Town, where the weather is always sunshine and rainbows.

So yesterday I moved into town! It was a long drive, which was rather hazy because I was in AUGH MOVING TIME HAS NO MEANING MUST DRINK MORE COFFEE mode. But my brother PT and his Girlfriend R drove me in, which was lovely of them. There was much conversation which I hope I was lucid for. 

I know we stopped at McDonalds on the way, where this conversation happened. 

PT: "All right, time to hit the road."
Me: "Aw, but I thought we were living here now!"
R: "They don't have a playplace. We'll find a better one."

Yeah, I was in fine form. 

When we got to the edge of town, no sooner did we get to my neighbourhood than four police cars went screaming by, lights and sirens going. Welcome to the big city, self! :P Aside from some moving up of boxes, which is not exiting to relate, that was my evening. (Life!Drama, I has it.) 

Now today I woke up to a beautiful sunshiny day. Er, no, that was some other city. I'm living in Fog City. Thankfully I like fog. :D 

The objectives of the day were to go shopping for groceries, and go out for coffee with Angie and Kay. I will now conduct the rest of this blog post in pictures, because me and words are ESTRANGED.

Epic blog entry of epicness

Here begineth the epic blog entry of last weekend. I'm hoping to get it all into one post without my fingers or language skills giving out- I'll see how that works out.

So, the plan was for Angelica to come out and spend the weekend with us. She was going to drive out from Sin Jawns on Thursday, and return on Sunday. Unfortunately, Thursday rolled in, and so did car troubles. Cue change of plans! (But what is a road trip without transportation issues? Seriously?) Instead, she was going to come in on the bus, on Friday. So Friday rolled in, and so did a blizzard. To make things even better, this was the last day before reading week for MUN students, so the bus stop was full of students anxious to make it home. Angelica didn't make it on the first bus.

In the charming way which DRL has of dealing with overflow passengers, they said they'd wake up the other driver and acquire another bus, come back in an hour. (Btw, the bus was supposed to leave at seven in the morning in the first place. Don't you getting out of bed in time to make it the bus stop at seven am on a saturday, in a snow storm, and being told to come back later? LOVE.) But an hour later, the next bus arrived, and Angelica embarked for the wilds of central newfoundland. It's supposed to be a six hour drive, including an hour meal break for lunch in Gander airport. (An airport so busy that it has two gates. One for departing, one for arrivals. AWESOME, no?) However, due to the snow on the roads, her bus arrived EIGHT HOURS after it left St. John's. Which is nine hours after she was supposed to leave, remember. Which was ten hours after she got up that morning. Given that this was her first bus ride, all I can say is that it gets better! Honestly! :P

But then my lovely family had cupcakes and party games as any excuse for a party to welcome her, and I got home from work in time for rock band tutorials (I really should never play again,) and to watch Up. (I heart that movie.)

Saturday I slept in.. *cough* Not for the whole morning, however! Because we went sledding. It was EPIC.

The picture of grace and dignity, that's me. And Angelica seems to be being attacked by my hair... Poor girl.

There's my mom, isn't she pretty?

After sledding we hung around for a while more, and I read, and then we went bowling! I bowled at 113, I think. Anyways, I broke one hundred, which made me happy. Even if I was the inspiration for the phrase "throwing really enthusiastic gutter balls." Sigh. Oh, and then we went to K and C's house for cake, hot dogs and Charlotte's Web! I queried people about art school and the rise of the civil rights movement. Strangely, people didn't see the connection between those two things when I started asking questions. Their minds must be so boring.. Or organized. That too.

Actually, however, my plot for Karma Police had fallen apart in my hands on Thursday, and I was trying frantically to shoe-horn it back together. Which was the basis for most of my questions, but some people didn't see that immediately. ANYWAYS.

On Sunday we went on an Explorer Girls adventure! Only this time, because we had a destination, and also there were four persons of the male persuasion in attendance, it was more of a, Expedition Persons adventure. We went out to K and C's cabin. The cabin was nice and warm, and contained hot chocolate and cookies. The trek out TO the cabin contained a great deal of slush and ice crystals, and wind off the ocean. I poked some ice pans with my toe, saw them fall gently apart and decided not to try jumping on them while they were in the water, and stomped several loose boards on the wharf back into place with my steel toed boots. Frauline was enraptured with some seaweed frozen into a block of ice that looked like swiss cheese, and the small ones climbed small cliffs. And those formalities over with, then we went inside and had lovely hot chocolate. :D

Oh, and Angelica had brought her camera, and K had brought her alter-ego Iris's wig, so we had a minor photo shoot which was lots of fun. There was only one wig, so the four of us that jumped at the chance to be in the picture had to take turns wearing it, and then Angelica had to stich it together using her arcane photo arts. See the result?

Aren't we fetching?

And then it was sunday afternoon, so Daddy and Angelica and I were going back to Town. Oh, didn't I mention that I was going too? Silly me. Yes, I had my passport, some spare rope and my credit card. So why WOULDN"T I be going? #rhetoricalquestionsftw

We drove in, which was a five hour drive ornamented with many much snow and awesome music, and then we dropped Angelica off at her house, and met up with my brother PT, (You remember PT, don't you? He fixes pianos and has a leopard gecko) at a suitably high-class establishment. So once I'd ordered my bacon cheeseburger and PT had his fries and drink, we sat down to chat. I know, you're amazed at the depth of our pocketbooks and my wild social life.

*cough* At any rate, we got a lovely phone call from our cousin announcing that she was engaged, which surprised no one but pleased us all, and then Daddy had to go calling, and PT and I decided to check out the theatre. Once we got there, there was a slight disagreement between myself and my brother as to which movie we wanted to see. He was strongly on the side of Shutter Island, and myself and my hyper imagination was just as firmly on the side of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. We decided the only way to choose fairly between them was Rock, Paper, Scissors. Yes, in the theatre lobby, in front of all the cool city teenagers who looked aslant at the baymen. Part of the joy of being as weird as I am is having minimal shame. :D

So, we watched Percy Jackson. *Celebratory Rock Paper Scissors dance* And the movie. Hmmm...

I am a hearty fan of the books. I had just read Last Olympian, which is the last volume in a five-book set, and I loved it. I loved all the details and the use of Greek Mythology, and the excellent way it's all crafted. Oh, and the great characters help too! The movie, well. In the words of my friend Rose after seeing it. "It's an amusing fanfic."Unfortunately, I'd spent much of the day working out and fixing plot issues with my story. So when I was trying to fall asleep (and falling off of) a couch later, I ended up spending much of the night working out and fixing plot issues with the movie. I'm pretty sure I fixed it all and it was marvellous! Too bad I can't remember anything now...

