December 25, 2004

Merry Christmas!!!!

Hi all! I am in Cranbrook, BC visiting the family for our annual Christmas gathering. I am just relaxing and letting my tummy decompress after a rather large Christmas dinner sans turkey and gravy of course ;o)

I got lots of wonderful and thoughtful gifts this year. Much thanks to everyone!!!

There will be pictures when I get home from the trip. In the meantime, happy holidays to everyone and I will see you soon!

December 09, 2004

The company we keep?

He swears that he didn't do it, but one of my crazy friends from my hometown of Cranbrook, BC has been accused of submitting this personal ad to a local paper:



I am not totally convinced that he didn't do it :o)

I have some kooky friends.

December 07, 2004

Oh baby, it's cold outside!

Yes yes yes, yet another Saskatoon blogger commenting on the final arrival of frigid temperatures to our unseasonably warm winter so far. Well, a girl's gotta vent you know. And she also has to find solutions to daily problems that living in a chilly part of the world can cause... for example, grocery shopping.

At the best of times, getting my groceries is a bit of a chore. I like shopping in all its forms, but the problem I find with grocery shopping is little ol' me lugging a couple weeks worth of groceries up four flights of stairs all by myself. I can usually handle it (or make two trips), but I am much less inclined to do it myself in the -20C weather. Enter my favourite online helper Pic n' Del! They deliver my groceries right to my door for a fairly minimal charge. I don't even have to leave my home or office to order. I just have to be around home the next day. Hooray, problem solved!

One nice thing about the cold weather though is that it makes sitting in a hot tub over the weekend all the more luxurious. I was lucky enough to be invited to some friends' house for a hot tub soak on Saturday night. I had never been in one in such cold weather, but it was lovely. It was cold enough outside that the steam formed into ice crystals on my hair, but the water kept us all nice and warm. Quite the experience!

The weekend was not all fun... it was also quite productive. I was able to finish up marking all of my students' portfolios in time for Monday when I would trade them off for their reports. Once I am done marking the reports, I will be free and clear of marking until the exam on the 23rd. That will give me plenty of uninterrupted thesis writing time. Well, maybe a couple of interruptions having to do with Christmas preparations and parties :o)

I think I am going to revamp my site a bit in the next few days if not right away. That tag board is getting mighty annoying with the slow uploads and popups. With no one using it right now, I don't think it will be missed.

November 29, 2004

Purrrrr-fection

Call me a girl, but I love French Kitty. I was given one of the books and I think it is the cutest thing ever. When I have a bit of extra money I might just have to order a shirt and some stickers :o)





As for work, I have been plugging away all day at Chapter 2 again and I think I might have it just about under control. I can't wait to have it done so I can concentrate on polishing my analysis chapters. I see a faint light far off there... could that be the end of the tunnel? Well, I still have work to do, so I better get back at it.

Oooo... and I get to meet her at the gym this evening for step class. That will be fun :o)

November 22, 2004

Writer's Block

It is not that I am actually experiencing writer's block, but I was sent this link and I kinda like it. I think there are some good ideas to get me through those times when I stare blankly at the computer screen with nothing going on between my ears except the whistling of the wind. My favourite is "Talk to a Monkey"

November 11, 2004

Update

I have been working pretty hard on the thesis lately... including a few more of those 15 hour days. I submitted Ch 4 on Monday, it isn't really great, but it is definitely moving forward. I want to get an improved (though not perfect) draft of Ch 5 in this Monday. I am even nearing a state of completion on Ch 2... it is about time.

Also, I am back participating in Persian Dance. I am performing November 14th at the 40th Anniversary Multicultural Showcase, held at Castle Theatre at Aden Bowman Collegiate. That should be a lot of fun too. The show starts at 7pm and tickets are $10 at the door if anyone wants to see the show.

Oh, and here are the much anticipated photos from Cati and Kurt's wedding reception that happened at the beginning of October.



Other than that I am just trying to stay on top of my marking and thesis work, while getting ready for Christmas. Eeek!

October 25, 2004

Long long super productive day...

I just finished a 15 hour day at my office. I got in at just after 7am and left just after 10pm. It was great. I submitted 2 chapters to my supervisor and did a good chunk of marking. I think I am going to try and stay late again tomorrow so that I can catch right up on my marking. I am tired, but it is an accomplished tired.

Now to toss in a load of laundry, mark a couple more assignments and go to bed.

October 17, 2004

Rewrite

I decided that because I think this entire day was so frustrating and annoying to me it no longer exists in my mind. I am rewriting the day here:

I woke up to a warm and sunshiney morning with my well-behaved kitty and both of us were in fine moods. Nothing went wrong. I had no errands to run and so I worked all day on my thesis and marking and made major progress. My apartment was clean and spotless. I was in fine spirits all day without the slightest annoyance or distraction. That evening I had a hot bubble bath and a nice cup of tea before snuggling into bed.

And that is exactly what happened... really.

September 30, 2004

More time please :o)

This is just a blanket request for donations of time. I would like a week or two if anyone can spare them. I will take new or used as long as the time is in good condition and all the days are in tact. A time-halting device would be simply lovely also, but I will take what I can get. Even if all you can donate is a day or a couple of hours, I will take those also... I need all the time I can get. Will pay for time in buttons and good looks. Thanks in advance because I won't have time to do it later unless you toss in the extra fifteen minutes in yourself with your donation.

And yes, I am strange :o) But I am cute too ;o)

September 26, 2004

Le weekend... le fin...

What a crazy weekend, it feels like it is over way too quickly. Had a great time yesterday cooking a dinner for Jeff and Marcia. Even though there were a couple of small wrenches thrown in the mix, everything went quite well. We had mushrooms stuffed with guacamole as appetizers, broiled and marinated mako shark, cheesy scalloped potatoes, green salad with walnuts, and a super easy chocolate pie made from tofu. Everything was delicious.

I have a funny feeling that this is going to be the norm for the next few weekends for me... too busy and too quickly over. I have an out of town wedding to attend next weekend, which should be a blast (if I can organize reservations for the Saturday night) and Thanksgiving weekend will be spent on possibly the last trip to Airdrie to visit my parents there. I am really excited to see my nieces there since I opted out of my usual summer visit to Cranbrook. They are always so much fun.

Well, I am off to have a bubble bath and read a non-thesis book before snuggling in bed with Myrah for the evening.

September 24, 2004

Book finds!!!!

After a leisurely Friday night dinner with Brennan, we decided on a whim to stop by the new location of Westgate Books. In a half hour, I found some pretty darn awesome books:
  • George Grant's Lament for a Nation, an important Canadian identity book for my thesis
  • Geisha, A Life the autobiography of Mineko Iwasaki, the inspiration for the main character in Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha... the story was fantastic and I am sure the autobiography will be fascinating
  • A special surprise book for Jeanie (shhhh... don't tell her)
  • and.... drum roll please... William H. Rueckert's Kenneth Burke and the Drama of Human Relations!!!!! Okay, okay, this is just a rhetoric geek thing, but this out-of-print book is a rare find at the best of times, let alone in a city where the few people who would possibly own this book would never let it leave their grasp. I think I might have disturbed a couple of fellow shoppers when I started jumping up and down at this miraculous find.

Confessions of a book geek ~sigh~

September 19, 2004

Insomnia

This is a rare occurrence for me anymore, but tonight, for some strange reason, I am having trouble getting back to sleep. I fell asleep early in the night watching Salem's Lot, then woke up wide awake at around midnight. I haven't slept a wink since. I used to get bouts of insomnia on a regular basis, but that was years ago. At one time I would toss and turn until 6 am when I would finally fall asleep. Now, normally anyhow, I am asleep not long after my head hits the pillow.

Perhaps it is because this is the first night in the last week where I am sort of feeling normal again after battling a long bout of the flu. I still feel kinda icky and warm, but I am feeling a lot better than even this morning or yesterday. I was feeling a bit overheated lying in bed, but not in the same fever-y way that has been typical for my flu.

I kind of like the stillness right now. There isn't much traffic outside my window, which is usually fairly active even after the downtown bars close. No faintly thumping music from the downstairs neighbour. No people thudding up and down the stairs. Myrah is fairly mellow (knock on wood). My mind isn't even racing or anything, that is what used to cause my insomnia.

I find it amazing what some people with insomnia would do with the quiet time. I can't remember where I heard this, but there was a woman who would paint imitations of great paintings on the head of a pin with brushes that only used a single strand of hair. I remember seeing the enlarged version of her copy of Monet's Irises. It was beautiful and amazing. Somehow that hobby seems a bit too painstaking for me though.

I think I am just going to take the easy route tonight: Drink a shot of Nyquil and turn Salem's Lot back on until I feel myself getting drowsy again. When the screen starts turning pretty colours I know it is time to turn it off.

September 08, 2004

No more paper!!!

I think I just came to terms today with exactly how much paper I have in my life and how much it rules me. I have student loans papers, registration papers, old bills and bank statements, tonnes of old class notes, and drafts upon drafts of various chapter, among other things. I spent 2 hours looking through 4 boxes of paper and 4 big piles of paper for 2 pages of notes. I didn't find them, but that shouldn't surprise anyone. I think that my weekend project is to get that paper pile in shape, and maybe making a batch of cheesy scalloped potatoes.

