A Simple Life

Since January (and before that, to some extent), I've been thinking about the simple life. And not the one with Paris and Nicole. No, just the idea that simplicity has a lot to offer. At the Winter Retreat I went on with my Navigators, we spoke about this a little bit. The basic concept, as I see it, is having/buying what you need, and getting rid of clutter and complication in your life. I know it's true: I do not have a simple life. I have so much stuff that I don't need, and half the time don't even realize what I have. I have a perfectly good closet that I could put clothes in, but instead the room is taken up by about 4 plastic totes that are stacked in it. Sure, some of that stuff I need, but not necessarily right in my room, and probably not too often. It's unnecessary and ridiculous . . . but it's a habit. I think it's a habit that many people have. But it's not just material things . . . it's also aspects of my life. Do I need 4 e-mail addresses? No. Do I even get around to checking them all? Nope. The other thing that prevents my life from being as simple as I'd like it to be is busy-ness. Of course, some of that is unavoidable; I have to get to work on time, and hurry to my classes, run to meet my carpool. But honestly, there must be something in my power to stop me from running around like a headless chicken. Considering simplicity is helping me to realize the things that are important in my life. E-mailing my friends, talking to my family, getting my reading done . . . even taking an hour or two to relax and check out Veronica Mars or Grey's Anatomy. These things matter to me. I need to have time to do the things I want with my life. People are important. Life is important. And anything that can be done to make life a little easier should be sought after with reckless abandon. Which is why I am, inch by inch, trying to make my life a little bit simpler. My school e-mail now forwards to another e-mail account. If something can be put off for awhile without too much trouble, it will be. I'm going through old clothes and plan on giving what I don't need to charity (although not as quickly as I'd like to). I'm trying to buy only what I need. Not much progess has been made as of yet . . . but I'm working on it. And that's as good a start as any.

The Worst Day Ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*note: I am at a school computer, and the S key isn't working right. If a word doesn't seem right, imagine an s there somewhere*

This is not a happy story. If you're hoping for an uplifting blog, look elsewhere. However, if you're hoping to laugh at my misfortunes, you've come to the right place. I had an awful day yesterday, and I'm going to share it with you.

It started at work (co-op position mailing out math contests) when my co-worker and I messed up scanning some packages. It was an honest mistake, but it caused some greif. (We thought we had it all fixed at the end of yeterday, but when we got to work today we spent most of the morning continuing to fix it).

Alo, I don't know what it wa about yeterday, but all of my clothe were chapping my skin: pants, bra, hirt, everything. It' jut one of thoe annoying thing that pick at you all day long and break you down slowly until you are mierable. Thank goodne for cocoa butter, although it didn't help all that much.

At lunch I wa going to go to the SLC, but changed my mind, only to realise at 4:30 that I had igned up to help with the Navigators booth for clubs days during lunch hour. Not a big deal becuae there were other people there, but I hate feeling like I've let omeone down.

Then I wa almot late for class, and when I got there I made a bit of ass in front of my prof. Luckily it wa not in front of the entire cla, jut him, but in ome way it' worse. I gue it wan't a big deal, but I aked him omething that didn't make sense, or maybe wan't even in real englih, and he wa like "What??!". Not the impression you want to make.

The guy who iad he'd drive me home (who, by the way, is very attractive . . . but he has a girlfriend . . . of coure . . . but at leat he in't gay lol) ince he live in Guelph wasn't there. And I forgot to call my dad to let me know to come get me on my break. So I had to text meage Jenelle to call my dad to tell him to come get me (thanks again Nelle!), but he wan't home and hi cell phone wa dead. Even when I got out of cla, he wan't anwering. Finally, I managed to reach him but he took 40 minute to get there, and I don't mean to ound ungrateful, I appreciate my dad muchly all he doe for me, but I jut wan't in a waiting mood. All I wanted to do wa watch Grey' Anatomy, eat (drink?) my oup, pack for my retreat and go to bed.

On the drive home, dad hit an oppossum. Thi wa the traw that broke the camel' back. He wa o cute and jut walking along all innocent, and then WHAM! I hope it wan't a mommy. Or a baby. I tried not to cry but I couldn't help it. Yeah, I'm a crybaby, whatever. I don't normally conider myelf to be a huge animal right activit, but that wa horrible.