Then in the morning, blessed morning, Daddy and I went to Cora's for breakfast. I am still baffled by the purpose of ground cherries. But they put on a good show, and sometimes that's all you need from your food. After food, we went to the Janeway, which was brutal and heartbreaking as always. I want to write a book there, but I'm afraid of getting it wrong, and crying too much. I have nothing more to say on that subject right now.

At this point it was lunch time, or close enough for Government work. I was dropped off at the mall while Daddy went to make Important Business Connections. I was a good girl and bought work shoes first. And then I was magnetically drawn towards the bookstores.

Last time I was in reach of a bookstore I bought fifteen books. This time I bought twenty. However, because this time I was savvy enough to browse the paperback section instead of the hardbacks, it cost me 30% less. See my spoils? *presents them proudly*

I know it doesn't look like it, but this is honestly broadening my reading horizons, and with books that I think I'll actually READ. Unlike when I pick up Brothers K and say "Oh, I'm gonna read this next." Lies, I read the cheesy things I get from the library before I ready heavy russian things. Ahem.

Also I may or may not have climbed over a fence to get to Chapters. Silly unexpected rivers. Silly barbed wire. Sillest of all mud.

And then we drove home, with a brief stop for dance class. Here endeth the epic weekend.

"I just spent 500 pound on an unauthorized expense." "And you think you still work here?"

PT's home for the weekend! He's grown a fetchingly red goatee, which was disconcerting to witness. I pinpointed the source of at least a little of my disconcertion when I realized that, from the angle at which I was staring at him, he looked a little like a faun. Despite my mind's willingness to dive into Narnia or Classical Greece at any time, it has not yet progressed to presenting me with fictional beings at the dinner table. So that's why I was staring, PT, sorry. It looks lovely, really it does. :D

So there has been much celebration upon the advent of PT's return for four days, and upon the morrow we perhaps shall venture unto T'gate, there to climb cliffs and take profuse pictures of our siblings participating in the aforementioned vertical activity. Moreover, I have not the slightest idea why I am talking in this manner, unless it is perhaps attributable to the Tylenol, Midol and Coffee I have been eating over the course of the past five hours.

I've discovered the effects pane in iphoto, which causes me much joy. And yes, that is a tree I was wearing in my hair yesterday. I was gardening, see.

"Are YOU a sea squirt?"

I'm gonna blog when I wake up. Cause nothing good comes of writing now. 

After five hours of sleep...

Anyhow, yesterday. I started the day by sleeping through the Free Continental Breakfast at the hotel. (A mistake I did not make today, by the way.) So I salved my wounded soul with coffee and internet, and then headed out to the Avalon Mall, where I was scheduled to meet up with two old friends, Zach and Beth. I did consider bussing to the mall there, then I looked at the transfer I would have to make and remembered my notorious skills with buses, and took a cab. :D And mercy of mercies, I had a cab driver who WASN'T chatty! We drove the five or ten km in complete silence, which was nice.

So Zach and Beth showed up, and we chatted for a while, and then walked around the mall, and walked over to the university, and walked to Beth's house, and walked to the bus, and took the bus downtown, and walked around downtown- I'm starting to sense why I might be tired. Usually when I come to St. John's I just go to the mall. NO MORE. Now I shall "just" go downtown. The shops are so much more lovely, and the whole atmosphere is much more conducive to my eudamonia. I had intended to take pictures of downtown, but that came to naught. Regrettably, I found my batteries were gone as soon as I stepped off the bus. It was a sad moment. But then we went into the Hemp Store, and it was all better. 

Um, that sounded less law-abiding than I intended. *sheepish grin* It's all legal, I assure you... I bought some glass ladybug magnets. And then we just roved along the street, skipping into teashops for samples and checking out record stores and cosmetic shops and t-shirt/magnet stores with amusing slogans. "I'm all that's left of a bizarre childhood." (I liked that one a lot. *grins*) Fred's records was especially fun, because there are listening stations. So I put on the headphones and rocked out just a little. :D It was fun. 

And THEN. (Yes, the day is not over yet. Social events on top of social events!) We went to Zach's family's house for supper. They had graciously insisted that I come over to eat once they heard I was in town. This was followed by PT picking us up, and he, Zach and Beth and I celebrating his birthday by driving downtown again, exploring Value Village, and then seeing a movie. Then I collapsed and slept. :D So much for the planned lazy day! PT wanted set off some rockets in a parking lot, but the Law-abiding Zach wouldn't let him. Which was what led to trying on funny hats at Value Village. What, you don't see the connection? That's just tragic, that is. Oh, and the movie was State of Play which was good- well worth the half-price ticket. However, it's based on a 6 hour BBC production, which I want to see now. It felt like the movie didn't quite have enough time to wrap things up properly, or something. They spend two hours laying a red herring, and then WHAM- no here's the truth over here! Oh, movie's over. Have a nice day! So, *cough* I'd like to see the long version. Also I'm a fan of British television. Right. 

Woah, the coffee's finally kicking in. *blinks* Good times! *looks around with a vague smile* Oh look, my eyes focus and everything! Moreover, the man in the breakfast line ahead of me this morning tried to warm up an egg in the microwave. My family is laughing about now, but it seems a shocking amount of people don't know what happens when you do that. So for those who haven't tried the egg-speriment yet- (Get it? Eggs? Oh, I crack myself up) I'll tell you what happens. 

The egg egg-splodes. 

...

Okay, I'll go now, before the puns eat out my brain. Off to the airport in an hour and a half!

"Happy trails, to youuuuuu!!!"

I made it through day one of travel! With no major catastrophes! I feel as though I'm competent, or something! 

Okay, and I've also used up my exclamations marks for the day. Possibly for the month. *cough*

At any rate, I'm safely in St. Johns! Daddy drove me up to the bus stop in town, and five hours later, there I was, at the MUN student centre, in TOWN! Opps, exclamation marks again. *cough* The bus ride was mostly uneventful. I dosed and watched the trees go by. For a little while, I will admit, I was watching the trees with extreme interest, because the seats in front of me were occupied by a teenage couple who proceeded to kiss each other for about half an hour, (or half a century, you know.) He had a lip ring, too, which just looks technically difficult. And then they fell asleep in the same seat together, which is another technically difficult thing. I mean, those seat are not that large. *shakes head* But they were silent after a time, and I zoned out. Mommy had packed me a decorated lunch- see above- and I occupied my time with eating that, too. Then PT picked me up at the Student Centre, which was lovely. (I was delivering some presents from home.) 