Oh, and I got a parking space reserved for me at the University. They have about 180 spots reserved for grad students available only through an online sign up. I waited at the computer until the instant we were allowed to start signing up. My dedication was rewarded and I got a spot in the lot closest to my office. Hooray!

And on a completely unrelated note, my biggest pet peeve: condescending unsolicited advice, which is most often an obvious but extremely simplified suggestion that is rarely followed by those individuals spewing it. To much paper, sort it into boxes. Got a friend who has some annoying habits, get rid of her. Have difficulty with some family members or coworkers, tell them off. It amazes me how many people I know will toss this stuff off without a second thought, then wonder why I reject it since they were "only trying to help." Wow, I feel so much better just getting that off my chest.

September 05, 2004

Back to School

Well, well, well... it is September long weekend just prior to the first week of school. I spent the past week in Airdrie with my folks, helping around the house while Mom is recovering from surgery. She is doing really well and was in great spirits all week. I was amazed at how many flowers and get well cards she received... the dining room table looked like a flower shop. It was quite cheery.

I had one nasty case of back strain just before I left on my trip. I aggravated an old injury that I gave myself when delivering the Sheaf a few years back. I have to remember to take care of my lower back and to strengthen the muscles so I don't re-injure it.

Now to get myself organized and resettled at home so I can get back into a regular thesis writing schedule and prepare to teach another section of GE 300.

August 17, 2004

Stormy weather

Rainy days always make me want to hole up in my apartment with a good book/movie. What I should be snuggling up with is my thesis. It is funny how I can't concentrate on work at home if my apartment is a mess. I get around this by going to the library on occasion, but that is happening less and less often right now.

I clipped Myrah's claws last night and today. It was quite the ordeal as she was screaming bloody murder and struggling fiercely. She never protested as much the last time I did it, and I took off less claw this time than last time. How can something this cute be so darn fussy?


I caught up recently with my friend and fellow cheesy movie lover, Jimmy. He is living in Oregon right now, but might be moving again soon as he is in the middle of an intensive job hunt. In our extensive conversation, he also gave me a new cheesy horror movie recommendation... a foreign flick from Japan called Battle Royale. It looks like a great way to waste an evening. I have been told that I must watch it and report back.


I have also caught up on my pictures from my camping trip in July, so if you want to check them out you can find them here.

August 15, 2004

Is summer almost over already?

I am beginning to feel the pressure of the end of summer. The pressure of applying for jobs (I hope I get another section to teach next term), the pressure of getting the thesis done (just keep working), and the pressure of my own desires to take care of other areas of my life long neglected (too many to list right now). The summer will be officially over for me when I get back from a brief trip to see my parents and help out a bit. August is officially half over now. Where did the summer go? It went by so quick, yet strangely it seems like it lasted so long with so many great things happening during it.

I am looking forward to getting back into a regular schedule with work and such, but I am missing the anticipation of a new course load. Oh well, I should be looking forward to getting the thesis done. I can take more fun courses after the thesis is written. I have a list of things I am going to do as soon as it is written. Until then, I will write...

August 12, 2004

Uh, hi everyone... here is The Update...

I know, I know... there will be about 50 bazillion people letting out an exasperated sigh and saying "FINALLY!" at the sight of this post (okay, maybe the number is closer to 5 people, but they are a loyal and loving readership!) It has been over a month since my last post and I will try to give a quick update of all the highlights of the past month or so.
  • My birthday has come and gone... July 13th... and I am one year older according to my drivers license (which I have now held for over a year... woot!) It was an amazing day! I spent the morning being treated like a princess at Spa Ahava, complete with full body scrub, massage, manicure, pedicure, hydrotherapy tub, and facial. I still have my fancy birthday toes. That night I was treated to a fabulous homemade gourmet dinner a la Brennan and a wonderful rendition of Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan. It was the best!
  • The day after my birthday, I was given a surprise birthday party that totally caught me off guard. It was all pink too. Thanks so much Becky for organizing it and thanks again to everyone who showed up. It really meant a lot to me!
  • I have been working diligently on my thesis regularly and spending a lot of spare time at the library writing. I get soooo much more done there than I do at home. Some freaky black furry thing keeps wanting my attention... the big suck! :o)
  • A few of us went on a fabulous camping trip to Lower Fishing Lake and stayed at a cabin. It was so nice and quiet up there. It was a wonderful weekend. It is nice to know that I got a little bit of camping in this year. Pictures to come.
  • My car broke down and was in the shop for 2 weeks. Luckily, I have a fantastic secret mechanic who charged me next to nothing for all the work he did. The car is up and running again, thank goodness... I missed her.
  • I did a bit of Fringing this year. I checked out 2 plays (Pinocchio and GEEK!) and many street events. It was very cool as well. I love all the cultural stuff that goes on in Saskatoon during the summer.
  • Since my original gym, Women in Motion, closed down in June, I have been slacking off on my workouts. So after some searching around, asking some questions, and taking a few tours, I decided to join Quantum Fitness. These guys have the best classes ever! I took the BodyPump class on Tuesday and really got a great burn working the muscles. The BodyCombat class I took yesterday was super fun as well, lots of great kicks and punching combos. The instructors are super high energy and really enthusiastic, which makes going a lot of fun. I am going to try the BodyStep class today.
  • I am currently housesitting a couple of kitties on the other side of town. One of them needs ear medication everyday, but she is the most skittish little girl I have even encountered, so each day I have to find a creative way of cornering her to goop up her ears. Poor thing.

I think that might just about cover it for now. I am going to make some lunch and get back to work now. Toodles :o)

July 09, 2004

Work, work, work...

This week has been pretty productive. I have:

  • done overdue research at Special Collections
  • finished watching all of the first 8 seasons of This Hour Has 22 Minutes and determined which sketches and episodes I will focus on more closely
  • revisited the thesis introduction and worked on a new plan of attack
  • read other Canadian identity sources for Ch 1 & 2 of thesis
  • determined formatting guidelines accepted by CGSR


And tomorrow I will be taping episodes of 22 Min in order to do thorough analysis for Ch 5 and to provide additional examples for Ch 3 & 4. Sometimes I don't feel like I have really made much progress until I take a look back at what I actually did get done. I feel pretty good and motivated to keep working. I like this.

July 01, 2004

Happy Canada Day!!



Happy Canada Day!!


Although I will be going out tonight to celebrate Canada Day, today I will be showing my patriotism by studying and writing about Canadian identity for Chapter 5 of my thesis. Yay!

June 28, 2004

Election 2004 and Weekend Report

I voted today and now I am just watching the results. It looks like a Liberal minority with the balance of power being held by the NDP. That is not too bad, I suppose.

The weekend was great! We had a big day out at Pike Lake yesterday, I am still pooped from it. A big group of us went out and had a big BBQ, played Frisbee and football, then went swimming. We topped off the night with another BBQ, smores, and singing songs around the campfire... mostly Irish drinking songs. It was just fun all around.

I have to say though, it was nice to just get back home and have a long hot shower to get the sunscreen, bug spray, and campfire smoke off of me. I was just about asleep before my head hit the pillow.

This week, I have a chapter to put a first draft of together, so my work is cut out for me.

June 24, 2004

Productive day

Geez, today I have had some pretty good concentration compared to days past. I felt like I made some decent progress on my Literature Survey. I think I am going to work some more tonight still... why stop when I am on a roll?

Music to write my thesis by today:
  • U2 - The Joshua Tree
  • Simon and Garfunkel - Greatest Hits
  • Live - Throwing Copper
  • Tori Amos - Crucify
  • Tool - Opiate
  • Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
  • The Smiths - Best of... Vol. 1 & 2

Another silly little thing

LLucky
AAwesome
UUnusual
RRefined
AAmbivalent

Name / Username:


Name Acronym Generator
From Go-Quiz.com

June 22, 2004

Life is kinda funny

I remember a time where I was bringing my resume to my Dad for advice and guidance, and he always had sound advice. Then today my Dad phones me up to ask for some suggestions on changes he wants to make on his resume and I actually had intelligent advice to give a man with vast experience late in his career. Sometimes I sit back and wonder... when exactly did life change so much?

June 21, 2004

Une question...

Qui est W.H.?

Fun weekend :o)

Saturday was great. We went to the Matthew Good concert. It was fantastic. He has great stage energy. He even played almost all of my favourite songs. It was a great time. Even the opening band Wil was amazing.

Afterwards, we headed back to a house party that was already well underway. It was quite fun, but I knew it was time for me to leave when people started wearing tin foil on their heads. Too much fun for this little girl.

After such an eventful Saturday, it was nice to spend a quiet day at home on Sunday.

June 18, 2004

Just wanna know who is reading my site :o)

1.Who are you?

2.Have we ever met?

3.Give me a nickname and explain why you picked it.

4.Describe me in one word.

5.What reminds you of me?

6.If you could give me anything, what would it be?

7.Ever wanted to tell me something but couldn't?

8.Are you going to put this on your weblog and see what I say about you?

9.What do you love like a fat kid loves cake?