And, as the crowning glory, I got home to find out that Grey's DID NOT TAPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH! The VCR told me it wa taping when I got home (I wa taping Grey's and ER), but then . . . no dice. I went through the tape 2 or three times, fast forwarding to My tepmother Is An Alien and Cinderella (the things I wa trying to tape over) numerou times. For week I have been looking forward to new epiodes of shows (jut ak April), and I only follow 2 or 3. And I don't think they replay them at any point.

Let' jut ay I'm glad that one i over.

Cheer to a better weekend, all!
-Amy

The Love of My Life

Hey All

No, I have not met the man of my dreams. I'm talking about RENT. If you know me, you know I love it. A lot. I believe I have posted about it before, but not matter. I have seen it 5 times and am going again in November (y'all should come rush with my cousin Nathan (I love you, man!) and I. Best seats in the house for $20. It will be great.). It's so beautiful, so witty, so truthful, so well-written, so honest . . . it's pretty damn near perfect. If I knew a guy like Roger, I would totally date him. Who doesn't want a bad-ass rocker boyfriend? I sure do. Anyway, the reason I was thinking about RENT today was because I was looking at my friend Jenelle's blog, and she had her "What RENT Character Are You?" results posted, so I decided to take the quiz myself. Much to my delight, there are numerous such quizes. So I took 5 . One says I am most like Mark(this one only had like 4 questions, so I question its accuracy - but you can find it at http://quizilla.com/users/metaline/quizzes/Which%20RENT%20Character%20Are%20YOU%3F/), and one told me I was most like Roger (which I was super excited about), then Joanne, then Maureen (which is also awesome) (this quiz is at http://www.selectsmart.com/FREE/select.php?client=RENTCHICK). Still another says I am Joanne (http://www.geocities.com/exactlywhoiam/renttest/renttest.html), and a fourth says I'm Collins (http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=14665). The fifth and final one I took told me there was a tie between Angle and Mimi, which is groovy (http://www.thealmightyguru.com/reviews/rent/rent-quiz.html). What is going on here? Anyway, the quizes were a good time, so you should go take them. Today for you, tomorrow for me!

Yes, I Am an English Major

Hey again

Long time no write. Well, comparitive to other absences of mine I suppose this one is pretty minor. But I wanted to write this time before April threatens to delete her link to my blog.

It is a question that is commonly posed to university and even highschool-aged students: What are you (going to be) studying? And, closely following that, what will you do once you're done school? I myself hate both of those questions with the burning passion of 1000 suns, and I know at least two others who feel the same way. Now, some degrees pretty much lead you directly to one or a select few number of occupations. If I take computer science or engineering, it's pretty obvious what my career goals are. However, if I was to take environmental studies or even English Literature, the career paths aren't nearly as clear. I'm the first to admit that I do not know what I want to pursue as a career after I graduate. All I know for sure is I want to pay off all my student debt as soon as possible. There are some things within the realm of English that I think I might enjoy such as editing and teaching English. However, I don't actually know for sure, and I'm not 100% sold on either of those. And actually, what does it matter? I have possibly 4 more years of post-secondary education before I even have to think about such things. Besides, going to university in many ways is about getting a degree and the experience that it provides. When it comes right down to it, I don't have a stellar reason for choosing English. I always enjoyed reading and writing, and usually enjoyed English classes. zit also turned out that English was one of only a few arts subjects that had a co-op stream. I don't pretend to have exceptional taste in literature, nor perfect grammar, nor an award-winning essay writing skills. But it's something I enjoy studying, and for right now, that's enough for me.

As Summer Slips Away . . .

