A Spoonful of Sugar

2009-02-28T12:17:00.000-04:00

Yesterday one of my students asked me if I was pregnant. It's time to start running again.

2009-01-20T21:57:00.008-04:00

Because I feel that all too often I focus on the negative, complaining and whining when the world doesn't go my way or something annoys me, today I'm going to list all the things that made January 20, 2009 awesome:

I got to watch Barack Obama's inauguration at work, and I have to admit I got a little misty-eyed.
I was wearing the magic Jacob pants that make my normally flat behind look amazing.
It was not -23 with a -31 windchill.
I won a free massage in a wellness draw at work. I'm super excited -- I've always wanted a massage, but also always felt guilty about paying for such a splurge.
I finally found a student to work Tuesday nights, leaving me free for. . .
My French course at Universite Ste Anne, of which I had the first session this evening. Although I am definitely towards the bottom of the class, I was pleased to discover that I can actually manage Intermediate Conversation (within reason). It feels good to stretch my brain cells.
When I got home from class, starving and tired, I discovered that someone sweet had made chicken and mushroom crepes for dinner. I absolutely adore crepes (one day in Quebec I ate crepes with different fillings for every meal), and I felt deliciously spoiled.
I am downloading last night's episode of How I Met Your Mother and will be able to watch it in about fifteen minutes.

I think I should try making lists like this more often.

2008-11-04T15:37:00.002-04:00

Because I don't have the mental energy to come up with something more creative to post... I found this on Aine O'Hare's Facebook page, and I'm pretty sure my responses are disgraceful for someone with an MA in English. I also want to know who says these are the 100 greatest novels because I see some pretty big gaps. (In my humble opinion, of course.)

This is a list of the 100 Greatest Novels Of All Time.

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal (or Facebook), including these instructions.
2) Bold all the books you've read.
3) Pat yourself on the back for your pretention and perspicacity.

1. “The Great Gatsby,” F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. “The Catcher in the Rye,” J.D. Salinger
3. “The Grapes of Wrath,” John Steinbeck
4. “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Harper Lee (this is one of my favourite books EVER)
5. “The Color Purple,” Alice Walker
6. “Ulysses,” James Joyce
7. “Beloved,” Toni Morrison
8. “The Lord of the Flies,” William Golding (Gr. 10 English; I despise this book)
9. “1984,” George Orwell
10. “The Sound and the Fury,” William Faulkner
11. “Lolita,” Vladmir Nabokov
12. “Of Mice and Men,” John Steinbeck
13. “Charlotte’s Web,” E.B. White
14. “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man,” James Joyce
15. “Catch-22,” Joseph Heller
16. “Brave New World,” Aldous Huxley
17. “Animal Farm,” George Orwell
18. “The Sun Also Rises,” Ernest Hemingway
19. “As I Lay Dying,” William Faulkner
20. “A Farewell to Arms,” Ernest Hemingway
21. “Heart of Darkness,” Joseph Conrad
22. “Winnie-the-Pooh,” A.A. Milne (only gets better as I get older)
23. “Their Eyes are Watching God,” Zora Neale Hurston
24. “Invisible Man,” Ralph Ellison
25. “Song of Solomon,” Toni Morrison
26. “Gone with the Wind,” Margaret Mitchell
27. “Native Son,” Richard Wright
28. “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” Ken Kesey
29. “Slaughterhouse Five,” Kurt Vonnegut
30. “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” Ernest Hemingway
31. “On the Road,” Jack Kerouac
32. “The Old Man and the Sea,” Ernest Hemingway
33. “The Call of the Wild,” Jack London
34. “To the Lighthouse,” Virginia Woolf
35. “Portrait of a Lady,” Henry James
36. “Go Tell it on the Mountain,” James Baldwin
37. “The World According to Garp,” John Irving
38. “All the King’s Men,” Robert Penn Warren
39. “A Room with a View,” E.M. Forster
40. “The Lord of the Rings,” J.R.R. Tolkien
41. “Schindler’s List,” Thomas Keneally
42. “The Age of Innocence,” Edith Wharton
43. “The Fountainhead,” Ayn Rand
44. “Finnegans Wake,” James Joyce
45. “The Jungle,” Upton Sinclair
46. “Mrs. Dalloway,” Virginia Woolf
47. “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” Frank L. Baum
48. “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” D.H. Lawrence
49. “A Clockwork Orange,” Anthony Burgess
50. “The Awakening,” Kate Chopin
51. “My Antonia,” Willa Cather
52. “Howard’s End,” E.M. Forster
53. “In Cold Blood,” Truman Capote
54. “Franny and Zooey,” J.D. Salinger
55. “Satanic Verses,” Salman Rushdie
56. “Jazz,” Toni Morrison
57. “Sophie’s Choice,” William Styron
58. “Absalom, Absalom!” William Faulkner
59. “Passage to India,” E.M. Forster
60. “Ethan Frome,” Edith Wharton
61. “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” Flannery O’Connor
62. “Tender is the Night,” F. Scott Fitzgerald
63. “Orlando,” Virginia Woolf
64. “Sons and Lovers,” D.H. Lawrence
65. “Bonfire of the Vanities,” Thomas Wolfe
66. “Cat’s Cradle,” Kurt Vonnegut
67. “A Separate Peace,” John Knowles
68. “Light in August,” William Faulkner
69. “The Wings of the Dove,” Henry James
70. “Things Fall Apart,” Chinua Achebe
71. “Rebecca,” Daphne du Maurier
72. “A Hithchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” Douglas Adams
73. “Naked Lunch,” William S. Burroughs
74. “Brideshead Revisited,” Evelyn Waugh (thank Liam for that one)
75. “Women in Love,” D.H. Lawrence
76. “Look Homeward, Angel,” Thomas Wolfe
77. “In Our Time,” Ernest Hemingway
78. “The Autobiography of Alice B. Tokias,” Gertrude Stein
79. “The Maltese Falcon,” Dashiell Hammett
80. “The Naked and the Dead,” Norman Mailer
81. “The Wide Sargasso Sea,” Jean Rhys
82. “White Noise,” Don DeLillo
83. “O Pioneers!” Willa Cather
84. “Tropic of Cancer,” Henry Miller
85. “The War of the Worlds,” HG Wells
86. “Lord Jim,” Joseph Conrad
87. “The Bostonians,” James Henry
88. “An American Tragedy,” Theodore Dreiser
89. “Death Comes for the Archbishop,” Willa Cather
90. “The Wind in the Willows,” Kenneth Grahame
91. “This Side of Paradise,” F. Scott Fitzgerald
92. “Atlas Shrugged,” Ayn Rand
93. “The French Lieutenant’s Woman,” John Fowles
94. “Babbitt,” Sinclair Lewis
95. “Kim,” Rudyard Kipling
96. “The Beautiful and the Damned,” F. Scott Fitzgerald
97. “Rabbit, Run,” John Updike
98. “Where Angels Fear to Tread,” EM Forster
99. “Main Street,” Sinclair Lewis
100. “Midnight’s Children,” Salman Rushdie

Yeah, 19 out of 100 isn't great. The problem is, most of these aren't even books I really want to read. I might have to make my own list.

2008-10-21T19:46:00.003-03:00

Sometimes I am extremely gullible. In case you needed proof, here is a recent conversation I had at a Shoppers Drugmart after I kept setting the alarms off every time I tried to go out door:

Roseanne: I'm really sorry; I promise I haven't stolen anything.

Cashier Guy: No problem. We'll just have to give you a quick blood test. [Reaches for his cash drawer.]

Roseanne: [In a very high-pitched voice] A blood test?!

Liam: [Whispering] I think he's joking.

2008-10-06T16:20:00.003-03:00

Last October Dee and I stood on the sidewalk across from the CBC building in Halifax and cheered on our friend Emily in the CIBC Run for the Cure. I had started running the week before, and wasn't even able to huff and puff my way past jogging for about ten minutes in two minute intervals, but as everyone waved and yelled encouraging words, I decided that next year I would be one of the runners decked out in pink. I wanted a number to pin on the front of my T-shirt, and I wanted to prove to myself that I could run 5K without dying. And of course, raising money for cancer research would be great too.