10.What makes you come back here?

June 17, 2004

All work and no play makes Laura something something...

I have been locking myself in my apartment for the past week or so working pretty intensively on my thesis. It is going fairly well, and I am seeing progress being made on it, but I was getting a bit stir crazy last night, so I went to the gym. Now I haven't been to the gym since before the conference, so I am a wee bit slower than when I was going 2-3 times a week regularly. Well this morning I hurt everywhere, especially my bum and my upper arms.

I think I hurt so much I can't do any more thesis work... okay, even I don't believe that one. Back to work. I owe my supervisor a polished draft of this chapter Friday morning so I had better get back at it. But I am taking a night off on the weekend for my sanity.

June 15, 2004

Photos are finally up...

Alright, by popular demand, the photos from my trip are here.

Meet my new boyfriend, Bruno. Watch out ladies, this guy is a little flirt!

June 07, 2004

Kinda unnerving...

Apparently someone got into my car late last night and rummaged all through it. They were looking for stuff that was valuable, but there really wasn't much worth taking in my car. They left my factory tape deck and my rocking tape collection (how could they resist my "Toto's Greatest Hits" tape?!?!?), but they stole my tool box and jumper cables.

Luckily, one of my neighbours saw that my car was open and locked it up again and notified the landlord who called me this afternoon about it. Oh well, it could have been much worse, they could have hotwired the sucker and I could have been without a car at all.

June 06, 2004

Just in case you didn't already know this...

LOOK OUT!
ïòð
Laura is a radioactive squirrel!!

Username:

From Go-Quiz.com

Okay, that made me laugh out loud, so it had to go on my site.

June 03, 2004

Last Day in Winnipeg

Greetings all! My trip is quickly coming to a close. Staying with Jasmine these past couple of days has been great. It is so relaxing and low key which is nice after the intensity of the conference. We have gone to Osbourne Village and did a bit of excessive shopping at Winners and Jysk (pronounced [yisk]). I also got a couple of pictures of the Louis Riel statue and the freshly-cleaned Golden Boy on the top of the Legislature building. Tonight we are going to the Forks, which should also be a blast as well as a great picture taking opportunity. Tomorrow morning I fly back to Toontown. I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed and being back in Saskatoon.

May 31, 2004

Just a quick update, or maybe not so quick

My talk is done!!! Hooray!! It went really well. I received many thoughtful questions and lots of comments. So far 4 of our little Saskatchewan group have presented and we all have made a great showing. All those extra practices that my supervisor has led us through have really paid off for everyone. Thanks Jen!

On top of the fantastic presentation, when I registered for the conference the lady helping me told me that my name was flagged. Apparently, the media was interested in my topic and possibly wanted to talk to me about it. I was sent to a press room to leave my contact information and a copy of my notes for the talk. I don't know if they will actually contact me further, or if my talk will actually make it into the paper, but it is quite flattering to be noticed for my topic.

It has been raining constantly in Winnipeg. I am not enjoying the feeling of being constantly damp and clammy, but all the green is wonderful.

I spent the first couple of days in Manitoba well out side the bustling metropolis of Winnipeg just past a teeny town called Fannystelle. I was visiting a good friend from high school, Kestrel and her husband Jim and their 6 month old baby boy, Bruno. Bruno is such a little flirt. It was wonderful to get a chance to visit with them again. I have pictures to put up when I get home.

So, the plan for the rest of the week is to finish up the conference and support all my fellow U of S participants at their presentations. After that, I am spending a couple of days with Jazzy in the city. Talk to y'all soon!

May 27, 2004

Packed

I am all ready for my trip tomorrow or rather this morning... my flight leaves at 6:15 am. It seemed to take quite a while to pack for this trip. I will be on a blogging hiatus while I am away, but I will try to have some cool photos for when I get back. I will be back in town the morning of Friday June 5th. Toodles :)

May 26, 2004

I should be packing...

But I keep getting distracted. Woe is me. Fun stuff here. Must get back to work.

Myrah, Furry Psycho Kitty

Today is the day before I run away from home for a week. Carla is staying at my place for a few days while I am gone, so Myrah will not be lonely and starving.

I think I have an attack cat... Myrah hasn't taken very well to a lot of strangers in my apartment. Last night, Caitilin, Thea, Carla and I were all in my apartment for a while. Myrah was going batty. She was hissing and clawing and stalking everyone. She can be quite the little furry psycho.

When Carla and I went to crash for the night, Myrah got all possessive of me and insisted on sleeping on me for the first part of the night. That was fine. This morning at around 7am she decided to get the crazies and was tearing from one end of the apartment to the other, jumping on all the window sills and any other surface she could. When I tried to calm her down she had another mini-frenzy. And people think I am joking when I say I need valium and a little kitty straight jacket for her.

I wonder how crazy she is going to be when it is just her and Carla in the apartment together. Maybe I should have Carla sign a waiver...

May 25, 2004

Done is good...

Today I presented my paper for a public audience before the big trip to the conference in Winnipeg. It went quite well thanks to the many practices that my supervisor had run us through for the past 8 months or so. I am sure the conference will go well. It was also nice to see some friendly faces in the crowd :) Thanks for all of the support everyone!

Now to get ready for the trip. Becky, being a super doll, offered to give me a ride to the airport Thursday morning. My flight is obscenely early, so there is a true friend right there. Love ya grrrl ;)

I am so excited to see Kes and family for a few days before the conference and Jazz for a few days after the conference. This will be a nice little break. Then when I get home my parents will be here for a visit. This is going to be a busy week.

May 24, 2004

Birds vs. Window

One of the nicest things about my apartment is the two big picture windows on the south and west walls. Out the west window is a big tree which, at this time of year, is home to many different types of birds.

Unfortunately, these birds have a difficult time perceiving the glass window. As a result, I have a couple of little grease spots where birds have flung themselves against my window. Myrah is mightily amused by this, but I am kind of disturbed.

The score so far:
Window: 3
Birds: 0

I think the window is going to win by a landslide this summer.

Myrah's glee at the birds hitting the windows became apparent to me when she used my head as a launching pad in order to get to the window sill. That was only one of the strange ways I was awakened in the past few days. Add to the list the cadet marching band that practices at the HMS Unicorn which is a couple blocks away. Oh, and Myrah chewing on my hair always makes me happy in the morning. Who needs alarm clock when you have a cat?

May 22, 2004

Long day

Today was the first day for public presentations of our conference papers. Everyone did a great job today, though. The turnout was pretty good. Later a few of us stuck around and run through our papers again to prep for Tuesday and the conference. Somehow I didn't even end up getting home until 6pm from that practice. I think I am just going to take a hot bubble bath, grab a book, and snuggle into bed with my kitty.

May 19, 2004

Saskatoonians go and sign this before May 30th!

B and I hit Broadway today and visited a little bookstore called Turning the Tide, just off of Broadway above Stuff. The bookstore is amazing with lots of great books, zines, and other media. As B and I were leaving, we noticed a sign about the Gathercole petition, so we went back and asked about it. You can check out their website here Here is the information that Peter Garden gave us:

For me this petition drive really comes down to a few key ideas:


City Council has made agreements with private developers to build a 20
storey hotel and condo units on the land where the Gathercole building is
now without any full financial or environmental feasibility study and with
no public consultation. This plan was made behind closed doors between
certain members of city council, city administration and the developers. We
want full public consultation and a master planning process. Transparency
and accountability are demanded of city council.

We want to keep the riverbank public. We support a space where small
businesses can set up (such as vendors at a farmers market or shop owners)
and they should be there on a lease basis keeping the land in the hands of
the citizens of Saskatoon.

We want development in South Downtown that people will be excited about
and will want to visit. A shared public/private space with a public market
and space for arts and cultural events would create a true destination for
the people of Saskatoon and for tourists from far beyond our community.
This could be the key in revitalizing downtown. We do not believe that more
condos and hotels will do anything for to revitalize the downtown area.


We need lots of help in getting petitions signed so if you are able to help
blitz neighborhoods on any evening or weekend, please contact Lenore at
lswystun@sasktel.net. There are also going to be people at the Farmer's
Market, at Midtown Plaza and around the Bessborough this Saturday afternoon
so any participation with that signature gathering would be appreciated.

The deadline for signing and submitting the petitions is May 30 so that they
can be delivered to City Hall before 4pm. They can be turned in to me
(Peter Garden) at the Turning the Tide bookstore at 525 11th St. East
(upstairs in the pink house behind Lydia's on Broadway) or turned into the
Backyard Naturalist at 273 2nd Ave. S. My contact information if you have
any questions is by email at pgarden@resist.ca or by phone at 955-3070.

Please note that in order to be able to sign the petition that you must have
the following status:

- A Canadian Citizen
- Have lived in Saskatchewan for at least 6 months
- Have lived in Saskatoon for at least 3 months
- Be 18 years of age or older

The last space in the petition information is for you to witness once the
person has filled out their information.

Thank you again for your help with this campaign.

Peace and solidarity,

Peter Garden


The petition needs to have signatures from at least 10% of the residents of Saskatoon by May 30th to be considered. If anyone is inclined to give these guys a hand to sign, distribute a petition, or canvassing, let Peter know. I have signed! You should too!