If you've been to a Staples Business Depot lately, you should have realized two things
#1 Veronica Mars Season 2 has finally arrived! (for only $49.99!!)
#2 Back to school season has officially begun!!!
Now, let me just tell you, I am very extra SUPER excited about #1. I just finished watching all of the first season last weekend and can hardly wait for the second.
#2 I am having some serious mixed feelings about. Actually, back to school shopping is my very favourite kind of shopping. If you know me at all you know of my affection for pens of all sizes, shapes and colours. I feel that you can NEVER (ever) have too many of them. So back to school shopping is a little slice of heaven for me in that regard. Who doesn't love fresh paper, clean binders, and brand spanking new agendas? (btw April, I finally found one, so no need to give me yours, but I do appreciate the offer). Even though some of my classes will likely bore me to tears and leave me with more reading than one person can possibly manage, I am still excited for the new semester. After all, I am taking intro to human sexuality and get to read a book called The Mother Tongue: English and How it Got That Way. Plus I am helping out with the Navigators, and my lovely Kate will be at my school. So now you're thinking, okay Amy, what are these mixed feelings you speak of? Well, let me just tell you that I have been having a fantastic summer. It didn't work out financially as well as I hoped, but I had a sweet job working as a nanny for a great family with fantastic kids. Plus I had weekends off and got to hang out with April (link to her Blog, Feria Films, from mine -->) and her cool friends. So I will be sad to leave this new life I have started and finished way too quickly. I have made some new friends here that I won't soon forget, and now I have more people to visit when I come to our nation's capital. As a perfect end to my summer, I get to spend one last week at camp! Woohoo!!! I still need on Ottawa shot glass or two . . . that's one thing I did not manage to find. Although I found some that said Toronto and Niagara Falls . . . figure that one out.

Single Girls in the Real World (it's a long one . . . )

I feel sort of weird using these lyrics, but I'll explain that later. I really like the song, anyway, so here go my favourite parts of it.

Single - Natasha Bedingfield

I'm not waitin' around for a man to save me (Cause I'm happy where I am)
Don't depend on a guy to validate me (No no)
I don't need to be anyone's baby (Is that so hard to understand?)
No I don't need another half to make me whole
Make your move if you want
Doesn't mean I will or won't
I'm free to make my mind up
You either got it or you don't

[Chorus:]
This is my current single status
My declaration of independence
There's no way I'm tradin' places
Right now a star's in the ascendant
I'm single (Right now)
That's how I wanna be
I'm single (Right now)
That's how I wanna be
Ah yeah uh huh that's right

Don't need to be on somebody's arm to look good (I like who I am)
I'm not saying I don't wanna fall in love 'cause I would
I'm not gonna get hooked up just 'cause you say I should (Can't romance on demand)
I'm gonna wait so I'm sorry if you misunderstood

(lyrics provided by dani31@suscom.net at sing365.com)

Ok. Now the explanation. As most of you people reading this already know, I have been single for quite some time. The last two guys I sort of liked turned out to be gay, and the other guy from EBC, well, let's just say it didn't turn out as planned. Most days (maybe not 'most' by a large margin though . . .) I'm totally cool with my single status. Those are the days I could rock out with Natasha up there and be all hells yeah. (P.S. "Hells yeah" is exactly what I would be like, lol.) I like not having to impress anyone (at least not all the time), and I really do appreciate the (long) break from all the melodrama inherent in all (yeah, ALL) relationships. The "oh my gosh, I think he's mad at me!" , "actually, I can't hang out with you tonight it's me and (insert cute guy's name)'s night", and "well, (insert said name) said that . . ." does get old. And irritating. I'm also proud of myself for not bowing down to the level of going for any "smooth" guy trying to pick me up at a club (ew!) or even taking a chance with a guy I almost dated in highschool. Actually, to be honest, neither of those guys had a snowball's chance in hell. But I still have managed to remain single when I could have dated someone regardless of the fact that he was less than stellar. Which is something I haven't always been so quick to avoid. And, no offense to those into internet dating, but I am glad I have steered clear of that also. It's not my bag (did I pick that up from you, April? It's a good one).