Yesterday, after a year in which I wimped out of running during the winter because it was too cold and icy outside and struggled to get out of the house on days when I just wanted to curl up on the couch, I did it. It was a crisp, sunny morning. I was exhausted because I had gone to a birthday celebration the night before and accidentally gotten quite tipsy. Some people pushed strollers; some people ran with their dogs. There were three different bands playing along the route, and everyone was excited to be there. Annie and Liam finished before me, but I did it! As a member of the Librarians Run for the Cure team, I ran 5K. And my number was 7660.

Next up: the Salvation Army's Santa Shuffle in December. I hear people run wearing Santa hats and jingle bells…

2008-08-15T18:44:00.004-03:00

Oh. My. Gosh. Kahlua just showed up at our back door at home. I can't believe it! I'm so happy!

She's been gone almost a month, and my parents have no idea where she was. She was very hungry and thirsty and a little skinny, but still in one piece.

Now there are three cats at my house, and I'm even more anxious to get back to PEI than I was before. SO HAPPY!!!!!

2008-08-08T18:04:00.002-03:00

Having resigned ourselves to the fact that Kahlua is not coming home again, my family has adopted a new kitten. Three-month old Friday arrived yesterday. She's all black with curly whiskers and a very loud purr.

She is also a master of concealment. She'd only been home for half an hour when she disappeared for the entire afternoon, leaving me frantically wondering if she'd been able to slip outside and how I was going to explain to my mother that I had lost her new kitten. She turned up at supper time, but when we left her alone for ten minutes to eat dinner she disappeared again!

We thought she'd reappear when she got hungry, but she still hadn't come out by the time everyone was going to bed. Then we thought if the house was quiet for the night she might come out when we were sleeping. Morning came, and still no Friday. I got home from my run this morning to find my mother in the living room with one hand to her ear: she thought she could hear the kitten in the chimney.

Sure enough, when I got a flashlight and looked inside, there, behind the damper, was a tiny little black kitten gazing at me with glowing eyes. She was very eager to be petted, but she was stuck and couldn't get back down again. I ended up inside the fireplace for an hour or so, trying to coax her out. Unfortunately, this didn't work, so next I tried hammering the damper screw, trying to make the hole bigger so Friday could jump down. Still no luck. (And I was extremely dirty. I have a whole new respect for Bert the Chimney Sweep from Mary Poppins.)

We didn't want to leave her there because she still has stitches in her belly, she hadn't eaten in over 24 hours and she had a cough from all the soot in the chimney. Thankfully, when my brother came home he was able to get her out. She was filthy and shaking, but she purred and I think she was happy to leave her ashy hiding place.

Currently she's curled up in the bookcase. She did a bit of grooming and now she's taking a little nap. After all, it's been an eventful day and a half.

And that is how I spent the only sunny day of my vacation wedged inside a chimney.

2008-08-01T19:29:00.002-03:00

I'm heading home tomorrow for a whole week of relaxation and socializing. Vacation, here I come!

2008-07-18T22:31:00.002-03:00

Life in Halifax has been good, but I've hit a rough patch this week. First I had a nasty run-in with a big bully and now my kitty, Kahlua, is missing back home. I've been trying for a long time to mentally prepare myself to hear bad news about Socks just because he's such an elderly guy, but I'm not prepared at all for something to happen to energetic little Kahlua. Not knowing where she is and not being able to be at home doing something about it completely and totally stinks.

2008-04-21T22:45:00.003-03:00

I'd like to introduce you all to the newest member of our household. We've adopted a cat!

Violet is about one year old and has had a rough go of it until now. She became pregnant too young, and when she gave birth her uterus prolapsed, which led to an emergency c-section and spaying. Unfortunately, only one of her kittens survived. She was abandoned at the vet clinic and ended up at the SPCA.

She's hit the jackpot now though, and we intend her to lead a life of feline luxury. Judging from the way she was lolling in a sunbeam on the couch this afternoon, it doesn't appear we're going to have a very hard time persuading her living here is a good idea. Be prepared: I predict many postings of cat pictures in the future!

2008-04-17T09:59:00.005-03:00

My first day at work as a new professional did not go exactly as I imagined. Actually, this whole week hasn't really gone the way I imagined.

Originally, I wasn't supposed to begin work until next Monday, but when some issues arose that meant I might not be able to get all my orientation and training finished before I was on my own, it wasn't a big deal for me to start a little earlier. I agreed to come in this Monday and Wednesday, and then spent the weekend celebrating the end my of MLIS.

I had a tickle in my throat when I woke up Monday morning, but because I've already been sick five (FIVE!) times this winter, I figured I had just been sleeping with my mouth open or something. By part way through the morning I definitely knew I was starting to get sick. Sometime between noon and 1:00pm, I got really dizzy and could feel myself starting to faint. I managed to stagger to a chair instead of falling on the floor, and ended up having to go home. I had to go home from my first day of work as a professional librarian. What an auspicious start to my career, eh?

But it got even better: my fever kept going up and and up, despite copious amounts of Tylenol, and my throat got so sore I could barely swallow. On Tuesday night Liam took me to the Health Centre on campus, where I was diagnosed with a raging case of strep throat. Then I threw up in the doctor's office. We took a cab the three blocks back to our apartment because I couldn't walk, and I just got sicker and sicker. Eventually my fever went up to 104.5 and I started seeing inanimate objects move. It was very disturbing, and I really don't recommend it.

However, antibiotics are marvelous, marvelous things, and by the next morning I was already starting to feel better. Yesterday my fever was much lower, but in comparison to the night before, I felt a million times better. I even ate an egg! And all the furniture stayed where it's supposed to! Unfortunately, when I called work to say I was still ill and couldn't come in, I found out that Wednesday had to be the last day of work for the person I'm replacing. This means I'm going to be running a library by myself with four hours of orientation.

On top of all this, I've missed almost all of the good-bye activities for my darling Dee, including ice cream cake and her Last Supper. She leaves today for a job interview in Ontario tomorrow and then heads back to Manitoba. I'm going to miss her like crazy, but thankfully she and all her family will be here in May for convocation.

In the meantime, as I store up my energy for Secret Friend farewells and Stars on Ice (which I'm going to tonight if Liam has to carry me), I'd like to send Laura a big congratulations on a huge academic achievement! I'm so proud of her!

2008-04-09T23:01:00.002-03:00

Today was my last day of class at SIM. We celebrated the end of an era with an afternoon in the sunshine, Tin Roof Brownie Blizzards from DQ, and a trip to the Grad House. I won't feel completely done until my last two assignments are handed in, but as people begin to talk about their travel plans and get excited about new jobs, it's hard to ignore the fact that two of the best years I've ever had are almost over.

That being said, I'm really looking forward to starting work as an actual professional and becoming a real grown-up (which Lynda assures me isn't that bad). Right now it feels like there's a world of possibilities out there. I can't wait to tackle them: hopefully the best is yet to come.

2008-03-29T12:17:00.002-03:00

I love birthdays, and I'm a big proponent of spreading them out so the fun lasts as long as possible. This year, I had my family celebration (complete with The Birthday Cake) in February when I was home for Reading Week, even though my actual birthday wasn't until this week. Festivities on the day itself were pretty subdued because Liam was sick and I had six hours of class in a row (from 2:30 pm until 8:30 pm), but between Facebook, emails, and e-cards, I still felt an awful lot of birthday love. Thanks to everyone who got in touch - you guys totally made my day!

Unfortunately, I caught Liam's cold and have been lying on the couch in a feverish haze since Wednesday afternoon. I did watch Mary Poppins yesterday though, which never fails to make me happier. Today I'm finally starting to feel a bit better, so it's time to return to assignments: only five more to go before I'm a professional librarian!

2008-03-20T22:40:00.003-03:00

Ladies and gentlemen, I will not be unemployed when the school year is over!

I just found out this morning that I will be working as coordinator of a resource centre for a Faculty of Education at a small university in the city. It's a one-year contract, which is perfect because I can stay with Liam while he finishes school, but still be flexible about moving next spring.

I can't even describe what a huge relief it is to know that A) I will still be able to pay my rent after graduation, B) someone actually wants to hire me, and C) I'll be doing a job I'm going to enjoy for the next year.

