a loner phone for a month or two until i got my real phone back ... the first few times i went though, they had no loner phones available) .. i finally succeeded last night. it will take 4 - 6 weeks. in the mean time, i get the loner phone.
the loner phone is the most ghetto phone i've ever seen. maybe aside from the old motorola my parents had back in the late nineties, which was probably 1 step up from the zack morris phone - the loner phone might be 2 steps up from the zack morris phone. it's big, bulky and blue (in a bad way - seeing as i usually do like blue). i'm embarassed to use it!
so just a note to those ppl who read this and have occasion to call my cell phone - if you call my cell phone and i'm not in the privacy of my own home (the privacy where i feel comfortable enough to wear yoga pants and knee high shiny red socks) - i might not answer. and to think that i'm stuck with this monstrosity for a month!
*sigh*
alas, what is a lass to do?
the biggest problem is my phone's decision to randomly not ring when ppl call me. so i took the phone back to the store. first, the store helper person called my phone and it rang. they said, it seems to be working fine now. i had to once again explain how this was a RANDOM problem. next, i was given the wonderful explanation that the ringer wasn't on - i.e. this problem was caused by my own idiocy. (this just angered me a bit seeing as i had already told them the story that i was holding my phone in my hand, with the ringer on and the phone gave a little beep and i looked and i had missed a call ... i was holding my phone in my hand at the time b/c i knew it had a
tendency to not ring when i was supposed to be meeting someone somewhere, which was the case at the time) ... so i repeated the story of the phone beeping in my hand. i also added that my phone would either be on vibrate or ring+vibrate ... and i often missed calls when the phone was in my purse, under my arm. the vibration provided by the phone is not something that one easily misses. (my purse isn't so large that the phone gets swallowed into a sea of old cosmetics, wet naps and fuzzy mints).
this was not the only problem with my phone. the other two are more amusing than annoying though (like the above). first... sometimes names in my address book would get combined. for example, say i had jane smitherson and mary browning in my address book. sometimes, when jane would call, in my call history her name would come up as jane smithersoning. it was quite strange. the other problem was again with my call history. i've had called come up in my call history as: 4Ú$ |~|~|~| (note, the tildes came up more as just little speckles than actual tildes ... but i think they work well for the example). i found this display rather strange - so i turned off my phone and turned it back on again. this erased ALL my call history. (the strange
display occurred again and all my call history disappeared ... although ... i must say that i did lose my phone for a short period of time and when i retrieved it, all the call history was gone. but that's a story for another time).
so, after numerous failed attempts to return my phone (they had to send it back to the manufacturer ... so they said they would provide me with a loner phone for a month or two until i got my real phone back ... the first few times i went though, they had no loner phones available) .. i finally succeeded last night. it will take 4 - 6 weeks. in the mean time, i get the loner phone.
the loner phone is the most ghetto phone i've ever seen. maybe aside from the old motorola my parents had back in the late nineties, which was probably 1 step up from the zack morris phone - the loner phone might be 2 steps up from the zack morris phone. it's big, bulky and blue (in a bad way - seeing as i usually do like blue). i'm embarassed to use it!
so just a note to those ppl who read this and have occasion to call my cell phone - if you call my cell phone and i'm not in the privacy of my own home (the privacy where i feel comfortable enough to wear yoga pants and knee high shiny red socks) - i might not answer. and to think that i'm stuck with this monstrosity for a month!
*sigh*
alas, what is a lass to do?
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
one more time?
so, it's that magic time of year. what time is that? the time where all the cute bunnies and fuzzy chicks appear in the stores? (along with all that scrumptious chocolate and most importantly the cadbury creme eggs). well, no ... that's not the time. it's the time when we canadians get to rrrrroll up the rrrim to win!
i think this is my luckiest year ever! so far i've played twice, and i've won twice!
sure, it was just a coffee and a doughnut, but still ... i won! (and i had my first doughnut in forever ... i generally don't like doughnuts, but i figured it was free - so i should seize the opportunity!)
so now i'm trying to decide if i should quit while i'm ahead. right now my winning percentage is 100%! i don't want to mar my perfect record. but then ... what if luck is with me? maybe i'm destined to keep winning - or to win a third time at least (seeing as these things usually come in threes). should i deny myself that chance just to ensure my record remains perfect?
however ... i do still have my free coffee to get. so i guess i'll have to tempt fate once more. wish me luck!
i think this is my luckiest year ever! so far i've played twice, and i've won twice!
sure, it was just a coffee and a doughnut, but still ... i won! (and i had my first doughnut in forever ... i generally don't like doughnuts, but i figured it was free - so i should seize the opportunity!)
so now i'm trying to decide if i should quit while i'm ahead. right now my winning percentage is 100%! i don't want to mar my perfect record. but then ... what if luck is with me? maybe i'm destined to keep winning - or to win a third time at least (seeing as these things usually come in threes). should i deny myself that chance just to ensure my record remains perfect?
however ... i do still have my free coffee to get. so i guess i'll have to tempt fate once more. wish me luck!