Incidentally, the bus stop in St. Johns is right outside the student bar, and today was the last day  of exams. We therefore witnessed some shockingly short skirts on college girls. I'm pretty sure at least one of those outfits was technically just a shirt- glued down. When your skirt is so short you can't move without a privacy shield, you know you have issues. 

And then PT and I booted about Downtown St. Johns. (Caught the exclamation mark just in time.) Due to the darkness, I couldn't get many good pictures, but I caught a semblance of the view from Signal Hill.  See, isn't it pretty?

We also talked about going DOWNtown. You see, it's PT's Birthday *checks clock* now, so legally he could go drink now. However, if he had a celebratory drink, that would leave me driving a standard car, through a notoriously hard to navigate city, in the dark. And the alternative idea of me tipsy can reduce strong men to tears of terror. (Not that I've tested this, but it should okay? okay?) So we had ice cream at DQ instead. 

Now I'm checked in to my very own hotel room, about to collapse and sleep. Sounds like a good plan, if I do say so myself. Shalom!

"Oh everyone believes/ in how they think it oughta be/ oh everyone believes/ and they're not goin quietly.."

As you may have noticed, last night was New Year's Eve. The night for ROWDY PARTIES. Following in that honourable tradition, my family watched Wall-E. And to top it off, we had popcorn. Living on the wild side, I know. Then Fraulein and I watched Stick It, which was entertaining. In retrospect, if has occurred to me that I've never actually gone to a "New Year's Party." Probably because I've gone to very few parties in general. Ahem. But after the countdown, I happily received a phone call from Em, Moon Unit, and Moon Unit's friend Zaktrik. They're in EST, so they had an hour and a half to spare for chatting, which was very fun. Though I'm afraid, due to the hour, I wasn't very coherent. *offers apologies*

Something that I forgot to mention, is that PT was home for Christmas, and then his GF came to visit for several days afterwards. I chiefly forgot to mention it because it was so natural to have them around. They're both very fun people. And I'm not just saying that becuase PT's my brother. :D

Seeing the date, I suppose this is the time for me to offer up some New Year's Resolutions, eh?

1. I have eight grand left on my debt, and I'd like to have that gone by the time I've been at my new job a year. Yes, that works out to a grand a month, with one month's leeway. 
2. Finish Expendables! I want to get that story out of my head, and one edit done. At least fix the chronological issues, for example.
3. Get into some kind of shape other than couch potato, and stay in that non-potato shape.
4. Oh, and work on being contented where God has placed me. I need to learn to stop fretting to be somewhere else; if God wanted me to be in another place, I'd be there. :D

That's the only things that come to mind, but I think they'll be challenging enough to try and pull off. 

"What are you doing here all by your eyelashes?"

Christmas is over, and I'm STILL tired. That may be attributable to the fact that I didn't have coffee yet today, though. Hmmmmm.... 

Anyhow, Christmas. We had what was quite possible the most lavish and epic Christmas I have ever been witness too. We started at 8:00 am, with the unwrapping. And we went until 11:00 am, then took a half hour break for breakfast. The unwrapping commenced again, and continued till 1:30 pm, when we broke for lunch. After a long lunch, and some staring at the wall, we started again at 3:30 pm. We finished the unwrapping at 5:00 pm. Now, for some families that may be normal, but not this one. It took at LEAST twice as long as normal. People have been so incredibly generous, it just boggles the mind. 

So unwrapping took most of the day. Then PT, the Walrus, Fraulein and I watched Walrus's new movie Transformers in the evening. It was a fun film, so long as I completely suspended all disbelief relating to the Military, and Law Enforcement, and the Intelligence Community, and how Relationships work. Oh, and massive transforming intelligent robots/vehicles. I mean, the SECRETARY OF DEFENSE was running things? And buddy broke an audio signal just by putting a thumb drive containing it in his computer? Blink, heartbeat heartbeat, and we're seeing all these massive secrets-Right, suspension of disbelief. SUSPEND... *big grin* The Walrus really liked it though, and I thought it was fun, so twas all good. Oh and Moonunit called for 20 minutes, which was terribly jolly. It put me in a good mood. :D

And now today I've spent most of the day sleeping, so I should really work on looking alive and going for a walk or something.

"That was a very interesting sentence until you finished it."

I made it back unscathed! Pretty much. I did live through five hours in the Avalon Mall though, so who knows what lasting mental damage that may have inflicted. Then on Sunday I got to go to Ms. B's and PT's and PT's GF's Church, which was fun. They said their third largest budgetary expense, after the building and the pastor, was coffee. My Kind Of People! The music was very Pentecostal, but they seemed since, which I can respect. And there was a guest speaker, so I'm not quite sure what the teaching actually is like. But there also was a potluck afterwards, which was scrummy. Hurrah for free food! Oh, and PT and his GF were walking downtown to see the christmas parade, so I had to take my things out of the car and bring them back to the church, where I was being picked up. However, the church is downtown, so they lock the doors after normal service hours. Which led to me being locked out of a church, and hammering lightly on the doors. :D I mainly sat on my suitcase and waited for someone to come out, but there definitely was a little bit of beating on the door going on. Then they let me in and I had chocolate cake, so it was all good.

On, on the first night I was wearing a pashmina, for grace and the fact that I can hid under it of anyone looks at me. Then when I went up to get coffee a lady looked at me and said; "What you're wearing looks nice! It looks like you're wearing a tablecloth, but on you it looks good!" :D

And a quote from PT's GF. "You know today is the first day of Advent? That means today is going to be a day for Extraordinary things."

Last night Fraulein and I watched Prince Caspian! Since we are avid Narnian Fan girls, we've been waiting impatiently for it to come out on DVD. We don't have a theatre in town, remember? And it was fun. We decided that Peter is generally an idiot, and Susan doubly so. Seriously woman, what is with the leather corset with buckles and such? ISH. And the whole kissing Caspian in front of the crowd, and "you might want to call me sometime-" *facepalm* However, Edmund and Lucy were marvelous, and we love the mice. :D "You are a mouse." I'm still a little if-ish about Miraz and the Telmarines. The whole story was so very far from the book that you have to divide your brain into two stories for the book and the movie. And I'm not sure if the Telmarines are scary or simply a mindless horde of spanish men. I'll have to watch it again with a critical eye. :D

In other news, I'm technically done with Nano now. So I suppose I have to try and break the habit of spending every possible moment on my laptop. *sigh* I know you're weeping for my sad plight. :P But first I just have to read some of the shiny NanoNovels my genius internet friends wrote.