May 18, 2004

Warm weather

It has been so nice out the past couple of days I decided to celebrate by putting sparklies on my website thanks to John/Barry and Ginger. Well, I was going to put sparklies on anyhow, but this is just a good excuse.

I cannot believe that I forgot that the long weekend is coming right up. What happened to the month of May? It has just gone by so quickly.

May 17, 2004

You can't ignore a cat. They have ways...



This is Myrah demanding my full attention. How can a girl work when her kitty needs lovin? I must remember how cute she is for those times when she attacks my ankles from underneath my bed.

I just updated my photo page too.

May 14, 2004

Avalanche - Matthew Good

One foot in front of the other
One foot back to counter it
Days like these you've got to find it in some other way
It's all or nothing baby

Avalanche, start inside of me
Avalanche, down through the trees
Avalanche, start inside of me
Avalanche, hell down through the trees

If everyone's a casualty
Then take your time there ain't no trouble
If the weather's fine and we're feeling crazy
There's always drinks and dancing in the rubble
I'm spinning and you're spinning
The world's spinning and we're laughing
And I'm charming, the devil's charming
And we're ruined but we're building
And I'm selling and you're counting
The world's stopping but we keep going
And we're ruthless and we're cunning
And I'm heir to it all

Days like these you've gotta find it in some other way
It's all or nothing baby

Avalanche, start inside of me
Avalanche, down through the trees
Avalanche, start inside of me
Avalanche, hell down through the trees

This key is to your kingdom
This key is to your heart
Neither one is a doorway
But both of them a part
So one foot in front of the other

May 11, 2004

Okay, I am going to work today. For real.

I am about to get to thesis Chapter 4 again. Chapter title: Scarfing Down Doughnuts: Mary Walsh’s “Connie Bloor” and the Language of Canadian Resistance. This also just happens to be the subject of my big talk that I have been preparing since December and will be presenting in Winnipeg at the end of the month. Okay, I am going to get back to working on this chapter draft now. Maybe I will update later today if things are going well.

May 09, 2004

Pluggin' away

I have spent this weekend on Chapter 4. It is funny how much time you can spend on something and still not feel like any real progress is being made. It's just a wee bit frustrating. I ~know~ that I am steadily moving towards completing my thesis, but the movements seem so small.

I will work all afternoon today then I am going to take a little break for the Survivor All-Stars Finale. I really have to break my addiction to prime-time television. It is not condusive to a finished thesis.

May 07, 2004

Even more Blog changes!!!

I finally got around to revamping the colours on my blog to what I had been envisioning for quite a while now. No more orangey-red headers on a purpley background. Talk about a colour clash. It is funny how when you have other work that needs to be done, things that are really not that important seem to be so much more fun.

I never realized that the design of my blog was going to be such an ongoing process. As a matter of fact, now that this design is done, I have a very cool idea for yet another blog design. But that one will have to wait for a while before I decide I need a change. And there are still a few things I want to do with the sidebar and tagboard on this design in order to perfect it.

Alright, back to work... again.

May 06, 2004

Isn't this the cutest thing ever?

I think this Vespa is absolutely adorable! And a matching helmet! That would be so much fun to putter around town on. Too bad it won't stand up to nasty Saskatchewan weather.

Vespas are super popular right now. There is even an Italy by Vespa tour package, which I think would be amazing. Maybe that is something I can think about after I have finished my thesis.

I feel particularly girly today. I even put a flower in my hair this morning which got many compliments and smiles. I think I need to do that more often.

Today I am going to spend some quality time with my thesis, especially Chapter 4. After spending the past month concentrating on the CSSR talk, I think it is about time that I got back to the writing portion of my education. I cannot believe that it is almost upon us.

As a matter of fact, our group is having a public presentation of all of the talks that we will be presenting in Winnipeg, on Friday, May 21, and Tuesday, May 25th. I will be presenting on the 25th, but the talks on the 21st are well worth attending also. I believe both sessions will be from noon to 1:30pm in 2C01 of the Engineering building at the U of S. Here is all the information.

Back to work.

May 05, 2004

Disney vs. Michael Moore

Will no one give this guy a break? He has written best-selling books, put out award winning documentaries, and worked tirelessly to bring a thoughtful perspective to relevant current issues. I think he has proven that his message is worthy of a public audience.

Now Disney is pulling their support from him so they won't lose Florida tax cuts that may result from not blindly supporting Jeb's brother. On another note, I think Jeb has done enough, and don't even get me started on old Georgey boy.

Luckily though, Moore is still taking "Fahrenheit 911" to the Cannes Film Festival. It was one of the 18 films selected for the prestigious festival. I don't think Bush, Disney, or anyone else for that matter is going to keep Mr. Moore from being heard.

May 04, 2004

La la la la...

Sunday afternoon was so much fun. Becky, Ang, Marc and I all went to the park and played Frisbee for the afternoon. It was great to get out in the nice weather and play outside for awhile. After that we went for dinner at the Majestic Grille and got buster bars at Dairy Queen. It was just a nice fun day in some nice weather.

It is occasionally starting to feel like summer is slowly creeping up on us, when the weather cooperates, which is fantastic. I can't wait to go camping, swimming, and spending more time playing outdoors. I have to temper some of that summer frolic in me as I am going to be spending a lot of time indoors finishing my thesis. I want to be as close to done as possible this summer.

This month will be wrapped up with a conference in Winnipeg, where I get a chance to visit Jasmine in the city and a quick visit with Kestrel, Jim and their new baby Bruno. I am quite excited for that. I will be cutting that visit short as my parents are coming into Saskatoon that same week.

Dad is going to a conference at the Delta Bessborough that is being organized by a fellow I teach with. Uh oh, two worlds are colliding here and I won't even be there to control the impact, but it should be alright. Mom is super excited because she finally gets a chance to meet Myrah and take care of her while I am away. I hope Myrah behaves herself.

At the end of July, I am going back to Cranbrook for my 10 year high school reunion. That is a wee bit scary. I can't believe 10 years has already passed. It will be great to see what has happened to some people. I am super curious. I don't think many people know what has happened with me, as there are only a couple of people that I have kept in touch with since I graduated. It will be nice to reconnect with some of them though. I don't think there is going to be a huge turn out from our class of 250 people. Apparently, my brother's reunion only saw about 30 people attend. Who knows.

Well, I had better get back to work.

April 30, 2004

Long day with lots of great accomplishments

I completed yet another course today as I wrote my Kenneth Burke and Dramatism final exam which is worth 50% of my final mark. Though I didn't have the luxury of more than one day of uninterrupted study time, I think I used my time well and wrote a decent exam all things considered.

Afterwards I raced to Grad Studies to register for summer session and finish writing my thesis!!!

Tonight, the crowning glory of my day was going to see The Corporation.



This is an amazing documentary that examines the role of corporations in our society and likens them to psychopaths. It is moving and leaves one with the feeling that people can do something about the situation. See the movie. Visit the website. Buy the book. Then do something to improve the situation.

I am going to bed now because I have to be up early tomorrow.

April 29, 2004

Blog updates

I just put up some new changes on my site including some fancy new links to other blogs. I should get back to studying now... I have an exam in less than 24 hours.

April 23, 2004

Late night marking

I am still trying to wrap up my marking for GE 300. I am tempted to just go to bed and wrap it up in the morning. Tomorrow I get my car fixed, which much thanks to Dad! Yay!

Here is a question for anyone interested in answering: Why must my cat insist on destroying any pile of paper that I tidy, straighten, or try to put away?

April 21, 2004

Saskatoon Barbie

This was sent to me from a friend. I find this amusing. I don't know how accurate it is, but it is kind of funny that no matter where you live, there are local stereotypes.

Ready to be merchandised at Pumpkins and Monkeys in time for Christmas! Mattel Inc. Announced The Release Today of Limited Edition Barbie Dolls for the Saskatoon Market:

Saskatchewan Crescent Barbie: This princess Barbie is only sold outside of Saskatoon proper (at selected stores only). She comes with assortment of Kate Spade handbags, a Lexus, a yappy lapdog and a 2 million dollar house. Options include tummy tuck, face lift, spa certificates for Spa Ahava, and a workaholic, cheating husband, Dr. Ken.

Briarwood Barbie: This trendy homemaker Barbie is available with the Lexus SUV or Ford Windstar minivan; gets lost easily, and has no full time occupation or secondary education. Traffic jamming cell phone sold separately. Optional matching gym outfit.

20th Street Barbie: This recently paroled Barbie comes with a 9mm handgun, a Ray Lewis knife, a slammed Chevrolet with oversized wheels and tinted windows, and a Methadone Clinic Ken. Also available in a "jailbird" version with orange coveralls. This collection will also feature "Little Prostitute Skipper".

Silverwood Barbie: This yuppie Barbie comes with choice of a BMW sports car or an Austin Mini, Starbucks cup, credit card and shallow Ken.

Local Celebrity Barbie: This Barbie is perhaps the best prototype for all the Barbies. Her hip length bleached-blonde hair hasn't been trimmed in years but the little knob on her back allows you to toss her hair around incessantly while on camera hawking adoptive pets. Accessorized with leopard skin pants, several cats and somebody else's Ken.