Hurray!

2008-03-12T19:36:00.002-03:00

Still sick. Liam is my hero. On the weekend he brought me home a bag of mini-eggs, which I haven't been able to eat yet because my throat is too sore. Tonight he went out in the snow to the grocery store to buy me some strawberry Jello. He is certifiably awesome.

2008-03-10T21:57:00.002-03:00

It started in January. First Liam got sick. Then he broke his arm. Then I got sick. Then he got sick again. Now I'm sick again. Vinny's theory is that we have fungus in our apartment, but I think we live in a plague house. Who wants to come visit?

2008-02-20T22:12:00.003-04:00

This week someone left a random penguin coffee mug in my mailbox at school! The little guys are wearing red bow ties and have the cutest yellow flippers. It was a lovely surprise and just another reminder of why I'm going to miss SIM when I graduate in May.

2008-02-10T23:47:00.000-04:00

It snowed beautiful Christmas card snow here this evening. Liam took this picture of our apartment building at about 10:30 pm. We're the three lighted windows right at the top. You can't zoom in enough on Blogger to tell, but Orla is sitting in the window sill on the left.

I handed in my evil cataloguing assignment, and I think my cold is starting to clear up a little. I'm going to have some Twix ice cream to celebrate. Life is good.

2008-02-09T19:04:00.000-04:00

Main entry: Still sick.

Added entry: My cataloging assignment is evil.

2008-02-07T22:46:00.001-04:00

I'm sick. Boo.

2008-02-06T10:17:00.000-04:00

Talk about school stretching my brain! Last night I submitted a webpage for my E-Text class. That's right: I made a webpage. From scratch. Using codes and stuff. I feel so smart!

Here it is: http://myweb.dal.ca/rs918039/index.html

2008-02-03T20:48:00.001-04:00

It's one week later and Liam can almost completely extend his arm again. The poor guy also came down with a cold the day after our trip to the hospital, so he hasn't had the greatest week.

Nothing else exciting is happening here (although lots of good excitement is happening to some very dear people!). I sit in front of my computer and do lots and lots of homework. And worry about getting a job. Thankfully, Liam is a fantastic cook, so at least I don't have to worry about eating well! Mmmm cheesy potatoes.

2008-01-28T15:50:00.000-04:00

Well, that was an eventful weekend.

Friday night Dee, Liam, Stephen (a classmate), and I went to the Seahorse to see Old Man Leudecke (an awesome banjo player) and the Tom Fun Orchestra (a neat band from Sydney). The music was great, but unfortunately the bar was freezing. As in I-wore-my-hat-and-coat-and-scarf-and-still-couldn't-feel-my-fingers freezing. Also, several members of the crowd appeared to not believe in personal hygiene.

Last night Aine came over for dinner. She left for three weeks in Rome this morning, and Orla is staying with us while she's away. I'm more than delighted to have a kitty for a while, even if it means sticking all my plants in the bathroom and keeping the door shut. Unfortunately, Liam took a spill while running to catch the bus to pick up Aine and broke his right arm at the elbow. We ended up spending most of the evening at the hospital and now Liam is iced and Motrin-ed within an inch of his life.

Here's hoping things calm down for the rest of the week!

2008-01-20T22:21:00.000-04:00

I've been somewhat lax in posting the last few weeks, and, unlike Lynda, I don't even have a good excuse. Here are some of the highlights of Jaunary thus far:

1. School started again -- my last semester at SIM. Although I'm excited to be an actual professional, I'm sad that this part of my life will be over in a few months. Job hunting is pretty unpleasant as well.

2. Lynda came to Halifax last weekend. We went shopping and I bought the most gorgeous pair of pants ever. Even I can tell they make my behind look incredible! And they're professional wear too, so the purchase was completely justifiable. We also baked The Birthday Cake for Dee. Thai food was consumed. Saturday night Dee, Aine, Lynda, and I went to the Neptune to see White Christmas and it was wonderful. There was lots and lots of tap dancing, and it snowed in the theatre!

3. My brother and his girlfriend were here for a night.

4. Liam creamed me at a game of Scrabble with "czar" on a triple-word square. That's 45 points! Don't play Scrabble with someone who likes to spend his spare time reading the OED.

5. Dee and I went to see Atonement. Even though it was depressing and waaay more graphic than I was expecting, I thought it was a good movie.

6. Tonight Liam and I team-cooked a roast beef dinner and had some people over for supper. Liam was responsible for the meat and gravy, while I made the Yorkshire puddings. Not only was it very tasty, it was Vinny's first ever roast beef dinner. Who gets to be twenty-five without having had a roast beef dinner?! His excuse was that his family is Italian. I'm not sure if that's a good excuse or not; after all, we're talking about the same guy who's never been sledding either.

That's all for now!

2007-12-24T18:22:00.000-04:00

I made a snowman this afternoon. The presents are under the tree. We're getting ready to make chocolate truffles. In five hours we'll pick up my youngest brother from work and drive around Charlottetown to look at Christmas lights. According to NORAD, Santa Claus is in Berlin. This is my favourite night of the year.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

2007-12-22T15:36:00.000-04:00

Thankfully, the awkwardness has been resolved. Sometimes it's best to take the beast . . . er, frog . . . by the horns.

2007-12-21T18:59:00.001-04:00

Ohhh, this is awkward . . .

2007-11-30T00:22:00.000-04:00

I have definitely come to the part of the semester when my brain ceases to produce meaningful thoughts and I can unravel at a moment's notice. I was doing well until this afternoon - I actually turned in two projects early - but today I hit the wall. I could feel my shoulders getting tense all morning, and when I hit a major bump just before dinner I had a total meltdown, complete with pulling my hair (which I do when I'm upset) and using half a box of Kleenex (which did not help the sinus infection at all).

It's not even like the situation is that awful. After all, I did win six dozen cookies yesterday and I don't have any incurable diseases. My assignments will get done and I'll be at home in less than a week now. I guess sometimes the stress just has to come out, and today happened to be the day.

2007-11-20T16:17:00.000-04:00

It's time for another end-of-the-semester tradition: Roseanne's mysytery illnesses.

In fourth year it was the incredible sickness that had all the symptoms of mono, but wasn't actually mono. Last spring it was the swollen cheeks and sore throat that seemed like the mumps, but turned out to be a bacterial infection.

When Liam got sick this fall I was sure I would be next, but nothing happened. I thought I was in the clear, but alas, it wasn't to be. After a trip to the clinic this afternoon on the advice of my mother, I have discovered that I am the proud owner of not one, but two separate infections!

I have just returned from Shoppers with several prescriptions and a large bottle of cranberry juice. At least this is a sign that it will soon be time to go home.

2007-11-03T12:42:00.000-03:00

So it's going to storm tonight . . . Usually I really enjoy fall storms. I like being inside while the rain blows against the windows. It makes everything feel extra cozy. However, the reason my new apartment is so gorgeous is because during Hurricane Juan the roof blew off the building (ie. our apartment) and everything had to be re-done. I know that Noel is not supposed to pack nearly the punch that Juan did, but for the record I really like having a roof. Over my head. Keeping me, Liam, and our stuff dry. And I'd like it to be there tomorrow as well. Just saying.

2007-10-19T15:04:00.001-03:00

The house next door has a child-sized scarecrow on its front porch, dressed in what appears to be a green velvet jumpsuit with lace trim around the sleeves, pant legs, and collar. This would be disturbing enough on its own, but the scarecrow doesn't have a head. Every time I walk past in the dark I think there's a headless baby standing on my neighbour's steps. It's creeping me out.

2007-10-14T12:53:00.000-03:00

It's a bit late, but here are the highlights of my Thanksgiving weekend:

1. Introducing Dee to the ferry.

2. Apple picking!

3. A visit to the Roma settlement near Montague.

4. Thanksgiving dinner with my family

5. A Trivial Pursuit showdown. Alas, there are no pictures, but Liam handily crushed Lynda, Dee, and me.

6. Meeting my cousin's one-month old baby. I'm in love.

2007-09-23T16:42:00.001-03:00

Earlier this week I discovered the giant shelf of musicals at Video Difference, the movie rental place just a block away that's operated by the same people as That's Entertainment and open 24 hours. I am not exaggerating in the slightest when I say that I thought I'd died and gone to DVD heaven. It's probably the biggest collection of musicals I've ever seen in one place - and most of them I've never watched before!