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
pants
i really think that the british are on to something ... calling underwear pants and pants trousers.
unfortunately, here in north america we have really just the two choices: underwear or panties.
while i can handle the term underwear .. it just seems so ... unappealing ... it's like long underwear, overly practical ... i can't handle panties ... it gives me that squicky feeling - it's rather perverted, pedophilic *shudders*
pants is good though. it's straightforward, simple, no nonsense.
i say we revolt! ppl of toronto, let's call underwear pants! we'll turn this city on its head!
unfortunately, here in north america we have really just the two choices: underwear or panties.
while i can handle the term underwear .. it just seems so ... unappealing ... it's like long underwear, overly practical ... i can't handle panties ... it gives me that squicky feeling - it's rather perverted, pedophilic *shudders*
pants is good though. it's straightforward, simple, no nonsense.
i say we revolt! ppl of toronto, let's call underwear pants! we'll turn this city on its head!
Monday, March 07, 2005
ah, mini travels
so i ordered an ipod mini last week (apparently, when i'm home sick from work and have nothing better to do, i go online shopping).
i decided to track where my little mini has been so far. i think the thing is more well-travelled than me!
it started in china and then ...
- anchorage, alaska
- back to china
- back to anchorage
- to japan
- to indiana
- to new york
- to tennesse
- and now it's in mississauga and released for delivery! YAY!
it should be in toronto by wednesday morning! hooray!
* note: this has been updated to reflect the journey.
i decided to track where my little mini has been so far. i think the thing is more well-travelled than me!
it started in china and then ...
- anchorage, alaska
- back to china
- back to anchorage
- to japan
- to indiana
- to new york
- to tennesse
- and now it's in mississauga and released for delivery! YAY!
it should be in toronto by wednesday morning! hooray!
* note: this has been updated to reflect the journey.
Sunday, February 27, 2005
tea time
it feels so quiet lately. or maybe it's just me that feels quiet. i'm easily lulled into silence by the music i've been listening to - i withdraw into it.
the trouble is, i don't know into what i'm withdrawing. i'm vaguely aware that i'm thinking, but about what, i'm unsure. it seems rather strange. that my subconscious seems to be more awake and alive than my conscious.
it seems rather paradoxical, don't you think? but then i think we're all paradoxes when we think about it. but individuals are complex creatures - if we weren't walking contradictions, life would be bland, simple.
and really, life isn't simple. there's always some new twist, some new turn that keeps one on one's toes. either that or makes them crawl into bed under the covers until all the craziness is over. but eventually, you've got to come out from under the covers - even if there is a ghost outside your door.
the trouble is, i don't know into what i'm withdrawing. i'm vaguely aware that i'm thinking, but about what, i'm unsure. it seems rather strange. that my subconscious seems to be more awake and alive than my conscious.
it seems rather paradoxical, don't you think? but then i think we're all paradoxes when we think about it. but individuals are complex creatures - if we weren't walking contradictions, life would be bland, simple.
and really, life isn't simple. there's always some new twist, some new turn that keeps one on one's toes. either that or makes them crawl into bed under the covers until all the craziness is over. but eventually, you've got to come out from under the covers - even if there is a ghost outside your door.
Sunday, February 20, 2005
aloof ice princess
i always forget what wisdom there is in being an ice princess. it's all about self-preservation, you know?