McNab Park Barbie: This white-trash model comes in Wrangler jeans two sizes too small, a NASCAR shirt, big hair, a six pack of Coors Light and a Hank Williams, Jr. CD set. She can spit over 5 feet and she can kick Ken's ass when she's drunk. Optional pickup with Confederate flag bumper stickers.

Caswell Hill Barbie: The "Mayfair" version has a mouth that is firmly closed so as not to show her summer teeth; Daisy Dukes and a half T-shirt that guarantees you can see her navel piercing and at least 5 tattoos. Both versions swear incessantly and are not recommended for children. She is a Bedford Road CI drop-out, and has never made it out of what she calls "the rockin' hill"

Confederation Park Barbie: This tobacco chewing, brassy-haired, Barbie still has not learned that you can't wear high-heeled sandals from Zellers with no pedicure, and without breaking a heel and falling while you chase your beer gutted, mullet wearing, boyfriend. Her make-up is dark red lip liner with lips covered in a sparkly pink color or no fill-in at all. Her ensemble includes low-rise acid-washed jeans with assorted coloured G-strings that stick out the back of her jeans, a white barely-there see-through shirt. Her long, layered hair is bleached/highlighted and BIG. Accessories include: CD-player equipped with Bon Jovi.

Forest Grove Barbie: This Barbie is the same model of Barbie that was released in 1982. She comes with shoulder pads, dark Polyester skirt, white pantyhose and a bad haircut. Options include a seasonal theme T-shirt, Wal-Mart purse and outdated shoes. This Barbie is most likely to be accessorized with a "Baby/arrow down" maternity shirt.

Aberdeen Barbie: This flannel wearing Barbie comes with her own 4-H ribbon collection, brown pick up truck and blue eye shadow! She's a country girl at heart with cow manure odored boots (scratch and sniff the soles for a realistic dose of country fun) Cowboy Ken is toothless and also clad in a red and black flannel check shirt.

Broadway Barbie: This Marxist-feminist, dreadlocked version is the most hirsute of all the Barbies. Instead of a car, she carries a bus pass. Her dog, a large mixed breed, accompanies her and her friend Midge, everywhere. She smells faintly of patchouli, lentils and sweat (but not from working out). Options include an African drum busking kit, body piercing kit, and the entire Ani DeFranco CD collection.

East Side Barbie: This ultra-slender Barbie sports a freshly-lasered bikini line and fabulous highlights from Andrew at Oz! Clad in full Lululemon regalia, she carries a Winner's shopping bag brimming with useless crap. Options include a small-scale replica of Earls restaurant, where she dines with her identical friends, Arbor Creek Barbie and the more socially conscious University Heights Barbie, a Yoga mat and miniature pink martini shaker.


April 16, 2004

My car has broken down again...

I am currently still waiting on the verdict on it, whether it is going to be fixable or not. So far the car has sucked $500 just to get it in the province, $700 to replace the battery and alternater, and $350 replacing the rad. No wonder I am broke right now.

Cross your fingers that this will be inexpensive, easy to fix, and the last thing to go on the car for the next 3 years.

April 15, 2004

Spring Cleaning

Today is the day I do some serious cleaning around here. It is kind of funny how messy a house can get when you are ~always~ out. I am not sure where I am going to start, but this place is going to sparkle when I am done with it.

April 13, 2004

Making progress

After a frustrating weekend and a great meeting this morning with my supervisor, I think I may actually have a handle on my presentation. I have been working on it pretty steadily this afternoon and it feels like it is coming together. That is a relief. I guess we will see how it goes tomorrow afternoon.

April 07, 2004

Argh

I had a presentation today. I worked very hard on it these past few days. It still sucked. I am going to work hard on it for the next week too. It won't suck.

April 06, 2004

As Eddie Rabbit would say...

I love a rainy night.

Today was the last day of classes, well officially any how... somehow I have a meeting and presentation tomorrow afternoon, a meeting Thursday morning, and a seminar class Thursday afternoon. Oh well, it is all in good fun :)

I have spent tonight making some plans and watching some tv... a nice relaxed evening.

April 02, 2004

Homestar Runner

Okay I took this quiz and lookie here:





Which Homestar Runner character are you?

this quiz was made by jurjyfrort



This is in honour of my great pleasure of getting to meet the creators of Homestar Runner at the campus pub a week ago Thursday. It was very cool. Much fun.

March 29, 2004

I must remember this...

From Wayne Booth and Marshall Gregory's book The Harper and Row's Rhetoric: Writing as Thinking, Thinking as Writing:

Thus, even if you are not intending to specialize in English or one of the many writing trades, learning to write will be one of the main objectives of your college education. If you are in college to become a better thinker and to gain greater control over your own life; if you are in college to increase your skills in dealing with people, to acquire knowledge, and to grow emotionally and intellectually; and even if you feel that your sense of well-being, self-respect, and future security and are somehow tied to how much you know and how mature you become, then you will want to develop your general sensitivity to language. Doing so will help you acquire knowledge through reading, listening, and conversation. It will enable you to catch nuances and implications that you would miss otherwise. And finally, it will help you resist shoddy reasoning and illegitimate emotional manipulation.


Why is a course in composition not a requirement for all students? I am not talking about first year English, which usually translates to literature, not composition. I wish I read this book 6 years ago. Back to work...

March 22, 2004

Catch up

There are times in my life where I get so busy, I forget to do things like post on my blog. I guess anyone who checks my site out has probably figured out I am a sporatic poster by now. What has happened since last you heard from me? Glad you asked:
  • Jo's Annual Girls Night Out... a good friend of mine held her annual fromal dress up dinner. We all get dressed up to the nines, go for dinner, then go dancing. I ran into several girls I had not seen in quite a while, and a few that I knew, but I didn't know would be there. It was quite fun. I will post pics soon.
  • I finally have a committee meeting scheduled for this upcoming Friday... yay!?
  • I am completely caught up on all of my marking. I am really excited about that.
  • We had our persian dance performance this past Friday (will post pics soon too). It was amazing. We had such a fun crowd that hooted and hollered while we danced. It was great. I ran into a friend of mine at the even too who runs the Hungarian dance group. It was neat to see her perform finally too.
  • Another spin class... my bum still hurts.
  • Rilla's house party... that was quite fun.
  • A Sunday of sleeping, reading, and feeling like crap... and no it wasn't a hang over.


I will try and get those pics up in the next day or two. Toodles :o)

March 13, 2004

Workouts are good!

I just got back from a busy morning. I had a nail appointment first thing and then I was able to make it to the gym for a full workout with D'arcy (who rocks). My bum is still sore from last night's workout with Erin (who also rocks). I had never tried a spin class before and it was quite the experience... it was only a half hour, but those seats are pretty hard. I can still feel it this morning. Apparently, one gets used to it. Well, let's see if next week is any better.

Now to shower, grab lunch, get some work done, and then get ready for a night out with the girls :o)

March 11, 2004

Yet another quiz

mysterious
You have a mysterious kiss. Your partner never
knows what you're going to come up with next;
this creates great excitement and arousal never
knowing what to expect. And it's sure to end
in a kiss as great as your mystery.


What kind of kiss are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

March 10, 2004

This reminds me of when I was little :o)

I love these cartoon dolls! They are super cute and they remind me of when I played with paper dolls and dressed them up with paper clothes. I am such a girl some days :o)

March 09, 2004

Sushi and Sopranos

Last night B and I made sushi at my house and watched the Sopranos. It was much fun and frolic. The result of our labours...


Mmmm... and leftovers for lunch were pretty nice too. More pics of the sushi adventure are here.

March 08, 2004

Looking towards the week to come

After finally baking another batch of my late Grandma's homemade bread recipe (yum), and handing in a draft to my supervisor on schedule and on time... here is a look at what I want to do this week:

  • start draft of Ch 5... ideally I want at least 8 pages written by the end of the week
  • CSSR talk finished and presentable for Wednesday afternoon (eek!)
  • a cluster analysis for class, including questions to answer via email
  • finally send off the documents for committee (once these were written, I kept stalling on sending them, I have no idea why...)
  • mark Speech Strategy Report
  • finish Job Packages
  • Persian dance 2 hrs
  • 3 hrs of teaching, 3 hrs of class, 4.5 hours of meetings, 2 hours of office time for students
  • formal "Girls Night Out" dinner on weekend (the eternal question... what am I going to wear?)
  • nail appointment... I have one this week, I just can't remember when exactly.
  • go to gym 3 times this week

I can handle my life in day-sized and week-sized chunks. If I start operating on a larger scale, I get overwhelmed. This week is pretty manageable it looks like, if I stay on top of things from the get go.

Tonight, B and I are going to the gym, then she is coming over and I am making her California rolls from the awesome sushi kit she gave me for Christmas. Little does she know that I have The Sopranos Season 5 premiere for us to watch over dinner too... yay! Well, she might know now :)

March 07, 2004

Things I have learned this morning...

If there is something on an elevated surface, Myrah will knock it on the floor.