Time in town...

I'm in St. John's! Hurrah for the big city!

I got a ride in with a friend's family, which was very nice of them. It was also rather amusing, because myself and an 16 year old boy were sharing the back seat. He stumbled out of the house at seven in the morning, clutching a pillow, and saw me. *stares* So the pillow went in between us two, and we both leaned on opposite windows and slept. *thumb up*

I'm staying with Ms. B for the weekend, so once we got into town I was dropped off at her house, and got a tour... It's a nice apartment. :D She has a balcony and everything. 

OH, and we ate out in the college food court, which is very college-y. You know, people behind the count who don't really care, straws on the floor, everything tastes like fridge, and people my age. Oh, and half the people are guys, which is just strange and unsettling. 

(And by the way, interspersed between all this is watching of Firefly; we're going through the series. Some moments are totally matchy, and some ver ver awful- put a quilt over your head AND stick your fingers in your ears. )

Mmmmm, then PT and PT's GF came by, and we went out to Tims! Coffee and tea all round, and various munchables. PT's GF is very cute. And sweet. And tiny. And giggly. And despite that description, I do actually like her. :P She and PT are really cute together. They do hold hands a lot, though. And seeing your little brother kiss anyone, even on the cheek, is traumatizing any time when the little brother is over the age of four.

Then, at 9:00, we all went out downtown- to a church coffee house. There was free music and coffee! MARVELOUS! My Classical Pianist brother, bless his shiny heart, thought the music was too loud. Just because he couldn't hear himself talk. Sheesh. I thought it was pretty good though. The first act was really good, just a man and a guitar. I recognized a couple of Johnny cash songs, and quite a few I would liked to have been able to identify but wasn't. Then there was a band which showed a lot of promise for the first minute of intro to their first song, and then repeated the intro with variations for forty minutes. They were all first year engineering students, however, so I suppose I'll forgive them. After the first years came a more established band, which is well known in the "christian scene." At least, the players are well known, I"m not sure about the band unit its self. Despite having The St. John's Sound and a lead singer who couldn't find the pocket in a pair of cargo pants, they were pretty good. If you're playing John Mayer, a decent guitar player makes up for much. Side note; I approve of well- played guitars in general. 

"Did I mention I know almost everything about almost everything?"

I'm been such a sporadic blogger of late. I think that is because I have no time sense. It's true. There is an event, and another event, and they float disconnected in a sea of rushed images and words. I navigate by landmarks of memory, phrases and scenes that stick in my memory. This is especially odd, since I have a good memory, but if you ask me how long a thing has taken or will take, the odds are pretty good I will have no clue. The only way I know is if I work the math and count back from a number I have, whether that is a time or a date. Of course, this may be how everyone works. :D 

Well, I went for a lovely long walk on Saturday. 11.7 km, in fact. My legs were about to seize up when I got home. But I did get some very nice pictures, which I will post sometime in the future. Oh, and PT may be bringing his Girl Friend home for Christmas, which should be fun! 

I see another reason I didn't post. A signal lack of things to talk about. :D 

But I did make pork barbecue in the slow cooker, which was a success. Also, we're going to have a working shower tomorrow evening at five pm. For the first time in three weeks. 

HURRAH! 

"If you spray me and I'm not on fire I've giving you to the community college."

We had the police in at work today. In an unofficial capacity. You see, we had a techie come in to upgrade one of our systems. (I'm not important enough to know the details. :D) And in the process of doing so, he set off our tamper alarm. We continued as per normal, ignoring the high-pitched siren that was emanating from the secure room where he was locked in with the senior cashier. After about twenty minutes of this, a very confused off-duty RCMP Officer poked his head in the door. "Do you, uh, hear that alarm?" So the other cashiers laughed at him and sent him away. :D Just a normal day in your local friendly financial institution! (Interestingly, my reaction to alarms has gone down significantly since spending time at McWork. I just blink at them.)

Ah, and yesterday I had my first ever conference call! It was magical! Actually, it wasn't quite magical, but it was quite fun. The lady facilitating the training call was from Winnipeg, and everyone else was from Ontario. After about twenty minutes of general conversation we were told to preface our statements with our names, since we all had similar voices. Then she retracted that order, saying that Ali, (who moved to Toronto from Iran five years ago), and I (who apparently has a strong Newfoundland accent), wouldn't need to state our names. Mainlanders. :D 

Yesterday PT stopped by on his way to visit grandparents on the mainland. He and the Walrus are going out to help out for two weeks. Regrettably, I was at work all day. But I consoled myself with watching Ironman. Which is a good movie. A very good movie. My oh my. Everyone and their uncle, it seems, had been watching it and raving about it, so I had to preorder it on itunes so that I could watch it at the first available legal day. That was not even an option, really. (I sense disapproval oozing from those among us who do not have access to a theatre and are not fond of that fact, so I will qualify my previous assertion and say that everyone and their uncle who live in or near a city watched it and told me to watch it.) And it was awesome. Did I say that already? 

And I want Mr. Stark's computer. Actually, I want his whole house, but that computer is amazing to the nth power. *stares at it* For those who are gearheads- you know who you are- it is worth it to watch the movie just for the computer. And if you're a gearhead and don't know it, this movie will show you. Also the dialogue is marvelous, as are the characters, the cinematography is lovely, the effects are beond cool, and the plot makes me happy, but the computer rocks my socks. *writes fanfiction about the computer* :P

Now I need to go fold some laundry so I can jury-rig some more sudo-professional outfits. Valeo!

"Dr. Who did not help that experience to be more reassuring."

Day: 5
Date: 22/07/08
Event: Hollywood Studios

This experience is very fun, but my tendency towards cynicism in not lessening. In Epcot there is a general feeling of Quality to the structures, or at least of solidity. But Here the whole idea is that it is movie sets, so it all rings slightly false. :D Hah! I mean, false even after the significant suspension of disbelief required for a theme park. :P

We started the day with Star Tours; a Star Wars Themed ride. It was quite fun, but we realised afterwards that Slonner and Walrus have not seen the movies, which made it slightly incomprehensible for them. They still enjoyed it, however, so all was not lost. After emergence from that ride, we were off to meet Lightening McQueen!

This was the thing Gid actually wished for. And I don't know- when you have a 4 year-old palliative patient who has had a rush wish (which means he doesn't have a lot of time,) come to visit, wouldn't you try to do something special for him? A meeting in Lightning's Garage? Five minutes uninterrupted? A sticker pack? That was what I was expecting. What we got was jumped to the front of the line to get our picture taken with Lighting and Mater. Two minutes, tops, in the middle of the public square, with other people crowding in for their turn, and music blaring.