(aren't i a ball of optimism?)
p.s. best game of text twist ever - i'm at 231 460 ... then i accidentally clicked on a url my friend sent me and i navigated from the page! DRATS
(aren't i a ball of optimism?)
p.s. best game of text twist ever - i'm at 231 460 ... then i accidentally clicked on a url my friend sent me and i navigated from the page! DRATS
Thursday, February 17, 2005
sons and lovers
by d.h. laurence (i hope i spelled that right ... not in the most sober state of mind right now)
anyway, it took me like a month and a half, but i finished my next book. this time, it was one on my list (my list being the same list as the 100 top modern novels). it was an interesting tale. one of a boy's life being both a son and a lover. i must confess, that the oedipal nature of the protaganist was a little icky.
i guess i just don't understand one having a relationship quite that close with one's parents ... a relationship which makes you want to eschew all other romantic endeavours. it's rather ... well, wrong, don't you think?
overall, the book wasn't bad. it was quite the look into one man's world and the women who surrounded him. a real exploration of what it means and takes to love another and the different types of love that exist. and most importantly, the hate that sometimes comes along with the love.
so in conclusion, the deep thought of the day (i'm unsure if i should share this ... it will really show you all what a geek i am):
you should always pay your taxes with a smile. i tried, but they said they wanted cash instead.
anyway, it took me like a month and a half, but i finished my next book. this time, it was one on my list (my list being the same list as the 100 top modern novels). it was an interesting tale. one of a boy's life being both a son and a lover. i must confess, that the oedipal nature of the protaganist was a little icky.
i guess i just don't understand one having a relationship quite that close with one's parents ... a relationship which makes you want to eschew all other romantic endeavours. it's rather ... well, wrong, don't you think?
overall, the book wasn't bad. it was quite the look into one man's world and the women who surrounded him. a real exploration of what it means and takes to love another and the different types of love that exist. and most importantly, the hate that sometimes comes along with the love.
so in conclusion, the deep thought of the day (i'm unsure if i should share this ... it will really show you all what a geek i am):
you should always pay your taxes with a smile. i tried, but they said they wanted cash instead.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
worrisome
is it just me, or does it worry you that:
1. fido is run by a bunch of dogs (according to the commercial at least)
2. the only human that seems to be part of the company takes his advice from the dogs.
at least that marketing campaign isn't as disturbing as the beef lovers commercial (i think it's harveys or burger king, i can't remember which), where a guy goes on a date with a cow ... and sleeps with a cow ...
it's either bestiality or some twisted form of cannibalism (eating your lover and such)
*shudders*
1. fido is run by a bunch of dogs (according to the commercial at least)
2. the only human that seems to be part of the company takes his advice from the dogs.
at least that marketing campaign isn't as disturbing as the beef lovers commercial (i think it's harveys or burger king, i can't remember which), where a guy goes on a date with a cow ... and sleeps with a cow ...
it's either bestiality or some twisted form of cannibalism (eating your lover and such)
*shudders*
Sunday, February 06, 2005
note to self
napping, while one of my favourite passtimes (pasttimes?) can be dangerous. very dangerous indeed!
6:30 p.m. i fall asleep ... i try to stay asleep until morning ... unfortunately, this does not happen
i awake at 9:45 p.m.
now i can't get back to sleep!
this is no good, no good at all!
6:30 p.m. i fall asleep ... i try to stay asleep until morning ... unfortunately, this does not happen
i awake at 9:45 p.m.
now i can't get back to sleep!
this is no good, no good at all!
Sunday, January 23, 2005
the true love cafe
ah yes, it does exist ... i have discovered it on my walks through the city
it's really quite the gem! the true love cafe is situated in one of the sketchier areas of town. kitty corner to the true love cafe is a church with a shelter in it and there are often great gaggles of people milling about outside it (the church, not the cafe)
the cafe does its best to class itself up though ... there are hearts spraypainted on the sidewalk bordering the cafe (and not just freehand painting, these puppies are stenciled in pink AND purple)
as further enticement to get you to enter this establishment, they blast great love songs over a rather tinny sounding speaker system ... celine dion seems to be among their favourites ... there's nothing better than walking down the street and hearing "all by my self" blaring from the true love cafe ... i'm unsure if this song choice is supposed to make you feel romantic or if it is meant to make you feel depressed so you'll seek solace in the arms of the true love cafe and perhaps even *gasp* find you r true love!
i have yet to actually enter this magical land d'amour .. but the hand written sign (done most likely with a sharpie) advertising the $1.75 hamburgers is quite tempting ... maybe next week ... or better yet for valentines day (i've gotta find some way to celebrate that day, right?)
it's really quite the gem! the true love cafe is situated in one of the sketchier areas of town. kitty corner to the true love cafe is a church with a shelter in it and there are often great gaggles of people milling about outside it (the church, not the cafe)
the cafe does its best to class itself up though ... there are hearts spraypainted on the sidewalk bordering the cafe (and not just freehand painting, these puppies are stenciled in pink AND purple)
as further enticement to get you to enter this establishment, they blast great love songs over a rather tinny sounding speaker system ... celine dion seems to be among their favourites ... there's nothing better than walking down the street and hearing "all by my self" blaring from the true love cafe ... i'm unsure if this song choice is supposed to make you feel romantic or if it is meant to make you feel depressed so you'll seek solace in the arms of the true love cafe and perhaps even *gasp* find you r true love!
i have yet to actually enter this magical land d'amour .. but the hand written sign (done most likely with a sharpie) advertising the $1.75 hamburgers is quite tempting ... maybe next week ... or better yet for valentines day (i've gotta find some way to celebrate that day, right?)