If you don't read labels carefully you could end up with "creamy" peanut butter with no salt, no sugar, and itty bitty granules of peanuts in it... not the fancy heavily processed stuff :(

Housework is never ending... just when dishes and laundry are done, I need to sort through my paper pile.

Just when you are broke should be sitting down to work is exactly when you get the urge to go shopping and eating out all the time.

Baking homemade bread solves everything :)

March 03, 2004

Reminder to self

Self... email your committee documents to the committee from school tomorrow!!

I am making Myrah clean up the messes she made in my apartment. She is a slob of a roommate... never does dishes, doesn't make the bed, knocks stuff off of tables and doesn't pick them up... tsk tsk... my slob of a cat...

March 02, 2004

I couldn't resist

I was procrastinating from my thesis when I happened upon an amusing site, Despair.com. Somedays these are just way too true, though I don't always subscribe to them.



There are a whole bunch more of these on the site. You can even buy the posters. Gotta love it!

February 24, 2004

New Desktop

Thanks to a link from B's site this is my new desktop. It is just too true ;o)

I know it has been a while, but here is an update

I have not blogged much over reading week. Suffice it to say that I was working and puttering around my apartment. I have some pictures of friends and I out for dinner, as well as pictures of my new bangs that I will put up soon.

I am just amazed today as to how pooped I actually am, and it isn't even 2pm yet. Yesterday and this morning I was working non-stop on urgent projects. This afternoon I have a talk to prepare, marking to finish, a proposal to edit and write and a chapter to polish up. I think I need another week to catch up.

Anyone want to finish my thesis for me? Don't all volunteer at once... :o)

February 11, 2004

More bad news...

After deciding that working on my thesis was more important to me than travelling to Toronto for a week, I discovered I will never be wooed by Rick Mercer :(

"If you pepper Canada's biggest stay-at-home celebrity with questions, he cowers under the scrutiny. He is shyly famous. Asked why he never talks about the fact that he is gay, he says it is un-Canadian to know too much about well-known people. Besides, if his audience knew too much about him, they might dismiss him as a commentator, he adds. 'I don't tell you how I vote, either. If you do commentary, they're quick to judge you. When I was 16, I said I was NDP as a joke and people would say, 'Oh, don't listen to him, he's NDP you know!' '"

February 08, 2004

The Weekend

This was a fun little weekend, and there are pictures to prove it. A bunch of us girls went out on Friday night, and it turned into quite the international affair. After partying into the wee hours, B and I had appointments for facials in the morning. It was heaven. The rest of Saturday and Sunday have been dedicated to planning and work.

In any case, some fun pics...



There are more here.

February 06, 2004

I just love this song...

I am not sure exactly why I love this song, I just do. Imagine it being sung with minimal accompaniment and by the sweetest voice a man can muster. I giggle every time. Though it is a bit sad too...

Artist: Jude
Song Title: The Asshole Song
Album: No One Is Really Beautiful

Your eyes are all wet now
You know that I'm lying
I swear I was only protecting your heart

But there are some reasons
And also some pictures
Which if you saw they would rip you apart
And I won't watch you cry
Goodbye, I'm an asshole

I'm almost a tall guy
And fairly good looking
So people they trust me but sometimes they're wrong
I have often wondered
Which one was the taller
My old Alexander or Kubla Khan
And would they watch you cry
Goodbye, I'm an asshole

I was a pig
And never no good
Now you can see through the streams in your eyes every nickel is wood

Your lines are all fading
Your model's all last year
I am still a young man and I need a new car

Your friends will all hate me
But I know I'm smarter
I'm in love with a fan and she thinks I'm a star
And she will never
So I won't ever
I won't watch you cry
Goodbye
I won't watch you cry
Goodbye, I'm an asshole

February 05, 2004

Okay okay, I'll post...

Hi everyone! I get a wee bit caught up in those things happening in my immediate line of vision that I forget to keep my blog buddies up to speed. I'm a bad bad girl ;o)

My blog did get the honour of being mentioned on the Carnival of Canucks, a blog that features Canadian blogs of note. This is my first public recognition and I am quite excited. Thanks Darren! However, as a mild protest I will refrain from focusing on the Saskatchewan weather, as that seems to be a predominant theme in Sask blogs (I wonder why).

Interesting occurrence... last night the power went out in three city blocks downtown, including my wee little apartment. I waited around for 20 minutes or so for it to be turned on again, but it wasn't. So, I went to bed. No TV and no internet make Laura a dull girl... or do homework, but with no lights that wasn't possible, so sleep is the next best thing.

Good thing my darling J likes to call me first thing in the morning so I can pick her up and take her to school, otherwise my students might have been sitting in our 8:30am class wondering what the heck happened to their prof. (That gets me every time, calling myself a prof. I'm not tenured, not associate, not even assistant, but the students still call me prof. Gotta love it.)

One day I will post some pics of my apartment. I have had a couple of requests for them, and I have not quite gotten around to it yet... it may have to do with cleaning, but I admit nothing.

In one week I will be in Toronto for fun and adventure in the Centre of the Universe... can I get that on a t-shirt? I wonder...

Anyway, enough of my stream of thought blogging. I am stopping before there is too much fodder for armchair psycho-analysts to play with. Goodnight all!

February 01, 2004

Superbowl half-time show spectacle

In the last moment of the half-time show, we witnessed a nationally televised faux-pas. Hmmm... intentional, or not... what do you think?

Dim Sum Surprise Birthday Party

My blog has been woefully neglected in the past few days. Today, I am adding a new feature (as soon as I figure out how to work this thing)... a photo page. This digital camera rocks!

Lots of fun things have happened recently. I have been going to the gym, suffering through blizzards with a low of -56C (colder than some places on Mars), driving through rutted streets with all of the recent snow, had my first fender bender on a half-block of sheer ice (no damage, no one hurt), and mom sent me a FABULOUS fun fur scarf that she knitted me!!

But today was the crowning glory, Ang and I got together and set up a surprise birthday dim sum for Becky. It was great! She was very surprised. Lots of people showed up and we devoured all sorts of Chinese delicacies including: chicken feet; tripe; shrimp, pork, and sharksfin dumplings; crab rangoon; sesame balls; sticky rice with pork in the middle; deepfried cuttlefish; and these yummy pastries we could only call Chinese Twinkies. I am so full.

Tonight is the Superbowl party and the Survivor All-Stars... woo hoo! It is going to be a blast.

January 29, 2004

Good lord, what I won't do to procrastinate...

you suck, and that's sad
you are the "you suck, and that's sad"
happy bunny. your truthful, but can be a bit
brutal.


which happy bunny are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

January 25, 2004

I love a night out...

Last night was a ton of fun. Becky and I went for sushi at Sushiro, a trendy little Japanese restaurant. I highly recommend the cobra maki and the spicy tuna maki... the unagi (roasted eel) was also really good.

After dinner and running around in a skirt in a freezing cold snowstorm (I know, I am not a practical dresser, but hey, I did look good) we went to the Spadina Freehouse. I love the feel of the place, it doesn't feel like a place that belongs in Saskatoon, much more uptown.

We drank Metros... a kind of raspberry-melony martini... very good stuff...

Strangely enough, I was getting tired before 10:30pm even hit... all I wanted to do was snuggle in warm fuzzie blankets and watch a movie.

Uh oh, I think I am becoming a homebody. Eeek!

January 23, 2004

Windfall and Extreme Jelly Bellying!

Yesterday was a good day. I got unexpected money... YAY! As it turns out, a travel bursery that I had been awarded in May 2003 had still not been claimed by me. I had assumed it was just put on my payroll cheque (I know... I didn't watch my money very carefully) so I went about my life without knowing I hadn't received the $300. I like found money! Though my mula will be going against my fake money that I have been using from my Visa card. ~sigh~

On another much more fun note... Becky and I did some extreme Jelly Belly eating last night and had some good laughs. I am not quite sure what possessed us, but we decided to try and combine the most disgusting jelly belly flavours just because we could.


Some of our nastiest concoctions included:
*Root Beer and Bubble Gum (anything with bubble gum is gross)
*Tutti Fruitti and Cappuccino (tutti fruitti is just like juicy fruit gum, again YUCK!)
*Buttered Popcorn and Green Apple (I didn't mind the buttered popcorn as much, but green apple makes me want to gag, and the combo was just nasty)
*Caramel Corn and Pear (neither of these is too bad on their own, but together it is just volatile)
*Tutti Fruitti and Buttered Popcorn (My feelings for tutti fruitti are already known, but it is doubly wrong with buttered popcorn)
*Chocolate and Red Apple (I am not sure what it is about these two together, but it tasted like a shot of really sweet and really icky liqueur... downright nasty)

I think both of us have pretty much vowed never to eat another Jelly Belly as long as we live.

January 21, 2004

Persian dance rocks!

Becky and I went to a Persian dance class last night. As it happens, after 4 months of dancing at our gym, we were invited to join another group in order to perform at a benefit for survivors of the earthquake in the Middle East. I forgot how much fun it is. I would love to learn all of the other dances too: belly dances, tribal dances, Egyptian dances, and such. They all look like so much fun, plus the costumes are incredible.
Aren't they pretty?