For our first selection, Dee and I settled on Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in Shall We Dance and we weren't disappointed! At one point, Fred and Ginger tapdance on rollerskates to the song "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off." On rollerskates, people! And I can't even walk in high heels! The music and lyrics were by the Gershwins (including the classic "They Can't Take That Away From Me") so it was pretty high quality, but it's the dancing that gets me every time.

Video Difference, this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

2007-09-20T23:52:00.001-03:00

Happiest of birthdays to my Mel, who is awesome and turns 23 today!

2007-09-18T21:29:00.000-03:00

I am happy to report that today I got my second MMR vaccine. No mumps for me! Yay for immune systems!

2007-09-16T14:31:00.000-03:00

As many of you know, the neighbours I had last year liked to relax by smoking massive amounts of marijauna. In fact, they smoked so much that sometimes I would step off the elevator to find clouds of pot smoke billowing through the hallway. Unfortunately, these clouds would also billow under my door, making my apartment reek at all hours of the night and day.

Well, there's something in the air of my new apartment too - but it's much pleasanter than pot smoke. The Ben's Bread Bakery is at the end of the block, and the scent of freshly baking bread wafts down the street several times each day. I've discovered that if you walk past at about 10:00 pm you can even watch the loaves of bread as they truck along their little assembly line.

Just another reason why I love living in my new apartment.

2007-09-06T14:48:00.001-03:00

Grrr to the loud machinery operating under my windows this morning at 8am. This was supposed to be my day to sleep in!

2007-09-02T10:24:00.001-03:00

I'm back in Halifax, refreshed and ready to blog again.

Liam and I are slowly getting settled in our new apartment. Moving was absolute pandemonium, but I guess that was to be expected. However, I can't really complain: we managed to finish up just before the torrential downpour started. We couldn't have done it without help from Dee, Emily, and Vinny, who were awesome.

We had a mini-visit from Laura, who saw the place at its most chaotic. The three of us had just enough time to grab some crepes at the Farmer's Market before she headed home to gear up for her adventures in Hamilton.

The first day of orientation for the new SIM students was yesterday, and the second years got the cutest little file folder buttons to wear. I'll post a picture as soon as I can get Liam to take out his camera. Today I helped give a tour of the campus and tonight is the Faculty of Management mixer, which I would totally skip except they're giving out free drink tickets.

Liam's classes start Friday morning, but I don't have anything until Monday, so I'm hoping this will be a relaxing weekend. There's a SIM picnic on Sunday, but I don't think anyone has three-legged races or egg-in-spoon races planned. Sorry Lynda!

2007-07-09T21:23:00.000-03:00

I'm starting to be able to help answer some of the complicated reference questions at work, and I can't tell you how excited this is making me! I'm going to be a really, truly librarian who can find things! People come into the library and think I know what I'm talking about. I love this!!

2007-07-08T00:31:00.000-03:00

I think everyone has a list of books they'd like to read someday and movies they mean to watch when they have the time. Usually I'm much better at reading the books on my list than I am at getting around to watching the movies, but in the past week I've seen three movies that have been on my "To Watch" list for quite a while.

I started last Friday with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which Michelle first told me to watch several years ago. I've always thought the premise for this movie sounded strange, but I actually really enjoyed it. I like the idea of an enduring connection between two people who've been in love, even when they think they hate each other, and I thought the plot was extremely clever. I wonder what it's like to be able to think up stories like that. By the time Kate Winslet whispered "Meet me in Montauk" I had already decided I wanted to watch the movie again because I bet it will be even better the second time. And who knew Jim Carrey is such a good actor when he's not making weird faces?

Then on Thursday I psyched myself up to watch Shindler's List, which I've avoided for a long time. If you've ever heard my story about watching Life is Beautiful I think you'll understand why. In fact, if you know me at all you probably understand why. Surprisingly, I wasn't as emotionally affected as I thought I would be, but I also don't think I let myself become fully absorbed in the movie because I knew if I did I would 1) use an entire box of tissues and scare my blind cat whenever I blew my nose and 2) probably not sleep well for several weeks. I made it through most of the movie without too many tears, although the part where the bodies of all the Jews who've been killed have to be dug up and burned did use up a lot of kleenex.

I saw the first half of Forrest Gump when I was twelve, but tonight I finally watched the whole thing. I definitely understood a lot more of what was happening than I did in 1994. I really, really loved this movie. Really loved it. I know it might be a little syrup-y, but I'm a syrup-y kind of girl. Tom Hanks is brilliant, although it was a little odd to see Mack from CSI New York as a legless man with long hair.

Anyway, I'm interested to know what other movies should be moved up to the top of my "To Watch" list. What do you guys think? What do I need to watch next? I know several of the people who read this blog have very strong opinions about movies, so please suggest away!

2007-06-25T21:27:00.001-03:00

Yesterday saw the return of Lynda and Rosey's Fabulous Adventures. Taking advantage of a sunny Sunday afternoon Lou and I piled into her car and set off to explore. Our last PEI adventure took us out to New Glasgow and Rustico, so this time we decided to go in a completely different direction and headed towards Montague. Instead of taking the main roads we meandered a little, which meant we got to see Sharon and Kieran's new house in Valleyfield.

After we hit Montague we continued on to Murray River and Murray Harbour. Alas, the bakery in Murray Harbour was closed, which meant we couldn't sample the Brad Richards cookie (which Lynda says is delicious), but we did see the large "Pride of Murray Harbour" sign. (Why is it that only sports figures or musicians seem to be the pride of places? What about all the people who gets PhDs or do other impressive things?)

Next up was a drive along the beautiful southern shore of Kings County. The scenery here was absolutely breathtaking. Everything was saturated with green and the wind smelled like grass and ocean. Even the cows looked happy. We stopped in at the Cape Bear lighthouse and played tourist for a while.

Then it was time to head home. On the way back we drove through Pownal and Alexandra so Lynda could have a trip down memory lane. Lynda and Rosey's Fabulous Adventures return next weekend, although we haven't decided what direction we're going to go yet.

2007-06-07T19:02:00.000-03:00

Yesterday I was looking for something in the stacks at work when I noticed a row of books about pigeons. "Why," I wondered, "would Veterans Affairs be interested in pigeons?" My question was answered a few minutes later when I took a closer look at one of the books and realized it was about pensions, not pigeons. Once again, I was left shaking my head at myself. But not too hard. I didn't want to damage the brain cells that remained.

2007-05-28T17:34:00.000-03:00

My civic duty is done. I voted on my way home from work and now I'm looking forward to an evening of watching election results.

However, there is one issue I felt was never fully discussed during the campaign. How is it that no one else noticed the lion is eating Robert Ghiz's head on the signs in his riding?

2007-05-22T19:04:00.000-03:00

It snowed a little again today. Seriously. I have had enough.

2007-05-21T19:16:00.001-03:00

Two exciting pieces of news:

1) I just got back from spending the weekend in Halifax, and I am happy to report that Liam and I have a place to live next fall! We'll be moving into Katie and Dave's super awesome apartment. Remember, visitors are welcome!

2) Dee's sister had a 9 lb. baby boy on Saturday. Welcome to the world Jonah Victor! And congratulations Auntie Dee.

2007-05-17T16:35:00.000-03:00

To the various deities in charge of the weather:

I would like to register my extreme unhappiness with the several centimeters of snow that were on the ground when I woke up this morning. I realize you are occupied with larger concerns, such as climate change and the upcoming hurricane season, but today's date is May 17th, which means the merry month of May is more than half over and summer should be on its way. Snow is highly inappropriate.

Sincerely,

Rosey

PS. I promise I will never leave my parka liner and winter boots behind to save space in my suitcase again.

2007-05-12T18:54:00.000-03:00

This is truly the cat of a future librarian. He's blind and yet continues to be attracted to books.

2007-05-11T23:33:00.000-03:00

I am now an official employee of Veterans' Affairs Canada. I have one of those little identity cards to wear around my neck and everything. The VAC library is extremely different than any other library I've worked in so far, but I really love the lady with whom I'm working. She's always laughing and we share a love of chocolate and cats.