Now, Gid was still delighted. When I asked later what he did today he said that "I saw Lightening and Mater- and touched them!" I, on the other hand, wanted to punch something. Hard. Broken glass and blood, please. Bah, I believed the Disney propaganda, which is always a dangerous thing. I've just got a jaded soul and Gid is so cute it hurts. I was holding him while we were waiting for Lightning, and he is so thin. Such delicate hands. His eyes are huge, and when he grins he's infused with happiness. You beam to look at him. Mommy bought him Lightning McQueen shoes last night, and he was delighted with the. And the thing with Gid is that when you use words like "delight," "joy," and "beam," it is the perfect truth. Even with all he's been through, he is so full of life and happiness. My little brother is an amazing little boy. I wish I could see the man he would be. I have been truly blessed to be his big sister for 4 years.

[Here I broke off to bawl in the bathroom for 10 minutes]

Anyhow, the day. We went on a number or other rides, but probably the most noteworthy were the Tower of Terror and Rocking Roller Coaster. The Tower of Terror, because of the, (yes,) terror it inspired. The title is my reaction after we staggered out. The Rocking Roller Coaster is worthy of note because of its truly impressive wait line. ToT was fun, I'll say, but I have no interest in doing it again. Been there, done that, sneered at the t-shirt. Seriously, why are all the good snarky t-shirts in guy's sizes only? Even if perchance they have an acceptable design, it's on a pink background!

I don't do pink. I am the anti-pink. Pink is against my beliefs. So why do half of all female t-shirts have to be on that accursed colour? *bites a pillow* This is me, not impressed.

And on the subject of t-shirts, Fraulein and I noticed a distinguishing feature of Brazilian girls while in the interminable line for the RRC. There are a lot of groups of teenage tours from Brazil, all with official t-shirts. And the girls, almost without fail, have modified their shirts. The modifications range from "falling off the shoulder," to "sleeveless," to "bikini top." I didn't know you could fashion a bikini out of a t-shirt, but these girls manage it.

Overall, today was another very fun day, and I'm becoming acclimatised and accustomed, but I don't think I'd fork out my own money for another ticket.

We're in the SYSTEM now!

Day: 4
Date: 21/07/08
Event: Epcot

Disney is pretty much the embodiment of wildly successful capitalism. 47 square miles of wildly successful capitalism. Not that it's not warranted, mind you. Today was kind of our test-day, to see ho our other days will be organised. And it was very fun.

After getting through the gates, (which required a fingerprint scan, (for Homeland Security? No one knows.)) We split up into two group. Mommy, Daddy and the small ones in one group, and Slonner, PT, Walrus, Fraulein and I in another. As we're the oldest, we're sometimes refereed to as the G5, and we were unleashed on the unsuspecting theme park! *evil laugh* We commenced a detailed and carefully considered planning session.

"What's that golf ball?"
"I think it's a ride?"
"Wanna go on it?"
"Sure!"
*enters the line for Spaceship Earth*

In fact, that was the best line experience of our day. We were in the official queue for approximately 2 minutes before we were taken aside and let in the exit. Aren't we special? *preens* There was on spot on the "time travel" ride when we saw Michelangelo painting the Sistine chapel, with an Alleluia playing, and I got hit rather hard with a wave of homesickness for Augustine. I never thought I'd miss music class, but that time has arrived! :D Then we got stuck up at the top. PT spotted a pair of legs sticking out form under a car, so he was either fixing it, or we're run over him and they were bringing up the body bag. It was dark; who knows?

Anyhow, fired with enthusiasm at our short line wait, we headed over to Test Track. 50minutes later, we got on the ride. I guess not all park employees are as zealous to give special treatment! I should explain at this point, that we were told, as a wish family, that we wouldn't have to wait in lines. :D *shrug*

By the time we emerged form there, it was time for lunch. Whereupon we went to Morocco! For those not familiar with Epcot, it has 11 "international showcases," which ostensibly represent Canada, UK, France, Morocco, Japan, US, Italy, Germany, China, Norway and Mexico. We lunched at Morocco, including some truly incredible coffee.

I have absolutely no inclination to close my eyes.

Then we did all the other countries. Well, not the US or France, but those hardly count, right? *ducks*

Among the G5, it was agreed that Japan, Germany, Morocco and UK, were the best, with Japan being "The place I most wish I had money for." I almost bought a Kimono, as they were SOOO pretty, but by the time I would have bought one that wasn't rayon, with the proper accoutrement, I could easily have spent $200. Therefore I decided to wait for my trip to Japan, which will happen someday! Why wait? Because I would certainly wear it on the street, and it would keep the cringe factor down if I didn't have to say I bought it at Disney. So I bought Slonner a Parasol instead.

Then we went on the most successful ride of the day, which was Mission: SPACE. We were waved into the Fastpass line, but I'm still not sure if that was due to the Wish Uniform we were wearing or not. Anyhow, I tend to like anything vaguely space-related, and the ride its self was pretty awesome, so it was a general hit.

And now my legs are very tired. I don't usually get to where it hurts to more. At last count, that took a walk of 15 km. So we walked at least that. Oh, and after the small ones were in bed, we went to a MASSIVE Wal-mart. Truly, this takes superstore to a whole new level.

Most of the time I don't know what is an average price for Clothing, or shoes, or even media. But one thing I am very certain of is the average price of chocolate; and the bars at checkout were only 60% of the prices we get at home. Even with the exchange, that is still a significant benefit to the American shopper. I mean, no wonder the American students were aghast at Canadian Prices!

And one last discovery. I need to work on feeling more secure in public places. If I'm walking around in a basic state of insecurity, wanting only to retreat to my room, that tends to defeat the purpose of travel, no? Or maybe I can just go where there is an absence of crowds. :P

Can we go ride the train? Can we?

Day: 2
Date: 19/07/08
Event: To Toronto

We made it to the mainland! The little girls went from exclaiming over the size of the St. John's airport and begging to ride the elevator- to riding a monorail between terminals in Toronto and swimming in the pool, (which is part of the hotel (which is part of the airport)). I think they're having a good time.