Alas, I must only do a little so I can keep plugging away at my thesis. I think, however, that once I am done my thesis, Persian dances of all sorts will be my new hobby.

January 19, 2004

Revisions are fun!

In the past couple of days, I have been quite productive. My apartment is bordering on clean and I have made some pretty big strides in my work. Today, I met with my supervisor and got 2 chapters back with lots and lots of revision notes on both of them. Plus, we worked through an outline of chapter 5. On top of all that, I spent last weekend sifting through the introduction to my thesis.

Next week, we are meeting and I will be giving her a fresh copy of chapter 2 with her changes in and at least a couple of full on revisions for my part. I want to make some of the changes to chapter 4 as well so I can get my talk underway for Feb 9th.

If I make lots and lots of progress in the next month, I can get away with going to Toronto nearly guilt free! Yay!

January 17, 2004

I got a new toy!!

Thanks in part to a generous gift certificate from my folks for Christmas, I was able to go out and buy a digital camera! Yay! Now I can also litter the internet with image after image of my cat!!!



That is Myrah on her favourite perch while I work and slave away. Ain't she just a doll? She's got a bit of an attitude. Expect many more pictures of her to come, among others.

Actually, buying the camera was a bit of an adventure in itself. I went into Sears after getting my nails done and stood in front of the digital camera counter for about 15 minutes staring blankly at the mediocre selection before a lady came to help me. She knew what she was talking about (though I had no clue) and once I told her my price range and wanting as many pixels as that range could buy (my knowledge here is laughable) she showed me two that were pretty good. One was a Cannon ($30 cheaper than normal) and the other was a Sony ($80 more than the other model), but it had Optical Zoom and Digital Zoom, which I am still not sure I understand. After playing around with the two for a bit, I decided that I was going to go with the Cannon, as I didn't get the Optical Zoom thingy and didn't think it would make much difference in my amateur photos any how. Well, at least not $80 worth of difference. So I paid and left, but something didn't feel right.

I got the thing home and looked at the receipt (why I didn't look in the store, I have no idea) and saw that she didn't charge me the sales price. I called to make sure I had not been mistaken and that it was worth the extra trip to go down to the store, and indeed I had been over charged $30. So I packed up the camera and my gym bag (Persian dance class!!), drove to the mall, and parked in the expensive heated underground parking. As I went to grab everything and get out of the car I realized that I had forgotten my purse at home.

Mild panic rose within me as I envisioned not getting my refund without my VISA card, and being stuck in the parkade with no cash to get out. I decided to just try and get the $30 in cash (which most places are reluctant to do if you pay in another form) then use the cash to get out of the lot.

I went back up to Sears and stood behind the same desk as every single person working in that department walked right by me without so much as a nod or a "Some one will be with you in a moment." Grrr. After about 10 minutes of standing there the girl who helped me before came and talked to me. I told her my predicament and she was hesitant to comply because I didn't have my VISA card, as I had originally thought. So she asked another lady behind the desk if she could do what I asked for, and they started to have a conversation about me as if I wasn't even there. After being ignored for several minutes already, this was just about enough to make me want to take the whole thing back for a full refund and go elsewhere.

Luckily, they decided that giving me the $30 in cash wasn't too inconvenient for them and they sent me on my way. So, it all worked out well for me, as things usually do. Now I can take a bazillion pictures of my adventures to paste here. Yippee!

January 16, 2004

Procrastinating or purposeful?

Last night, after The Apprentice of course, I got on a cleaning kick. I did up all my dishes (there was quite a pile), took out the trash, swept and mopped the floors, and started to tackle the nasty pile of paper that keeps multiplying on my floor. I find it easier to think if my apartment is clean, but so difficult to stay on top of the cleaning when I am only home for short bursts of time. I leave at 7am and usually don't wander back in until 6 or 7pm. The housecleaning thing is a struggle for me. I have a hard time justifying the time spent on it when I could be doing thesis work, yet I hate living in a sty.

Things like laundry and dishes pile up so quickly when they aren't done right away. And the paper mess... it multiplies constantly. I have a designated paper pile in the corner that I get a handle on once every 6 months and the rest of the time compete with Myrah, who treats it like a beast that needs to be ripped to shreds.

What I would really love is a new apartment complete with a washer, dryer, and dishwasher. A one bedroom, or dare I dream... a two bedroom apartment with a little balcony for some potted plants and fresh air, and an air conditioner. I live in a cute little bachelorette suite, with huge windows, a/c, and a galley kitchen with a mirrored backsplash. It is cute and functional, but I would love to have a separate room for my bed and a small living area for the rest of the time. If I had a second bedroom... I would have an office. A place for my books, desks, and computer. That isn't totally necessary though.

I don't really think I will move soon. Maybe if money is there and my future is shaping into a clearer picture, I will move in the summer. Who knows? I just like thinking about the possibilities.

January 15, 2004

Money, money, money

This is a penny-pinching month for me, as I am sure it is for everyone else out there after the Christmas and New Years frivolities. I have an upcoming trip to Toronto I wish to have some spending money for, plus a trip to Cranbrook that came out of this month's earnings. So groceries are coming out of my Visa. I am not starving or anything, just racking up debt by the minute and not sure how or when I am going to get out of it. I got a lovely reminder of this debt when Student Loans sent me another Confirmation of Data letter... ie. Are you lying to us? ~sigh~

I guess I shouldn't really be spending all that much money when it comes down to it... I should be sitting behind my computer day in and day out plugging away at my thesis rather than spending. Though saving money takes time, packing a lunch and making my own breakfast takes time, getting things back late costs money, getting to and from my office takes money, a place to sleep at night costs money. Everything one needs to live requires money.

I was listening to the local talk radio station take callers opinions about whether or not they would accept paying more municipal taxes to pay for programs. Not surprisingly the answer was 100% against raising the taxes, but no one wants to cut spending to programs. I am not a mathematician, but that doesn't add up to me. No one wants to lose anymore money to taxes, but they don't want to lose the services that those taxes pay for.

One can't just opt out of paying taxes. Nor does one really even own anything they have paid for. Try not paying your taxes for a while and see how much you own in a few years... no house, no car, not even your freedom. They couldn't put Capone away for organized crime, but they could take away all of his possessions and freedom for tax evasion... though that is in the United States, the same can happen in Canada.

What is the solution to being owned by the government? Have enough money that the government relies upon you rather than the other way around. You provide jobs, capital, resources, services, donations etc... and the government gives you tax breaks and exemptions to keep your economy driving corporation going. Be an entrepreneur. Contribute to the economy on such a grand scale that the government depends on you. A massive amount of money is the apparent solution.

So with this reliance on money in mind, I turned on the TV last night and watched an intriguing new show The Apprentice. Basically Donald Trump is using a television to help him in an extensive job interview process with 16 applicants. The job at the end of the competition is as president of one of Trumps companies, including a six-figure salary. I am drawn to this show, as I teach a communications class that has a job application component in it. I am also repulsed by the show because Trump is probably making enough money in this venture to fix any potential screw ups that may ensue from hiring someone in this process. I am also repulsed at the measuring of the contestants' worth (and the worth of any person's success) as being boiled down to a dollar value.

This show is just another piece of "evidence" that an individuals worth in society is their paycheque. There are so many things wrong with this scale, it is crazy, yet I find myself caught up in it. I have to have a good job so I can afford to do the things I want to and feel a measure of belonging in society. I wish I could turn off my brain from these measures of worth and focus on things that I love and that fulfill me, but it all cycles back to money. How can one have an education without money? How can one have a healthy family without money? How can one be accepted by your peers without a similar level of money? The only way to not worry about money is to have piles of it. The rest have to struggle daily to get enough money in order to afford to live.

I wish society recognized people on some other level, but it is just too easy to attach dollar values to things than measure a person's true worth. I guess there will always come a time when one should leave their seat of contemplation and deal with the world as it is, to actually try to make the world as they think it should be.

January 13, 2004

Why my cat is weird...

I feel like my brain has gone through the wringer after a 3 hour class. There was lots of good discussion, which is always good. Unfortunately, my body also feels like it has gone through the wringer too after yesterday's workout. So tonight I sat in a super hot bath with Epsom salts for a good half hour. As I sat there, my cat Myrah sat on the edge of the tub fascinated by the tub water. Now, I don't know if she didn't notice it or if she didn't care, but as she sat there, Myrah's tail was half-submerged in the tub water. You see, I thought cats hated water, but there is my cat sitting on the edge of the tub letting her tail soak. She sat there letting it soak until I got out and drained the tub. Then she looked at her tail as if she wondered how the hell it got wet and sauntered of mildly peeved. My cat is strange.

January 12, 2004

Oh, but its a good tired...

I went to the gym tonight with Becky for the first time in a month. We decided to get right back into it full on with Darcy's class. Little did we know that it was a 90 minute class this time instead of a 60 minute one. So that meant 60 minutes of cardio and weight pumping intervals, plus 30 minutes of targeting the core and stretching. All I can say now is "owie"... I am going to soak in a nice hot bath filled with Epsom salts and sink into my jersey knit sheets for a long sleep. Mmmm... all I need now is a snuggle buddy ;o)

I guess Myrah will have to do for now...

