Plan of Attack

Today is the 21st of May. I leave the country on the 24th of June, at 5 am. So the days in which I am able to get my to-do list worked on number 34. And the to-do list is comprised of the following items.

• Write 7 short stories. 
• I promised!
• Move house
• Clean the house from top to bottom, 
• pack all the things, 
• move all the things.
• Twice
• Yes, three weeks after I do it once, I get to do it again. 
• YEEHAH.
• Work 20 days out of the 34.
• Making me approximately $1300.00 I can spend on things like SHOES. 
• And food and debt.
• Mostly debt.
• Buy shoes
• Snow boots, no matter how well-ventilated with broken heels, don't work so well in California. Or so I hear.
• Also buy backup hard drive, and other necessaries. 
• Possibly a suitcase with a zipper that doesn't try to eat anything except its other half. I hear they're fashionable now.
• Apply for student loans.
• Yeah, this is pretty darn non-negotiable.
• See x-men: first class
• It's a matter of honour.
• Sleep.
• Going into Clarion sleep-deprived would be BAD. VERY BAD.
• Eat. 
• It's good for the brain.
• Read.
• The more books I own that I can read, the less I have to ship.
• Also, it's good for the writing. 
• And the soul.
• Buy travel tickets so that I can get home from the states.
• In related news, I also have to arrange places to stay and people to visit on the trip back. 
• Friends with houses you can stay at. They're for winners, you know.
• I like bullet points.
• Also it looks like I should get busy!

Many many pictures and also some words

Yesterday was my day off, (since I work Saturday this week), and I went all around town! Actually I went to the two places I traditionally go, downtown and up by the university, but that's almost all over town, right? YES, exactly, I'm totally right. ^_^

Due to issues which I'd previously mentioned about MUN, I was going to the university to REJECT THEM. I suppose I could phrase that as "withdraw my registration," but hey, I was thinking of it as rejection on my part, so that's how I'm going to write it down.

I find it very odd, the attitude of universities that they have to do nothing to win over their customers. Because that's what students are- customers. And the majority of schools, or at least the ones I've dealt with, appear to see no need whatsoever for customer service. Speaking as someone who is CONSTANTLY having the need for making the customer happy drilled into my head at work, this just seems weird to me.

Maybe I've just been low on coffee whenever I talk to them.

ANYWAYS. I spent a small amount of time in MUN, and more wandering over to the public Library. Where I went in with the intention of dropping off all my books, and came out with 22 more checked out. It's research, okay? STUDY PURPOSES?

Beware the Ides of March!

Because you'll forget your bus fare and have to stop at a tiny ABM that charges you MONEY and get some change! Oh, the HORROR!

But you know, given that this day is famous for stabbing, I think I got off okay. All told.

But yes! This is just a fast check in to let you know that I haven't had Caffeine in four full days, and I am STILL ALIVE. Even the headaches are mostly gone, since I was down to only one mug a day. (Coffee is expensive. Sheesh.) The worst thing though, is waking up in the morning, being tired, and realizing I'm not going to get any less tired all day.

My life is so hard...

This would be a good place to put a picture of my life in, only I just  looked at the pictures in my phone and they are all of food I'd made. I guess I was really proud of that applesauce?

Now in the next week, I have a TERRIBLY BUSY social schedule. I'm going to the Art Gallery tomorrow, (it's free on Wednesday Nights,) an honest-to-goodness party on Friday, and next weekend I'm going to the Opera!

How ever will I keep my head above water, with such a full appointment book?

Tune in next time to see DRAMATIC PICTURES of my life. Hopefully. Or maybe just pictures of my food.

Adventures in Self-Discovery

First things first. Until today, I'd only ever been inside of Starbucks that were contained in Chapters bookstores. (Like a surprise filling!) Because of that, I had this idea that I knew how to get along in a Starbucks. Today I found that no, what I know how to get along in is a Chapters.