We had breakfast in the St. John's hotel this morning, which for our family costs a whopping $100.00, and headed off to the airport. The lady at the check-in was rather surprised to see that among 12 people only 5 piece of luggage were checked, but what can I say? We're a special family. We also almost all managed to be carrying gels or liquids in our carry-ons, so we had to pull the convoy over and repack the lip balm, toothpaste, etc. But everyone made it through check-in and security without incident-

and then Gid dropped his boarding his pass down the heating vent. Hmmmmmm.... Thankfully Daddy worked his usual wonders in convincing people behind counters, and a new boarding pass was printed for him. *sigh of relief*

The actual flight was pleasantly uneventful. And far from being Delayed, we arrived 10 minutes early! We were flying Air Canada, so I was, understandably I think, skeptical of that happening. On the flight I watched Vantage Point, which was a very enjoyable movie. However, there was a large enough body count that I don't think I'd watch it at home. But it was good. I just especially liked the little news blurb at the end, which was entirely not what had happened. *glee* My devious soul was pleased within me.

Once we had landed the pilots of the plane allowed all the little ones, and even the big ones of our family to sit in the cockpit and pose for pictures. But that thrill was almost overshadowed by the sheer magnitude of Toronto Airport. Moving sidewalks! Massive Hallways! Escalators! Baggage carousals! And- the biggest thrill- a monorail train to our hotel. I think we were all thrilled with that train. And I want one for my own. It was all futuristic glass and private compartments, zipping over highways and parking garages. There wasn't even a driver, it was completely automated. *wistful sigh*

Right. Yes. *cough* So, we checked into the hotel, which is quite sumptuous, and scouted out the terminal next door. Was this just an excuse to ride the train? Um, yes. :P However, we did find a little food court which we then returned to, with Daddy and the money, for supper.

I am writing this by the side of the pool, as the official Adult which allows my non-adult siblings to swim. I was a spoilsport and didn't swim. :D Now the young ones are going up to bed, and PT, Fraulein and myself are going to ride the train again and check out the bustling Toronto night life. (We're going to the food court for Frozen Yogurt.)

Ciao!

That's the thing about living...

Several things of note have happened since I last posted. My brother PT was home for the weekend, which was lovely. We watched Stranger than Fiction, which I would watch again, and Nacho Libre, which I wouldn't. :D No, it wasn't that bad, just, not my cuppa tea. The American version of "humiliate the main character" humour is not something I find funny most of the time. I say American, because I find Fawlty Towers hilarious, and Chef (the first episodes), and that humour is not the gentle kind, I'm afraid. Anyhow, I also loved the special effect at the beginning of STF, where Harold's life is being narrated, and white explanatory symbols keep popping up while he does things. Hmmm, that was a stunningly bad description. If you've seen it, hopefully you'll know what I'm talking about.

So that was the weekend. Then on Sunday Mommy and Daddy and Gideon went to St. John's for Gideon's assessment. If the drug was working, they would continue treatment, and be back on Saturday. However, they came back on Monday evening. The drug wasn't working. It was the last treatment option. So as soon as they came through the front door, I knew what had happened. It's funny. This doesn't come as a surprise, but it still hits very hard. The world feels curiously unreal, so that I'm not quite sure how people and things will react this time. I suppose that is from the fact that some people do react differently to me, and also since death is such an incomprehensible thing. What was that quote? "Death is an insult to life. We rage against the cessation of existence." So when it is obviously inevitable, and previously known, the foundations which direct your actions are shaken ever so slightly.

My mind has been working constantly since Monday evening. It's as though I have about four levels of thought going on at any one time, and as soon as one is resolved I fall through into another one. Yes, if there was any doubt about how I react to emotion, it's rapidly disappearing. I analyze. Given that I'm also rather tired from work, I don't necessarily analyze very efficiently, but still I pull apart my reactions and look at them from new angles all day.

Its interesting. From my past experiences, some things which would really freak out other people I can view completely sanguine. For example, I can look at the spectre of living without hot water, or lights, or an oven, without undue distress. I mean, I would grumble, but still, I know it's perfectly doable. If my dad was to say tomorrow that we were moving across the country, or out of the county, next week, I would be excited and looking forward to the new place. This is probably due to the fact that I had my first cross-continental move at 6 weeks of age, and my first intercontinental move when I was two. By my family always came along. Even when I moved out on my own I knew what was happening at home to an extant.

But the death of a family member is something completely outside of my experience, and it's weird. You have to keep living, without them. WEIRD. The doctors say that we won't have him for Christmas. He won't see his fifth birthday. Not learn to read. Not have kids. Not be taller than me. Not... Oh my. But the Doctors have also said that they will give him the finest drugs out there, and it won't be painful for him. Not everyone is so lucky, I suppose. I do believe that God has this ordained. Gideon's cancer did not take place because God looked away for a moment, or Satan won the coin toss. It was planned, and Gideon has lived and will live the exact life that was laid out for him. And he has a happy life, despite the needles and procedures. He's a lovely cheerful boy, though I won't get to introduce him to my classmates, I guess. I'm rambling. :D no good to hover in that line of thought. Okay.

Anyhow, one of the things that has changed in the plans is that Gideon's Wish is taking place at the end of this month. He wants to ride Snot Rod, from cars, so we'll probably go to Disney World. The details are being finalised today, actually. I was voting for Disneyland, in the hope that I could meet up with Third World somewhere, (It's only a 13 hour drive. NOTHING! :D) but it appears that my devious plots will not come to fruition. I guess, since it's supposed to be family thing, I shouldn't go gallivanting off to meet my friends, but come on! It's THIRD WORLD! :D

Oh, one more thing before I go. As we'll be going out of country for the wish, we all have to have current passports. So we've been filling out forms madly, and on Tuesday we went into Gander to have out pictures taken. On the way out of town, my carload received a phone call from Daddy. The photographer at Wal-mart had just called, and we weren't allowed to wear white, black, or sleeveless shirts for our picture. (No one knows why...) This is where things started going pear shaped, since I was wearing a white shirt.

Once we get to Wal-mart, the photographer lady informs us that my shirt is indeed white, not cream, as I was hoping, and I would have to find another shirt. Cue me descending on the markdown racks. I grab five shirts whose colours I like, and dash off to the changing rooms. Of the five summer shirts, four were cut low enough, that, let's just say that they were showing skin that never sees the light of day. Just basic summer tops, too. Odd. But the fifth was decent, and it had some kind of strange ribbing on the shoulder and neck. I looked at it and thought it looks kind of deviantart-ish. Sea nymph webbing style. I'll take it! And yes, most of the clothing I own that I really like was chosen for its character inspiration qualities. For example, I am currently wearing my assassin shirt. :D But Fraulein said that it looks medieval, and nice, so fear not!