January 11, 2004

Yay, Blog improvements!!

Thanks to my darling, Becky my blog is looking better! You can leave me messages and make comments and all sorts of cool stuff. I will probably toy with it some more as time goes on...

Though the day was fairly mellow, my night was quite fun. We went and saw a group called The Pinch playing at the campus bar. They were quite fun. And I drank Sourpuss and 7Up, yummy!

The opening band was, um, bad. They would have been alright if they sang on key, and the lead singer could forget about losing his toque or his guitar picks. They were a wee bit of a disaster. They got a bit carried away with their thrashing around on stage and the lead singer fell over once. It was kind of funny.

The Pinch was fantastic. They played Weezer, Ben Folds Five, a block of Sublime, Billy Joel, as well as some great original stuff. They even got a bit of a mosh pit going, which scared me. Once upon a time, I got stuck in a mosh pit at an Our Lady Peace concert... my feet weren't even touching the floor... so even the beginnings of a mosh pit gets me a tad nervous. So anytime the crazy guys started bashing into each other too close to my vicinity, Becky and I ran to the far corner of the dance floor and danced by ourselves. I felt much safer that way :o) And then we were also far away from one la-hoo-zer who decided he belonged on stage with the band, thankfully security escorted him out. Apparently the guys name was Nick... and as the lead singer of the band said after the incident... "Don't be a Nick!"

January 10, 2004

Finished draft, frillies, Big Fish, and Burke

Well, that chapter I was working on until the wee hours is handed in for inspection. That was a relief. After a good sleep in the morning, I had a long and heavenly shower... I felt like a new woman. I so rarely feel a sense of completion anymore that these little ends are comforting. That chapter still has a lot of work left on it, but that stage is now over. Now it is revision after revision, and time to start Ch 5.

Anyhow, waking up on such a happy note carried me through the whole day in a good mood. My Burke class started today; this is going to be one great semester.

I can never quite get over how generous B is. She brought me back some more "souveniers" from her trip home. I gotta love this girl... after hearing about my collection of colourful unmentionables, she can't go into Victoria's Secret or Fredericks of Hollywood without picking me up something cute. What a thoughtful friend, thanks again doll ;)

Went to see Big Fish tonight, the new Tim Burton movie. It was magical. I kept thinking of Burkean theory at the end (even through my teary eyes). Without going into too much detail, I will say that the movie speaks of the power of words and stories to carry a person on long after they are gone. Narrative is a powerful thing. The movie also reflected my understanding of Burkean termanistic screens and one man's choices to shape reality through his stories. It brings up in my mind the question of truth versus perception, and which is most important. I don't think it offers an answer, but it is a thoughtful story.

Wow, if I am applying Burke to a movie after one class, I am going to be driving people nuts over the next 4 months. I am such a rhetoric geek :o)

January 08, 2004

On a mental roll...

I am working on that Ch 4 of my thesis right now and only in the past couple of hours has my brain really engaged with the task. I have sat at my desk for days trying to see into the analysis and I think the peices are finally coming together. It is kind of late, but things are clicking into place.

Whenever I do an analysis or a paper, I have that moment when what was once a muddy lake of unknown depth and proportion becomes crystal clear to me. It is an amazing moment. From that point on, everything that had question marks beside it have answers and I know just what to do with the thing.

This paper took me a very long time to get to that moment. Nothing seemed to come together right. There will still be a whole lot of work to be done on the paper, but now I know the terrain I need to travel. I was so lost and frustrated up until a couple of hours ago. I have been working on this paper since late November.

On a completely unrelated happy note... B brought me back GRITS! I had the cheese grits tonight for dinner at the office... they were fantastic! Thanks again grrrl!

January 07, 2004

It is a happy afternoon right now...

In the midst of an already stressful term, it is funny how little things can change one's entire perspective: a good CD made by a friend, a darling book from another, happy smelling soaps from yet another, a whole schwack of cards and warm notes from wonderful people all over the continent, and the safe return home of another dear friend. On days like today, a tiny little apartment seems a whole lot less lonely. Thank you everyone.

Back to chapter 4...

January 06, 2004

First Day of Class

For me, teaching-wise, it was the first day back with a new group of students. They look like a good bunch. Class went quite well. It must have been because I was so rested from the night before...

Last night I got home and felt strangely exhausted from a relatively uneventful day. Vowing lay down for "only a minute" at 7:30 pm, I slept like only an exhausted grad student can until the phone rang at 11:30 pm. I am very glad I was disturbed as it allowed me the opportunity to put my pjs on, take my glasses off, and SET MY ALARM. That could have been a nightmare this morning. Then again, I am sure Myrah would licked my face until I woke up; she is a weird weird cat.

I am such a pop culture freak, I swear. I am finding that I am obsessively watching episodes of Sex and the City (fun show) and can't wait until Survivor (addicted) and American Idol (Oh so addicted) start up again. 24 (like heroine) starts again tonight. Hmm... I wonder why I am not moving on my thesis as quick as I would like to be.

In other news of my life, I decided to succumb to the dark forces of the media and subscribe to the local paper. I want to get involved a bit more in local things, so getting the paper will keep me on top of the fun upcoming events, I figure. I have sworn off of excessive news consumption after the Year of Stress that was my time as an editor of a small paper; however, I think I may be able to temper it now with a bit of local fodder as a three month experiment. Strangely enough the first two papers I get announce a certain pop princess getting married and annulled, respectively. Needless to say, this does not bode well for the rest of the experiment.

Okay, I have a chapter around here somewhere that needs writing.

January 05, 2004

As if being behind already wasn't enough...

...Now it has to be served with a steaming dish of panic. Not half an hour after my original post for the day, did an email cheerily pop into my inbox: My committee chair wants to have my progress meeting this month. This month! They are expecting that I will be done my entire thesis and I am no where near done it. One word pops to mind... eek!

I am working my butt off today then I am going to do yoga tonight, followed by a hot bath with epsom salts... otherwise there will be a crazy stressball where I used to be. I must remember to do my work ~and~ take care of myself this term.

The Thesis Plan

I feel like I should have the Mission Impossible theme song running in the background now.

Here is the plan... 6 chapters to write, 2 seasons yet to watch, 2 videos to compile, 1 defence, 1 up-coming conference, 1 scholarly report to peers, 5 months (well, give or take anyhow), 1 grad class taking, 1 undergrad class teaching (Oh, my students should not be reading this. If you are a student of mine and reading this, stop, get out your textbook and read Bitzer and Booth again, you can never read those articles too many times). Okay, that really isn't much of a plan, more like a jumble of things I need to get done.

How about I limit this just to the thesis before I overwhelm myself. Where am I now?
Ch 1 (Intro) - rough rough draft, about 12 pages total, needs a heavy overhaul
Ch 2 (Lit Survey) - been overhauled quite a bit, 12 pages?, still work to do but closer to done than most
Ch 3 (T2Ams) - written and presented at a conference, 18 pages, too long and needs to be honed once Ch 1 & 2 are done
Ch 4 (Connie) - working on right now as a part of a course, 8 pages right now, will be well underway soon
Ch 5 (Misc Themes) - not even started, no outline, no nothing... but I want it to be the paper for this term's grad class
Ch 6 (Conc) - same vacuous hole that is Ch 5... not gonna think about until the rest of the thesis is in much better shape

Where do I want to be? I guess by the end of today, I want to have Ch 4 nearly on 12 pages and a whole lot less rough than it is now. Ideally I want it finished for Tuesday for supervisor perusal (well, actually ideally would have been along time ago now, but we are working in the realm of the realistic).

While Ch 4 is waiting for feedback and approval, I want to go back to Ch 2 and finish that one up and get things ready to start writing Ch 5.

So my dates might look like this:

Ch 1 - 1 revision -- Jan 31
Ch 2 - 2 revisions -- Jan 31
Ch 3 - look at in Feb
Ch 4 - draft done -- this week
Ch 5 - outline and 2 pages written -- Jan 31
Ch 6 - start in March

Is this too lofty? Not lofty enough? I guess I will just go with it and see.

January 04, 2004

Hi :o)

This is my first blog post, dear readers, and welcome to my life. I was inspired to do this by a fellow rhetorician and longtime blogger, Becky -- love ya babe ;o) Once I figure out how to link to her blog I will likely do that, frequently even.

I guess I should say a wee bit about myself for those who really don't know me and a few people who may stumble across me and my site along the way. I am a grad student at the University of Saskatchewan studying rhetoric and culture in an independant program. I am in the midst of the throes of my thesis (eek!) and struggling to get it done. I want to be defended by the end of 2004, I could care less about the official convocation date.

In any case, there is me and my cat, Myrah (shh, don't tell my landlord) and a whole host of fun characters that pop in and out of my life. I hope to get a digital camera sometime soon in order to add some fun visual aids here.

I think I may even get daring and add my resolutions for this year also. I have to meditate on that one a wee bit more though. No rush though, I have all year ;o)

I will have to invite some very special people to take a snoop here soon. In the meantime, I have a chapter to write.

Toodles,

Laura :o)