Speaking of cats, it's amazing to see the difference spring has made in Socks. He has a spring in his step (still a little bit of a limp, but he is sixteen, after all) and his tail is waving up in the air. I take him for a walk in the backyard every day when I get home, and his favourite thing to do is follow Kahlua around and bite her tail. It sounds mean, but I think they like sparring with each other like a big brother with an annoying little sister. His sense of smell is so strong that sometimes it's almost like he can see.

In another exciting news, my family bought a second-hand canoe. Canoing used to be my favourite part of summer camp, so I'm looking foward to trying it again. Hopefully this won't be as traumatic as Catherine's boating experience in Ontario a few summers ago.

And that's it for now. I know my posts lately have been erratic and pretty boring, but hopefully as the stresses of schoolwork continue to fade away I'll feel more like being interesting.

2007-05-06T23:17:00.000-03:00

Well, I finished my practicum on Thursday. Making a little boy laugh until he fell over was definitely the highlight of my three weeks in the Children's Loft, but I also enjoyed being the troll in a puppet version of the Three Billy Goats Gruff, playing with construction paper, having a four year old tell me I was soft (I assumed it was a compliment), hearing a boy gasp excitedly when I showed him the shelf of books about dinosaurs, helping an elderly lady send emails to her nephew in Japan, and explaining to a little girl from Columbia what the word "poo" means. And if any of you have a chance, look up the book Bark, George by Jules Feiffer, because it might be one of the funniest stories I've read in a long time. That's what I was reading when the little boy fell over.

Friday I went out to UPEI to visit at the library and hear about all the groovy things that are happening since the new head librarian's arrival. I spent the rest of the weekend making myself walk around in the great outdoors (can anyone explain to me why it was snowing on Satuday?) and watching ridiculous amounts of Season 2 of Grey's Anatomy. Oh, and I bought pants, which is a significant achievement for me.

Tomorrow is my first day working at library at Veteran's Affairs, where I'll be for the rest of the summer. I'm looking forward to learning about life in a special library and Nicky, my new boss, has promised field trips to several other types of libraries in Charlottetown as well. Who knew there were this many libraries on PEI? I sure didn't.

2007-04-23T22:28:00.001-03:00

Still in the Children's Library and still having fun.

2007-04-14T01:15:00.000-03:00

Two events of note occurred today:

1. I had Shreddies and apple juice for breakfast for the first time in almost a week. A week without Shreddies!! I can't even remember the last time I went that long without Shreddies. I enjoy swallowing immensely.

2. My practicum started today, and I did not throw up on anyone! I knew I was going to be reading stories on the trolley bus, but I thought it was going to be during the afternoon and I'd have a chance to buy some Gravol at lunch. Unfortunately, the bus trip was scheduled for 10am, so I had to embark sans Gravol. I got to read about three stories (including the classic If You Give a Mouse a Cookie) before I became extremely nauseous. When we got to the mall the librarian who was with me took me to Zellers to buy Gravol. I barely made it back downtown. The bus route was all over the place and the roads were slippery from the snow. Thankfully, after realizing how miserable I was, the librarians told me I can concentrate on other programming activities for the rest of my time. On Monday I get to do a performance of the Billy Goats Gruff with puppets!

2007-04-12T23:05:00.000-03:00

So last Thursday afternoon, as I struggled to stuff everything I would need for the summer into my suitcases, I decided I'd leave my ski jacket liner and my winter boots in Halifax to save space. After all, I though, how much snow are we really going to get in April?

After I got home on Friday afternoon, I had a conversation with my mother about the outbreak of mumps in Halifax and how awful it would be to get sick during the final crunch of the semester.

Saturday night it started to storm. It snowed until Sunday night. There was more snow for Easter than there was for Christmas.

In the wee hours of Saturday night I woke up with a throat so sore I could barely swallow. By morning my face resembled a chipmunk's and I had a fever. It looked like I had the mumps. Thankfully when I went to the doctor on Monday it turned out to be a bacterial infection of some sort and the antibiotics he gave me started to clear it up right away. This meant I did not have to be quarantined for nine days (hurray!), but I wasn't able to start my practicum on Tuesday either (boo).

The moral of the story is that Murphy's Law will get you every time. In fact, although I am pretty much better and get to start my practicum tomorrow, it's supposed to storm again tomorrow night.

In other news, I have a job in a library in Charlottetown for the summer! I don't want to put details here, but anyone who wants to know more can email me.

2007-04-05T18:27:00.000-03:00

There are days when you're just so grateful for something someone has done for you, when you don't know what you would have done without their help, and today is one of those days. The person is my brother. I came within seconds of a full-out meltdown last night and he stayed up with me until 2am to fix a computer problem I had no idea how to solve. All I can say is thank goodness for computer genius brothers.

SIM party tonight; home tomorrow.

2007-03-31T14:03:00.000-03:00

As requested, here is a photo of the giant birthday penguin. Isn't he fantastic?

2007-03-30T23:11:00.000-03:00

Thankfully, the theme of this post will not be Adventures With Fire. In fact, I haven't really done anything that interesting since the middle of March. Right now my days are mostly filled with assignments, assignments, and more assignments, and in just two weeks I will be one-half of a professional librarian! My practicum starts on April 10 in the children's department of the library I used as a kid, which is pretty exciting as well. Some of the planned activities sound pretty cool, plus I'll get to organize some of my own. This also means I get to come home for at least a few weeks!!

I had a lovely birthday last weekend. Friday night there was a potluck dinner with an insane amount of delicious food and three kinds of cake! Drew and Dee were busy in my kitchen all afternoon, so there was chocolate cake for Vinny and white cake with pink icing and sprinkles for me and then Shannon brought DQ cake as well. I am now also the proud owner of a gigantic stuffed penguin. Plus I got to wear a tiara!

Mayhem will ensue on Monday when Dee and Emily move a bunch of their stuff into my place to be stored for the summer. Thankfully space isn't an issue, but I'm trying to get some things organized now so there will be less mess to worry about later. Since Dee's bed and belongings will be here, Dee herself is also going to stay for a few days until she heads back to Winnipeg for the summer. Happily, the other end of the storage bargain means Liam and I will have people to help us clean and move in August!

2007-03-15T23:49:00.000-03:00

Welcome to another installment of Roseanne's Adventures with Fire.

Last night, at about 3:30am, I was awakened by a ringing noise. Assuming it was my alarm clock, I hit snooze and rolled over to go back to sleep. As the ringing continued, I groggily realized it was actually the fire alarm going off and that hitting snooze was not going to make it stop. I stumbled out of bed, found a pair of socks and a sweater, put on my parka, and hoofed it down five flights of stairs.

The lobby was filled with the yellow dust from a fire extinguisher, and everyone was huddled on the sidewalk. It wasn't long before three fire trucks, an ambulance, and four police cars were parked out front. I don't even know what happened, but it was a very cold and windy hour before we were allowed back into our apartments.

Like I said before, I'm starting to be a little perturbed at the attraction that seems to exist between me and fire alarms.

In other news, Liam arrives tomorrow to spend the weekend and the SIM St. Paddy's Day party is tomorrow night. Hurrah for socializing!

2007-03-12T13:33:00.000-03:00

I wish I could tell you I've been doing something exciting while my blog has been AWOL, but unfortunately I've mostly been hunkered down doing incredible amounts of homework. Thankfully nothing has reached the panic level of the 24-hour literature review, but that doesn't really make for exciting blogging either.

On another note, my youngest brother finally got his license last week (yes, procrastination is a family trait). Now all the Gauthier kids can drive! Woot!

2007-02-28T22:38:00.000-04:00

Tonight I managed to turn a frozen pizza black. The last time I baked a frozen pizza I accidentally dropped it into my oven upside down. I'd say my karma might be trying to save me from junk food, except I'm still eating an obscene amount of chocolate.

2007-02-27T18:02:00.000-04:00

Is it me, or are buildings more likely to catch on fire when I'm around?