I buy the shirt, and arrive at the photographer, after quick-changing in the bathroom. I sit down on the stool, and the photographer starts to have a hard time getting the camera to work. She, with a grin, says that the camera just doesn't like me. I grin in response, and the picture is finally taken. On the way back in the car, Mommy and I realise that she spoke truth in more ways than one. That was a BAD picture. Incredibly bad. I mean, I never need fear that I will look worse that my passport photo. I could be totally hungover and I'll still look fresh and alert next to that picture. It takes bad to a whole new level. The nice new shirt is hardly visible, and every trick of the light works against me to open up a new realm of awful.

Oh, you say, it can't be that bad.

It can.

I look like a sleazy drug addict. Greasy stringy hair; check. Unsteady posture; check. Glazed eyes that don't quite line up; check. (I had to take off my glasses, and couldn't really see the camera.) Nasty molestache; check. Unnatural pallor; check. Bad skin; check. Shadows under the eyes; check.

This is not a good photo.

And I live with it for five years...

This is the test of true character; if you can not loose it while they unload the plane.

I'm back on the Rock!

The whole trip went amazingly smoothly. (and now we discover what I call a "smooth" flight.)

I am definitely flying West Jet if I possibly can in the future. RM drove me out to the airport, and I checked in, and then found that my carry on was too heavy. They're topped off at 22lbs, and mine was 17 overweight. Heh heh heh. So I repacked in the airport lobby, borrowing a nice lot of tape, and then promenaded off to my gate with a very light bag. Security went smooth as silk, and the flight its self was unremarkable. Though the couple in the seat next to me DID hold hands for the entire trip, which was kind of interesting.

Anyhow, I landed in Halifax, waited a while got on the plane, waited while they loaded more bags, (this delayed us 30 minutes), and landed in St. John's! The flight was one that had come form Edmonton, and it was mainly full of people who had been in their seats since 6am in Edmonton. When we landed in Newfoundland at 11:10 local time, all the seat belts opened in about 2 seconds. SnapsnapsnapsnapsnapsnapSTANDUP. That was where my title came from- an overheard comment from the back of the plane.

PT and Daddy were there to meet me, which was very jolly. PT had to go straight back to his house, but it was excellent to see him again. He's such a man. :P Then Daddy and I went to the hotel he and Mommy rent while in St. John's, and I passed out. There was a breif interlude where I tried to keep from tossing around and disturbing Daddy, but then I gave that up as hopeless and conked out.

5 hours later we were up and headed to the Janeway to see Gid and Mommy. Mommy had spent the night with Gid, by the by. It was very good to see them both, and then I got on the bus to Home! My parents are awesome, pretty much. *glee*

So, I pretty much went into a coma for the bus ride, and then on arriving I took a taxi home. It was funny, since the Taxi driver knew me by sight from when I worked at Tim Hortons 2 years ago, and he knew where I wanted to go without being asked. I'm back in my ain Countrie!

And... the library is closing. (the internet is down at home) Write more later, I shall.

"Reality, dude. Get some."

Another Alumnus, a certain Matt, came by for Breakfast today. Alison, who's from the same year that he attended, came as well, and much hilarity ensued. I decided that I needed to work on improving my memory, and so I took note of the following quotes in honour of Moon Unit and Third World. *weeps*

Alison: (talking about Emily's egg puffs) They're cool cause they're just the kind of thing you can bring in the car in the morning. Kinda hot and greasy though.
Matt: (in a high pitched voice) Like me!
Alison: Were you talking for me or you there?
Matt: Draw your own conclusions

Alison: Have you seen "Sweet Home Alabama?"
Matt: Do I look like a girl? No-
Me: You're wearing pink.

Emily: (Talking about a boy's really flowery prose style) It's like his writing's in drag!

Emily: Man, that Chaucer looks bubonic!

Matt: You're making it your objective to destroy every ounce of propriety I have, aren't you.
Emily: No, we know you don't actually have any. We're just tearing down the artifice.

Matt: (after Alison made a face at him) Excellent rebuttal.

Then after they left I went for a walk in the rain. Just in case that sounds really morbid, I hasten to say that I like rain, honestly! I think I'm getting my walking skills back, because I was able to go quite a distance. I headed up to Parliament, as per my brother PT's advice, but unfortunately you had to pay for a tour, and I was really not in the mood to wander around alone. So I took the long way home, stopping in at Zellers to buy a wicked hat. It was half price, and actually fits me! (it's a black pinstriped fedora, and now I will say no more about it. )

As I think I mentioned before, it's raining. I have also heard that it is supposed to snow tomorrow. At this point, I actually find that hilarious. However, I really think that, given my druthers, I would prefer to be stuck in actually in transit, not just stalled before even getting on the plane, as happened over Christmas. Hopefully I at least get off the ground tomorrow.

I was running through the pictures on my camera before I went out, deleting the bad ones, and I found a bunch of shots I had taken on Saturday. I made a total nuisance of myself that morning in my constant firing away of pictures, but I got some good shots. Really, it's just cause they are of my lovely former house mates that I love them. I had somehow forgotten that those pics were in the memory card, and I came a hair's breadth away from bawling over my camera.

I've only actually cried the once since people started leaving- I don't cry easily- but there is a pain in my chest, and I find it hard to breath when thinking of several of my classmates. Lamd, Swinger (also know as the Pun master :), Moon Unit, and Third World, I miss you. Enjoy yourself, you hear? And maybe I'll get shunted out your way while traveling. You never know! I'm packing my passport, just in case. :D

"What you should be worrying about... is your Eyebrows!"

I'll just say, the weather here is marvelous. I went through a couple of days of feeling not at all comfortable without a chill in the air, or a coat on, but now I've remembered what warm weather is like. Such a strange thing. *shakes head*

I'll be flying home on next Tuesday- West Jet. Yes, I took an extra two days in Ottawa, including a day when I am the only student left in the College, in an effort to avoid flying Air Canada. Here is the plan of my time in the intervening space.

• to do:
• Monday
• Move Computer files to Portable hard Drive
• Write thank you letter for College
• pack shipping boxes
  
• Tuesday
• Deep-clean house
• Wednesday
  
• Lord of the Rings Marathon!
  
• Thursday
• oral exam
• Friday
• Mailing boxes and Sally Ann
• Saturday
• Grad
• Sunday
• church
  
• Monday
• donate blood
  
• Tuesday
• Fly home

Looks doable, no? *nods* I can do this! Oh, and sometime in there, I need to do some birthday present acquisition for the four brothers who are having birthdays in my absence. Right. "You know I'm a poor student who has no conception of money?...."