I went to a stand-alone Starbucks, and it was just weird. I used all the wrong words, and there weren't books, and people kept looking at me... Seriously, I'm starting to think that I'm easy to read or something. In bookstores, people ask me where to find things. In Grocery Stores, people ask me if I need help. In Starbucks, I get the "are you confused and lost, girl?" look. But surely I can't be that obvious, right? Right?

In other news, Google Maps lies about the times that buses are supposed to leave places. JUST SO YOU KNOW.

Last night I was talking about Music to my Roomate Emily. The conversation was originally inspired by my watching of Lady Gaga's new music video, (which is rather horrifying, don't inflict it on your brain,) but that's not the point of me telling you this. (And no, you don't get a transition from the last part into this one either. MWAHAHAHAH.) Anyhow, we were discussing music, and I finally was able to define part of what I like in music.

I've said I like songs with stories behind them, and that sound like the band actually means it. And that's true, but that doesn't explain why I DON"T like certain songs that have been suggested to me. Like, say, Metallica. Or some others that must have only been suggested once, cause I don't remember their names. :P

At any rate, I was showing off my music library by playing Dire Straits' Romeo and Juliet



I was enthusing about how it doesn't need to show off with complexity, and that made me think of another song that I love, Fleetwood Mac's The Chain.



That was about when it struck me that I really, really like those songs that keep complexity in their arsenal of weapons, but they don't need to use it ALL THE TIME. The band keeps things simple, sometimes to the point of a two-note solo, and at least to me it seems like that gives all the parts a chance to be appreciated. This also extends to visual art and writing, as far as I can tell.

I'm not sure if it's because I'm uncultured, but it seems like with most art I get bored and wander off into the corridors in my own mind if it's not embracing simplicity as a method of communication.


(yeah, the video has nothing to do with anything, please to ignore it.)

And despite all the examples I just posted, I don't only like music from the 70s and 80s. I stumbled across Adele this week, and I think whoever is directing her music videos should be given a crown to wear for everyday use. This one just delights me. :D



My new life goal is to learn whatever is going on with the staff-dance and master that art form.

P.S. Expect my post on the 2011 Debut Challenge to be updated sometime in the week, for those of you who like to read me writing about reading.

"Oh you don't want to hurt their feelings. When their feelings are hurt, they hurt the ones they love. And they love you, Ted."

So, my life continues apace! I got called into work today, which I had planned for as my day off. At first I was all despondent at the loss of my freedom, and it took some serious pep talking to get me to stop grumbling at the tea pot. But it turned out really well, overall.

Apparently in planning for my day I'd given myself 2 hours of work crammed into 10 hours, because when I knew someone was coming to pick me up I managed to complete everything I'd lined out to do. GO ME? :P And then after work, (which was good,) I walked home.

There were good things and bad things in this plan. The good thing was that I had lots of time to think in the hour it took me to walk it, and I figured out I'd been short-changing myself on my grocery budget. TIME TO GO WILD IN THE SPICE AISLE!

The bad thing was that it was raining, so that when I got home I looked like this.

Oh, the beauties of being mostly blind without my glasses being useable. I think it was primarily by the grace of God that I didn't die in any of the cross walks I hazarded, because I honestly couldn't make out the blinky flashy red hands any more. There was one time when I was barging across the street, and I noticed this car stop for me. So I waved and walked on, and then realized several steps later that I'd been walking while he had the right of way... Also, at one point a cyclist ran into my shoulder. ^_^ (Only briefly, and we were both only scared about the situation, not injured or dampened any more than we had been before. Which was SOAKED, given that the rain was coming from EVERYWHERE.

Oh it was an adventure, I tell you. Just like every day. :P

I was trying to take some pictures along the way. Most of them were hopelssly blurry with water and my shaky hands, but I did end up with these two

This is a cathedral. No, I don't know which one.

And this is a- something. No, not sure what it is either. But isn't it pretty? :D

I will blog about what I'm reading at some point in the future. Have a good day, all! And night!

P.S. My title is from Better Off Ted, which is a show I've recently been introduced to. It's very dry, cynical humour about an evil corporation. So obviously I love it. :D (I may be planning a marathon? In the future? Maybe?)