I just got home from a long day at school and I wasn't even in my apartment for ten minutes when the fire alarm went off. I trooped outside with everyone else to stand in the cold, listening to people talk about how smoky it was on the seventh floor and crossing my fingers that nothing was actually burning. Turns out there was a kitchen fire on Floor 7 that was extinguished pretty quickly, but still set off the alarms. On the plus side now I know the smoke detectors in this building work...

Seriously though, that's two fires in Waterloo and now one in Halifax. I don't know how I feel about this trend. I know my mother won't like it.

2007-02-15T00:09:00.000-04:00

All my assignments for the week have finally been submitted. I have mopped the kitchen floor and found the source of the funny smell in my kitchen. I am currently watching The Daily Show and eating my midnight bowl of Shreddies. I am ready to go home.

2007-02-13T18:36:00.000-04:00

The next time I complain about how much work I have to do, someone please remind me of the past twenty-four hours.

With three assignments due this week, one each for Monday through Wednesday, I spent my weekend holed up in my apartment with the Black Baby. Things were going well: I sent in a research proposal, wrote a draft of a management paper, and almost finished my literature review.

Then, yesterday afternoon, Dee and I decided that maybe we should double-check our research question for the literature review with our prof. Unfortunately, during this meeting we realized we had approached our project from the absolutely, positively wrong angle. Unfortunately, this also meant that even though each of us had an almost completed 8 page paper, we were going to have to start all over again. From scratch. Two newly-researched papers were going to be due in twenty-four hours.

This was the scene at about 11pm.

I have never, ever cut it so close on an assignment before. We researched and wrote until I fell asleep at 4am. Dee was up until 5am. We skipped class Monday evening, but had to be at school at 8:30 this morning. After class we went back to my place and worked until our next class at 2:30. We handed in our papers on our break. Here's post-paper:

My hands are shaking and I feel like I'm drunk. I still have another paper to finish, but I just can't face doing any more work today. Time for some leftover pizza and nothingness.

2007-02-05T16:22:00.000-04:00

Some random updates...

Dee came over the other week and made the best corn chowder I've ever tasted.

I finally realized why my contacts weren't working right - I was putting the left one in the right eye and vice versa.

Lynda was here for a very brief visit this weekend. It was lovely to see her (as it always is), but unfortunately she had to miss the Pirate Party at Fenwick on Saturday night.

This is as ferocious as I can look. In other words, not too ferocious at all. There was lots of dancing and eating of cupcakes and yohoho-ing and all the other things at which pirates excel.

And now back to homework.

2007-01-27T18:56:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Katie and Dave who announced last night they're getting married in August! There's nothing I love more than happy people, and they are definitely the happiest I've seen in a while.

2007-01-21T00:38:00.000-04:00

Lynda and Rosey’s Fantabulous Skating Adventures: Day 1

Senior Women’s Short Program
Lynda: The women’s short program brought us the return of the lovely Cynthia Phaneuf to national skating. She has been working her way back from an injury, and word on the street was she was not quite at the top of her game. She put down a charming performance which featured gorgeous arm movements and lovely musical expression. It wasn’t technically brilliant, but it put her in good position for the free skate. We saw her sitting with her mom before skating and then we saw her warming up across the rink. FYI: she has Betty Boop skate guard covers
Rosey: The highlight of the women’s short was Lesley Hawker’s solid skate. It’s always great to see hard work rewarded, and Lesley was clearly delighted by the crowd’s response to her performance – she got the only standing ovation of the evening.

NOTE: Part way through the afternoon we realized we had the BEST SEATS EVER when both Victor Kraatz and Brian Orser sat in the section in front of us. The conversation went something like this:
Rosey nudges Lynda: “Holy crap, that’s Victor Kraatz!”

Ten minutes later Lynda nudges Rosey: “Oh my God, that’s Brian Orser!”

Ten minutes after that Rosey says to Lynda: “Is it just me, or is the BMO Bear flirting with us?”

Senior Pairs’ Short Program
Lynda: Hometown favourites Brodeur and Mattatall brought the crowd to their feet with their spirited short program, despite the fact that their death spiral slid away from them. They were pretty decent considering that this is their first year together, and she has never skated pairs before. Give them time, and they might be pretty good.
Rosey: Lynda told me I was going to love Dube and Davison, and was she ever right. Watching them skate is like eating Lindt chocolates (the really creamy ones that come in the red wrappers). As they entered their death spiral, Davison cradled Dube’s head in one hand and I fell in love. There are few things in skating I adore more than beautiful death spirals.
Lynda: So, we were slightly creeped out by the brother/sister Moscovitches. First of all, she’s only 13, but she looks like she’s 22. And I certainly would not want either of my brothers grabbing me in the places that he was grabbing her. That being said, they did have lovely unison in their side by side pair spins, which is something that all the other pairs failed to accomplish.
Rosey: And finally, we both noticed that 14 year old Rachel Kirkland bears an amazing resemblance to Dee, except she’s even smaller! (And we didn’t know that was possible!) She’s so teeny that her partner looked like he was scared he was going to break her.

Some very obnoxious younger skaters sat behind us for the pairs’ short program. At first we didn’t know who they were, we just knew they were opinionated. One of them was making fun of a pairs skater who was bigger than average, saying, “His arm’s the size of my leg!” An annoyed Lynda leaned into Rosey and commented, “Actually, his arm’s the size of that guy’s big mouth.”

For Day 2's adventures, including a run-in with a rain storm, see Lynda’s blo g.

2007-01-20T13:02:00.000-04:00

Lynda and I have been putting in some hardcore time at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships over the past two days. We've had some adventures - some good, some hilariously bad. There will definitely be a lengthy post from both of us after the men's and pairs' long programs today, but in the meantime, look how close we were to Brian freakin' Orser!!!

2007-01-17T18:09:00.000-04:00

While doing some reading for my Research Methods class, I came across this exercise on the efficiency of language (ie. having one word that signifies an entire concept) in my textbook:

"Imagine, for a moment, that you are driving along a country road. To your left you see something with the following characteristics:
~Black and white in colour, in a splotchy pattern;
~Covered with a short, bristly substance;
~Appended at one end by an object similar in appearance to a paintbrush;
~Appended at the other end by a lumpy thing with four pointy objects sticking upward (two soft and floppy, two hard and curved around);
~Held up from the ground by four spindly sticks, two at each end."

That's so easy, I thought. Obviously it's a skunk that's been run over and has all four of its legs sticking up in the air! It's black and white and has a tail and you see dead skunks near the road all the time at home!

Needless to say, I felt pretty dumb when I read the next sentence: "Unless you were born yesterday, you would almost certainly identify the object as a cow." Then I read the list to Liam and he guessed that the animal being described was a zebra, and I felt better.

Some days I wonder how I managed to get into graduate school....

2007-01-08T22:17:00.000-04:00

After a Christmas vacation with a rocky start and a happier end, I'm back in happening Halifax.

Classes started Wednesday, but I've only had two and a half so far. My class tonight was cut short when the power went out on campus. Oddly enough, when I got back to my apartment, only one block away, my building still had electricity. Dee and I took it as an omen we should eat the leftover ice cream cake in my freezer in case I did lose power later and the precious cake melted.

Liam came back to Halifax with me to ease the transition from home to away, and Lynda arrived Friday night for the Oliver! Extravaganza. After a Saturday spent at the Halifax Shopping Centre (I got the most gorgeous red cushions for my couch!), Dee, Lou, and I took in Oliver! at the Neptune Theatre. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The live version of this show is a million times better than the movie. Now I just need to find a way to work the phrases, "I'm reviewing the situation" and "Pip, pip, cheerio, be back soon" into my conversations.

Liam and Lynda left on Sunday, but now that I'm getting back into the swing of things I'll have plenty to occupy myself with. First YA class is tomorrow!!!

2006-12-24T17:24:00.000-04:00

Christmas Eve - this is my favourite night of the entire year. My house smells like cookies and bread sticks. The Christmas tree is covered in shiny baubles and presents in red and green paper are oozing out from under its bottom branches. An elderly gentleman cat is snoring among the boxes; he loves Christmas too. Another cat, this one with a twitchy tail and perky whiskers, is curled up on the rocking chair. In half an hour they'll probably be chasing each other through the presents. Christmas carols are playing on the radio in the kitchen, and my dad is in such a good mood about finishing his shopping he hasn't told my mother to "turn down that awful, schmaltzy racket" or drowned out CBC with blues music. One brother is home and later on we'll all pile into the car to pick up the other brother. Then we'll drive around, looking at Christmas lights, "bickering" over who's taking up too much room in the back seat. Once we come home, we'll hang up our stockings by the chimney with care and nestle into our beds while visions of sugar plums dance in our heads. Merry Christmas everyone!