[note: navel-gazing type musings follow. read at your own risk.]
And on a completely different tack, Third World, Moon Unit and I were discussing public school and its probable effect on us. We pretty much agreed that Moon Unit and Third World would have been the same people had they gone through Public School, but that I wouldn't be the same. Quote: "You'd either be a total follower, or completely outcast." I agree, really. I could see myself going in about 8 different directions, none of them positive. In thinking about this, I had two reactions, one positive and one, not.

On the one hand, I'm really glad that my parents kept me out of Public School for that reason. While it would have been interesting to see how I turned out, it would be interesting in about the same way that it is interesting to see what colours of mold grow on the unidentifiable things in the back of the fridge. Sick fascination.

On the other hand, the not-so-positive one, it doesn't make me very confident for the future. Oh joy, I have so little of my own personality that I can't be trusted to go out in public. My powers of self-delusion seem to be exceptional. What if I was to go to a College or University outside of the house? Would I lose myself then too? Do I even have my own personality, or am I such a social chameleon that I just take on the interests of the people I'm surrounded by? (protective coloring, right.) Will I EVER be able to stand on my own?

I don't see it being much of an issue once I return home, cause, in all honesty, I really don't see the potential for friends outside of my family. The high schoolers in my small town are all scared of me anyways, and they're all obsessed with topics I mercifully am not interested in; namely, high school marks and the high school drama of the moment. People over High school age are either gone off to university, and therefore in a higher social bracket than I, or moving in crowds where I have no experience and don't want any. The hard-drinking Fort Mac crowd? No, thank you. I don't even know most of the words, much less how to communicate. :P That leaves people over the age of 30, who are nice to me, but not really friends, and my family. Moreover, my brother PT has now moved out on his own, which cuts my social scene significantly. Seriously significantly. If you include my parents, it cuts it by a quarter.

Okay, maybe I'm being overly pessimistic. Who knows, maybe there'll be some interesting, intelligent, safe, and not-scared-of-me people near my age in town when I get back. Or maybe I'm drawing the lines too thick, and I can be friends with people who I already am acquainted with. Or maybe I'll just have friends online for the foreseeable future.

My, but I'm not looking forward to leaving Third World and Moon Unit. I do think I am myself with them, whoever that is. {Totally insane, and likes books!} Moon Unit has been going home on weekends so I'm partially used to her not being here, but Third World and I have been basically in each other's constant company since January. *cries* I hung out with RM a lot last term, but she started moving on to other friends in November, and even earlier we didn't do much together: Baking and talking, and occasional Latin. Third World and I wrote novels together, for heaven's sake. I haven't had such a close friend who I wasn't related to since I was 6. Bah, why does Oregon have to be 5.5 time zones and another country away anyways? For goodness sake, the nearest people I would be able to visit, (those who make it to St. X's in Cape Breton) would be at least 500 dollars to even get to the mainland, and then you have accommodation and food costs. Bah humbug.

Yeah, so, the weather here is nice, I'm having a low grade identity crisis, am I even a person? I'm not looking forward to splitting up from my friends, and aside from those minor stresses, and the family members who are hospitalized, I'm doing fine.

I just have to remember, I can't see the future. I can always make what's coming seem bleaker than it actually is. Even when it's worse than I foresaw, it's always easier to bear than I think it will be.

Right, I can't see the future.

Just breathe.

All I want to do, is be more like me, and be less like you.

The sun is shining off the snow into my window, and I'm in a good mood. I tell you, calling home is a great invention.*laughs* In my last few calls home, I've found out an interesting piece of information regarding one of my siblings each time.

1. First I found that PT is probably going to Dubai
2. Then I found that Frauline is possible going to England for a Girl Guide trip.
3. Now I find that my little brother Trapezoid (age 12) has joined Cadets, and just went to a dance.
4. next time? (something about Slonner?)
   

(for those who don't know, that's descending order of age. I'm the oldest, followed by PT, Frauline, etc. )
I'm all grin-ny.

I've really been feeling stunningly incompetent recently; noticing my complete inability to manage money, manage my time, and behave in social situations... Don't you love it when you realize that you either annoy, frighten, disgust or amuse the people around you? I know I do.

But I'm better now. ALSO, I didn't do anything other than skip a few meals in three weeks, so I feel proud of myself. HA! Take THAT! *waves hands wildly*

Now Reading Week has begun. I have a vague idea of what I'm doing for my papers, and I'm making waffles tomorrow. It's good.

Oh, I love this quote. It's from the intro to Rich Mullin's Higher Education and the Book of Love. No, I love parts of this quote, which I have included here. Some other bits, not so much...

What does it mean to be human?
What does it mean to be human?
I cannot help but suspect
that at one time in the history of thinking
that people believed that it meant
that we were spiritual
that we could make choices
and were capable of aspiring to higher ideals
like maybe loyalty
or maybe faith
or maybe even love

But now we are told by people who think they know
that we vary from amoeba
only in the complexity of our makeup
and not what we essentially are

[...]

They would have us see ourselves as products
so that we could believe we were something to be made
something to be used
and then something to be disposed of
used in their wars
used for their games
and then set aside for we get in their way
well
who are they?

[...]

What does it mean to be human?
I cannot help but believe
that it means that we are spiritual
that we are responsible
and that we are free
that we are responsible
to be free

Anyways, better go do some of my work. *grand bow*

"I pass the test"

In the past few days, I've found out that my sister Frauline is possibly going on a trip to England, and by brother the Piano Tech, aka PT, is possibly going to Dubai. Dubai! That is so cool! *dances in a circle, grinning madly* "

See those people, those people over there? I'm related to them!"

Also my presentation subject for Dr. Patrick is quite interesting, (Language Games, specifically acquisition and syntax). This is good, given that I may present it on Tuesday. I had resolved to present it before Reading Week, thinking that meant next week. However, I recently looked at the calender and realized I was off by a week. *sheepish* I still really want to get it done before Reading Week, but I'm not quite sure if I can pull it together in time.

*hears Winston Churchill in back of head, "Never surrender"*

I'll see what I can do. Dr. Patrick is a scary professor to give work to, cause you're never quite sure what he expects. I was cringing madly over the paper I turned in during December, but then I got an A-. And I was expecting to fail, it seemed so flimsy. Maybe he'll have mercy on my lack of scientific knowledge?

In other news, I'm making a rhubarb crumble, as my craving finally overrode my distaste at Paying for rhubarb. Also, we're going to the symphony tomorrow.