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
ah, the phone
when you make a phone call ... and someone at the end picks up, do you listen to what they say? it makes sense that you would ... making a phone call kind of implies that you are interested in what the person on the other end will say, right?
wrong.
example one:
me: good afternoon, melissa speaking.
caller: hi, riyaz?
(apparently when i say "melissa speaking" it comes out sounding like "riyaz speaking" in a testosterone laced voice)
(this story does continue, but i'm too lazy to continue it right now ... maybe tomorrow)
example two:
our voice mail message says: hi, you've reached melissa & melissa. we're not here right now ... etc etc.
apparently though, this is the same message that the russian embassy leaves on their voice mail.
or one old lady thought so:
"hello ... is this the russian embassy? if it is, i've been having this problem ... "
*just shakes her head*
so just a little note to you all - listen to the other end. there could be information that will be vitally important ... and if you don't listen to it, you may end up looking like an idiot.
wrong.
example one:
me: good afternoon, melissa speaking.
caller: hi, riyaz?
(apparently when i say "melissa speaking" it comes out sounding like "riyaz speaking" in a testosterone laced voice)
(this story does continue, but i'm too lazy to continue it right now ... maybe tomorrow)
example two:
our voice mail message says: hi, you've reached melissa & melissa. we're not here right now ... etc etc.
apparently though, this is the same message that the russian embassy leaves on their voice mail.
or one old lady thought so:
"hello ... is this the russian embassy? if it is, i've been having this problem ... "
*just shakes her head*
so just a little note to you all - listen to the other end. there could be information that will be vitally important ... and if you don't listen to it, you may end up looking like an idiot.
Monday, January 17, 2005
haunted?
so i have become increasingly paranoid about a possible haunting in my apartment ... but now i wonder if it's just perhaps someone with a grudge against me trying to scare me. and don't say such a thing couldn't happen
Monday, January 10, 2005
dear indiana
dropping two games by over 20 points... EACH? were you even trying? or were you more focussed on the colts game? maybe you should have asked them if you could have had some of their superfluous points.
geesh, what an embarassment.
geesh, what an embarassment.
Monday, January 03, 2005
good for a laugh
got bored (i just don't know what to do with long weekends anymore) and my room mate and i decided to have some fun and look through online personals ....
here's a profile we came across:
I m lookin some1, who's sexy, educated, n she know how to meet with nice guy's there, fun loving, like to watch movies, muskic, romance, I like to make a laugh, coz, m very funny guy, hehehehhahahahha:) if u R? Pls let's have enjoy c u then with sweet smile:), life is a very beautifull, so pls don't loose it try to enjoy every moment of ur life thanx:)
p.s. he thinks he's "very fine/sexy" ... which of course isn't right ... but hey, i'm sure someone finds him attractive.
just had to share that with someone.
here's a profile we came across:
I m lookin some1, who's sexy, educated, n she know how to meet with nice guy's there, fun loving, like to watch movies, muskic, romance, I like to make a laugh, coz, m very funny guy, hehehehhahahahha:) if u R? Pls let's have enjoy c u then with sweet smile:), life is a very beautifull, so pls don't loose it try to enjoy every moment of ur life thanx:)
p.s. he thinks he's "very fine/sexy" ... which of course isn't right ... but hey, i'm sure someone finds him attractive.
just had to share that with someone.
the way the crow flies
by anne-marie macdonald
i figured i would try to write about the books that i read here ... seeing as i've been too lazy to do it in my book journal. yes, you heard me, i have a book journal. i am that much of a geek. i will freely admit to this.
i found this book rather interesting - it was set in centralia, which is near the first place i ever lived (sure i moved from exeter area when i was 1 ... but my grandma and aunt remained in the area). also, it was loosely based on the steven truscott story. although, that happened by the military base at vanastra, on the opposite side of exeter.