2006-12-09T19:35:00.000-04:00

I'm home! The driving was touch-and-go yesterday, but we made it.

We did make a rest stop just outside Oxford. The Cobequid Pass was nasty - it was freezing raining and snowing and we couldn't see more than a few feet of the road ahead. After passing an SUV upside down in the ditch and nearly being pushed off the road by an eighteen-wheeler that whizzed past at twice the speed of all the other vehicles on the highway (most of which had their four-way flashers on), Mom decided she wanted to get off the highway until a snowplow had been by. What really made me laugh was that the eighteen-wheeler was an ice cream truck: Now, I'm an ice cream fan and all, but really, who needs ice cream that badly during a snow storm?

Anyway, I've been enjoying cuddling with my cats and playing Stephen's new Wii. Tomorrow my family is putting up our decorations. Time for Christmas!

2006-12-07T11:14:00.000-04:00

Done! Done! DONE!!! My mom will be here in four hours and I'll be home tomorrow!!!!

2006-12-03T21:21:00.000-04:00

This is how I feel today, except I'm beating my head, not a drum set. Stupid essay-writing. Only four more days until I can go home. Grumble.

2006-12-02T17:50:00.000-04:00

This afternoon, instead of working on my essay, I went to see Happy Feet. I've really been looking forward to watching this movie -- I mean, does it get any better than singing and dancing penguins?! Although I thought the story could have been tightened up in some places, the visuals were absolutely stunning, especially the shots of Antarctic scenery and the part where Mumble goes swimming for the first time.

Speaking of penguins, today is my fellow peguin fan's 25th birthday! This lovely boy keeps me well stocked in hugs and all kinds of penguin paraphenalia. Happy birthday VIP! *HONK*

2006-12-01T21:55:00.000-04:00

Ahhh procrastination, it's like we were never parted. And now, instead of only being able to use cleaning as an excuse to avoid writing my term paper, I can write stuff for my blog too!

Last Friday night was the SIM Christmas party. Dee and I got ready together, which involved a lot of singing, dancing, and sparkles. I discovered that my ineptitude for hair only applies to my own head and that I actually make someone else's hair look pretty. I got to wear my pretty red dress (you all know how I feel about pretty red things) and eat potatos, so I was happy with the evening. To your right is a picture of Dee, Emily, and me trying to be sassy.

Satuday evening some of us headed down to the Grand Parade to watch the lighting of the Christmas tree. We had candy from the Freak Lunchbox and got to sing Christmas carols. After the tree was lit there was a fireworks display! Then we all stopped at the Second Cup to get some delicious liquid gingerbread (that is, Gingerbread lattes) and headed over to Fenwick to watch The Muppet Christmas Carol and Elf.

This week I've mostly been either working on assignments or studying for exams. Databases are finally over (they were the equivalent of theory class for me) and now I only have one paper and one exam left to go! This time next week I'll be home!!

2006-11-22T23:15:00.000-04:00

Michelle just called me Library Lady and it made my day, so, like a good librarian, I decided to Google the phrase and found this:

According to an online description, Miss Library Lady, published in 1954 is a "career romance for young moderns" in which Jean, a new and idealistic children's librarian, meets Mr. Right on the bus by trying to see what book he's reading. Of course, he's engrossed in Rabelais, and she's only perusing a book of pictures from Spain, because it would never do to have our heroine appear too brainy, even though she may be a little "bookish."

I'm happy to report there seems to be a whole series of these books, including Nancy Runs the Bookmobile, Library Life for Deborah, Molly Qualifies as a Librarian, Librarian With Wings, and Loveliest Librarian.

It's enough to make me swear off buns and glasses for the rest of my life.

2006-11-21T17:07:00.000-04:00

I have to say, I'm loving that there's something fun to do every weekend here. After an afternoon spent at the Halifax Shopping Centre, Dee and I took in the Christmas parade downtown. The streets were packed with excited parents and children, the majorettes' batons glowed in the dark, Santa Claus made an appearance, and a bunch of the seventy floats had penguins on them. Then it was time for some post-parade hot chocolate.

Last night a group from school went to a live taping of the CBC program This Hour Has 22 Minutes. I haven't watched that show much since Rick Mercer left, but I really enjoyed seeing how it gets put together. Plus it was a huge bonus to find out that Shaun Majumder is now a member of the cast because I think he's absolutely hilarious! Anyway, it was a fun evening, especially since the tickets were free.

Now it's time to settle down in front of the TV to see if I can find myself in any of the audience shots.

2006-11-13T01:29:00.000-04:00

My brother Steve has been visiting me this weekend, so I've taken a bit of a break from freaking out about school for some quality sibling time. He got here at midnight on Friday and leaves tomorrow afternoon, but we've managed to pack a lot into two days.

Yesterday we went to the cenotaph, ate fries from Bud the Spud, were attacked by starlings, window-shopped, walked through the Public Gardens, and sang along to Joseph. Dee and Vinny came over last night and Vinny (who is half-Italian) fed us traditional Italian pasta. After we ate, we all sat around and groaned about how full we were and tried to convince Steve to become a librarian.

Today we were going to go to Point Pleasant Park, but, due to my poor sense of direction, we actually ended up just taking a very long walk because I couldn't find the park. (Remember, I was once in a car that drove to the wrong province by mistake.) We went out for dinner and stuffed ourselves silly, and then we watched V for Vendetta (an awesome movie!).

It's been interesting spending so much time with just my brother. Sometimes the six years between us can feel like a lot, but it's nice to talk with him and realize how grown-up he's become and how many things we do have in common. And just to prove his increasing maturity, tonight I saw him drink a fruit smoothie and eat salad - the most fruits and veggies than I've ever seen him willingly consume in a meal!

2006-11-09T23:41:00.000-04:00

So, um, you know those days when you spring out of bed to greet the day with enthusiasm, only to wonder an hour later if it would have been better had you just rolled over and gone back to sleep? This was one of those days. I never spring out of bed, so when I did this morning, I just assumed it would be a productive day. After slogging to school through the pouring rain, spending forty-five minutes before class in the computer lab working hard, but accomplishing nothing, and sitting through class in cold, wet jeans, I was ready to rethink my earlier spring.

Other little things kept happening all day, but the grand finale was when I dropped the pizza I made for dinner upside down in my oven. Now there's pepperoni and cheese all over the oven door, all over the inside of the oven, in the cracks between the door and the oven, and even in the drawer underneath the oven. And because the oven was hot when I dropped the pizza, the cheese and pepperoni burnt onto it.

On the bright side, my brother Steve gets here for a visit tomorrow night. There's going to be some comic book shopping and lots and lots of eating. Yay!

2006-11-08T12:09:00.000-04:00

I'm still loving school, but I just skip from assignment to assignment. Nothing is extremely hard, there's just a LOT of it. Needless to say, my blog posting has been suffering...

And, for your viewing pleasure, here's a picture of my costume from the SIM Halloween party. The night was a blast, although I hadn't planned on using my CAA to unlock a van with the keys inside or practicing my first aid skills on someone's bleeding head. In case you can't tell, I was the Paper Bag Princess from the Robert Munch book. This was definitely a librarians' party because there was also a Pippi Longstocking and Peter Pan. Gold stars to Dee for helping to make it possible to sit down in the paper bag!

2006-10-21T11:24:00.000-03:00

It's been a hectic ten days since I last posted. Assignments keep piling up, and, much as I love school, it does seem to be taking over my life right now. Every time I finish one project there's another deadline waiting around the corner. Some of these assignments are time-consuming (last Monday I handed in one that was 65 pages long!), while others challenge my own long-held beliefs about my abilties (I actually constructed a database that worked!). I can tell my brain is stretching in new directions, and it feels good.