However, if I'm honest with myself and anyone else reading this, there are days when I would kill (not actually!) to be dating. To me, there is just something about that kind of relationship that is unlike any other. It can't be matched with anything else. No matter how close you are to your friends, family, co-workers . . . it isn't the same. And no, it's not just the making out lol. It's just a special connection you have with that one person. You know they know you super well, and they get you. Of course, it isn't like that right away; it would take months or years to get to that. But I'd be willing to put in the time. With the right person of course. And then there's the fact that everyone, their brother, their fourth cousin and their boss are getting married. It's moderately (ok, more than moderately) distressing that while all my friends are tying the knot (and there isn't anything wrong with that), I have yet to even meet someone I like well enough to date. The fact that all the people in my class are like 3 years younger than me doesn't help. Ick! Then, once you start dating, there needs to be, at the very least, a year before engagement or weddings or whatever. And that's only if everything goes totally smoothly . . . which, if past experience is accurate, rarely (if ever) happens. The whole process could take numerous guys, and years! Dating someone would also make things like having a wedding date a question of the past (P.P.S. Has anyone seen that movie! It's killer good. April probably has. That's my girl.) I know I'm only 21, but I (and our culture) make me feel like I'm running out of time!

Which brings me to my next point, which is the stigma attached to being single. There are, of course, the stupid, stupid sayings like 'my other half' with the idea that people (most often women) need someone else to feel 'complete'. But that's not even what I mean. Now, I love my family. I'm glad of that fact, too, because I know not everyone can say that. But every time I go to a family gathering, someone asks if I have a boyfriend or who (whom?) I'm dating. They mean well, but really, if I was dating someone and felt like telling them, wouldn't I do it? I guess their concern is that I won't, which is valid considering the grilling I would undergo. They have even offered to 'find me someone'. Apparently my aunt has someone chosen for me , and Nathan knows who he is, but they refuse to tell me. My money is on someone from camp. I "jokingly" told my cousin Ian to keep his eyes open for a masters student for me (he'll be doing his masters at UW). They are mnore my age, anyway. The worst part is that they think that there's something wrong with me since I'm not dating. Maybe I'm too picky, or I'm not trying. Or worse. (Some of you already know this story . . .) I was talking to my cousin on the phone a few weeks ago, and she asked me if I had a boyfriend. When I told her no, she asked me, deadpan, in all seriousness, if I was gay. She honestly did! At the time I laughed it off, but every time I think about it now it kind of upsets me. The fact that I'm not dating does not make me a lesbian! Even if I was a lesbain, I'm not sure I'd react well to that. I should have told her I was. Anyway. Point is, there is nothing wrong with single people! Grr. Do your part to make the world a more single-friendly place. Which sounds funny coming from a bridesmaid. Whatever.

Sorry. That came off more bitter than I meant it. I'm totally happy for Cameron and Beth, Jenelle and Graham, your brother, boss and fourth cousin. Really I am. It just threatens my singleness, which I'm not always down with. I'll get over it. Thanks for reading.

Superstition and The End of the World

Hello again

I just have to tell you people how freaking hilarious I found the whole world being up in arms about the world ending last Tuesday. It was totally ridiculous! Did God ever tell us that the world was going to end on June 6th 2006? Or Jesus? Did He not say we wouldn't know the day or the hour? Besides, do we really think satan would be that obvious? Although I must say I was amused that the lady on the news told me that if the world was ending that day we didn't really need to know the weather report.

Also, I went to the movies today with my charges. The plan was to see Cars but the dumb theatre people oversold the tickets and the idea of watching a movie while seated in the aisle did not sound like a good plan to me. So Alexie and I saw The Omen instead. (Or as she calls it, The Om - pronounced Ohm). It pretty much blew. It wasn't scarey except the dumb kind of scarey that makes you jump for a second. Of course, missing the first 20 minutes likely didn't help. Whatever.

To keep with stupid people being superstitious, Alexie and I conducted a bit of an experiment last week. We were talking about how some buildings don't have a 13th floor because it's "bad luck". Now, I get the theory behind Friday the 13th being considered bad luck because Jesus was supposedly crucified on a Friday the 13th, but what up with the 13th floor? So we decided to call some hotels and see if they had 13th floors. We must have called like 15 hotels, and while many didn't have more than 9-ish floors, out of those that had over 13, only one actually had a 13th floor. How lame is that? Superstition is kind of dumb. I guess I'd make a bad actor. I hit the roof of my car twice when I go through a yellow light not because I'm superstitious but because it amuses me and reminds me of those guys I met at that party who insist that when they do that they are "banking sex minutes". Hahaha.

P.S. And as for those buildings who just go from the 12th floor to the 14th floor, you're not fooling anyone. The 14th just becomes the 13th. It isn't brain surgery. What stupidity.