unfortunately, because it was based on a story with which i am rather familiar, i was able to anticipate what was going to happen. still, it did make me keep turning the pages. and make one hypothesize about what actually happened in the real case. unfortunately, the real perpetrator of the crime has likely passed away by now. no one remains that knows the real story. it will be interesting to see if the courts will re-try steven truscott. they may try to avoid doing that b/c he will be found "not guilty" ... which means they wrongly convicted a 14-year old boy (he's been out of jail for many years .. seeing as it's widely accepted that he did not do it and he was one of those model type prisoners) ... but if he is found not guilty, he can sue the government for wrongful conviction. what kind of price will the court put on the innocence lost of a 14 year old boy who was tried as an adult and kept in jail for so many years? that's something that's irreplaceable, that's priceless .. to even begin to try to make up for it will require astronomical sums of money.
anyways, back to the literature at hand. i don't know if i'm really qualified to "review" this book per se ... it was a good read. it explored many issues - the cold war, the lives of many vs. the life of one, sexual abuse, parent-child relationships, homosexuality, etc etc.
it's quite the heavy tome - over 800 pages. there were many carefully picked quotes from other sources to start and sometimes conclude chapters. i'm the type that tends to skim over passages in italics though (i think it's a habit that i picked up from reading textbooks - if it was in a coloured box it might be interesting, but it wasn't pertinent to what you were learning). i wanted the guts of the story and i found i was skimming the rest. i wasn't savouring the literary beauty that was woven throughout it. i should probably read the book again to try to get that.
sometimes i wonder what's more important though, about a book - the basics (plot, character development, etc) or the artistry with which it is crafted. i think the basics are important. they're what compel you to continue reading the book. i've read some pieces before that i continued to devour voraciously despite me disliking the style of writing. for me that's what the most important part is. but then, i'm not as educated as i would like to be in the way of the word. although, that can be a good thing. i read for enjoyment not to analyse. it's not an exercise for me, it's a leisurely activity.
so in closing - the book was good. great imagergy, good storyline - it didn't feel like you were reading forever to get nowhere (*cough* the order of phoenix *cough*). definitely worth the read.
i figured i would try to write about the books that i read here ... seeing as i've been too lazy to do it in my book journal. yes, you heard me, i have a book journal. i am that much of a geek. i will freely admit to this.
i found this book rather interesting - it was set in centralia, which is near the first place i ever lived (sure i moved from exeter area when i was 1 ... but my grandma and aunt remained in the area). also, it was loosely based on the steven truscott story. although, that happened by the military base at vanastra, on the opposite side of exeter.
unfortunately, because it was based on a story with which i am rather familiar, i was able to anticipate what was going to happen. still, it did make me keep turning the pages. and make one hypothesize about what actually happened in the real case. unfortunately, the real perpetrator of the crime has likely passed away by now. no one remains that knows the real story. it will be interesting to see if the courts will re-try steven truscott. they may try to avoid doing that b/c he will be found "not guilty" ... which means they wrongly convicted a 14-year old boy (he's been out of jail for many years .. seeing as it's widely accepted that he did not do it and he was one of those model type prisoners) ... but if he is found not guilty, he can sue the government for wrongful conviction. what kind of price will the court put on the innocence lost of a 14 year old boy who was tried as an adult and kept in jail for so many years? that's something that's irreplaceable, that's priceless .. to even begin to try to make up for it will require astronomical sums of money.
anyways, back to the literature at hand. i don't know if i'm really qualified to "review" this book per se ... it was a good read. it explored many issues - the cold war, the lives of many vs. the life of one, sexual abuse, parent-child relationships, homosexuality, etc etc.
it's quite the heavy tome - over 800 pages. there were many carefully picked quotes from other sources to start and sometimes conclude chapters. i'm the type that tends to skim over passages in italics though (i think it's a habit that i picked up from reading textbooks - if it was in a coloured box it might be interesting, but it wasn't pertinent to what you were learning). i wanted the guts of the story and i found i was skimming the rest. i wasn't savouring the literary beauty that was woven throughout it. i should probably read the book again to try to get that.
sometimes i wonder what's more important though, about a book - the basics (plot, character development, etc) or the artistry with which it is crafted. i think the basics are important. they're what compel you to continue reading the book. i've read some pieces before that i continued to devour voraciously despite me disliking the style of writing. for me that's what the most important part is. but then, i'm not as educated as i would like to be in the way of the word. although, that can be a good thing. i read for enjoyment not to analyse. it's not an exercise for me, it's a leisurely activity.
so in closing - the book was good. great imagergy, good storyline - it didn't feel like you were reading forever to get nowhere (*cough* the order of phoenix *cough*). definitely worth the read.
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