I would also like to note how much I love the chairs in my classrooms at school. They're all on wheels (Michelle, you might be dangerous in these rooms), most have adjustable arm rests, and they're all padded for fabulous lumbar support. This might not seem like a big deal, but when you sit in these chairs for three hours at a stretch, it's nice if your behind isn't numb or your back doesn't crack when you stand up again.

2006-10-10T23:21:00.000-03:00

Ahhhh, fall in PEI: my favourite time of the year in my favourite place in the world.

After some unexpected adventures on Friday afternoon, the carload of four Islanders plus one Manitoban hit the highway for a Thanksgiving weekend at home. Unfortunately, we didn't get into Charlottetown until almost 11:30pm, so there was no nacho outing; however, my mom had made brownies and Socks (who was still in pretty rough shape) purred for me and let me scratch him under his chin.

Saturday was turkey day at my house. It didn't start out well. Just before my mother started to bake the pumpkin pies my dad decided to fix the leaky faucet in the kitchen. In the tradition of repairs in the Gauthier household, the five-minute job turned into a trip to two hardware stores and Mr. Plumber, while my mother, who now had no water to cook with at all, became more and more frazzled. I took Dee (my "Friendly Manitoban" visitor, who by now was probably wondering what she had gotten herself into when she agreed to spend Thanksgiving with my family) to Mike's fantabulous apartment so we could use the shower, and then we spent the afternoon wandering around downtown until we were thought it would be safe to return to the house. The sink eventually got fixed (although my poor dad will never live this one down) and Pam and Liam came over to help eat the huge, delicious turkey dinner. Then Lynda joined us and we all went into town to walk the boardwalk and introduce Dee to the cannons in Victoria Park.

Everyone else had Thanksgiving dinner Sunday. so it was PEI sightseeing day for Dee. We hit up New Glasgow, Green Gables, the National Park, and Rustico. By far my favourite part of the day was when Dee, who had never seen the ocean before, blurted out, "It's the ocean! With waves and everything!" Despite a stranger warning her that "this isn't Hawaii you know," she waded into the water to have an Atlantic ocean frolic while I recorded the moment for her family.

Liam drove us back to Halifax yesterday, and today I returned myself to the land of assignments and deadlines. On the bright side, it looks like my brother might come visit in November, and it's only two months until Christmas break begins.

2006-10-05T22:52:00.000-03:00

Socks came home this afternoon. He's doing much better than yesterday; he even ate a little once he was back in familiar territory.

As for me, after class tomorrow morning and some packing, I'm headed home for Thanksgiving and a weekend of pampering my cat. I'm even bringing a classmate with me. Dee is from Manitoba, so she's excited about coming to PEI and seeing the ocean for the first time!

So, anyone up for nachos at Gahan tomorrow night around 9:30?

2006-10-03T20:47:00.000-03:00

Socks' operation went as well as could be expected this morning. His heart held up under the anasthetic, so the vet was able to remove both eyes with a minimal loss of blood. He spent most of today sleeping, but last I heard he was sitting up in his cage and making friends with the hospital staff. Tomorrow he gets his first meal and my mother is going in to sit with him for a while so he won't be lonely. Hopefully Socks will be home on Thursday and then on Friday I'll be able to see my super pirate kitty for myself!

2006-10-02T18:20:00.000-03:00

A few days ago my beloved cat, Socks, developed glaucoma in one eye. According to the Glossary of Feline Terms, glaucoma is a disease of the eye "caused by pressure within the eye as a result of an inbalance between production and drainage of aqueous humour, a fluid produced by the eye" and is the major cause of feline blindness.

Now, my kitty is fifteen years old and has been already been blind for the better part of a year, so aside from potential complications and some discomfort on his part, it looked like he was going to be just fine. My family took him to the animal hospital in Southport, where, after a bunch of blood work, the vet said the glaucoma wasn't the result of any other disorders (like kidney failure or thyroid problems) and that, aside from his eye, Socks was a very healthy cat for his age. She gave my mom some pills and salve to take home, and at first it seemed like his eye was getting better.

Unfortunately, last night in the short span of time between when Steve went to bed at 1am and Dad woke up around 7am, the eye got much worse. When Socks went to the vet this morning she said the eye is unsaveable now. There is no other solution: tomorrow morning my cuddly cat will have one or both of his eyes removed.

The prognosis is relatively good, although there are no guarentees. Socks will have to stay in the animal hospital for a few days, but hopefully he'll be back at home with his plastic collar by the time I get there on Friday night. In the meantime, I wish I could be there, but at least it's only four days now...

On the brighter side of things, today is my dad's birthday. Happy 55th Daddy!

2006-09-29T12:51:00.000-03:00

As I'm sure many of you know, last weekend the eagerly-anticipated Invasion of Girls (Lynda, Laura, but alas, no Michelle) descended on Halifax. The purpose of this visit, as Laura has described so well in her blog, was to sigh over Mr. Darcy in all his glory in the A&E version of Pride and Prejudice and to compare the beloved P-p-penguin biscuits with the Australian TimTam. I am proud to say that both missions were successfully completed.

However, chocolate cookies and Colin Firth were not the only excitement, so here's a rundown of all the other adventures we had over three days:

I met up with Laura on Friday afternoon, after nodding my way through my Reference class. We lugged her stuff up to my apartment, and then headed downtown through campus so she could see the Management building, where I have all my classes. She agreed with me that the open design and the floating staircases were a bit freaky for those with a thing about heights, which made me feel much less silly. (I am getting used to it though. Now I can walk up and down the stairs and I'm fine as long as I don't look over the edge.) I was also able to point out what must be the most obscene statue I have ever seen. I still can't believe this thing is on a university campus.

Laura and I continued downtown to enjoy some French fries from a chip stand in a truck, a visit to MEC, and my first ever visit to a sex shop. Yes, that's right, I have now been in a sex shop and I don't even think I blushed.

Then Lynda arrived and we headed up to Quinpool Road for a delicious supper at Quincy's. The restaurant was picked solely because of their slogan: "Like a diner, only finer." Plus their sign advertised sweet potato fries as their speciality, and us Confed Centre girls like our sweet potato fries!

Saturday morning we headed down to the Farmer's Market to check out the cinnamon rolls at Mary's Bread Basket. Then we browsed through the many, many booths (it wasn't quite St. Jacob's, but it's close), picking up a few veggies for supper that night and a beautiful boquet of sunflowers. After that we walked along the waterfront to see Theodore Tugboat!!!

And then, just in case we hadn't walked enough already, we headed up Citadel Hill for the view and to Pete's Frootique for some more Penguin biscuits. (The white building to the right of my finger and in the background in my apartment building.)

That evening we cooked up a huge spread (including the excitement of the garlic press with incredible squishing action!) and ate to the sounds of The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black" wafting in the window from the big concert.

Then it was back to P&P. One of my favourite moments came as Darcy removed his cravat and vest in preparation for his dive into the lake at Pemberly. Suddenly Laura burst out, "Oh yeah, take it all off!"

Unfortunately, Laura had to leave early Sunday morning, but after a little lie-in Lynda and I headed down to Smitty's for breakfast. Stuffed with waffles and hash browns, we stumbled across a poster for Word on the Street, a book festival down at Pier 23. With nothing else planned, we decided to take it in. Lynda enjoyed the discounted books from St. Mary's bookstore and I drooled over the amazing children's lit selection from Woozles.

Then it was back up to the Public Gardens with a short stopover in front of the Lord Nelson, where everyone was waiting to see Mick Jaggerm make his exit. We waited for fifteen minutes or so, but then we got bored, so we left. We walked through the gardens, which in hindsight might not have been a good idea considering Lou's fear of ducks and pigeons, and then headed back to my place for a little more lazing around. Lynda left late in the afternoon and I prepared for a week of assignments...

2006-09-23T20:03:00.000-03:00

Laura, the Lady of A Lot

More hijinks to follow...

2006-09-19T18:10:00.000-03:00

Today's exciting news: I have a bed!!! After sleeping on an air mattress for two weeks (which is actually not as bad as it sounds) tonight I will slumber peacefully under a fluffy duvet on a pleasantly firm mattress. Hopefully this will also help to get rid of the horrible crick I've had in my neck for the last few days....

Liam was here for a (too) short visit last weekend. We filled Saturday with a visit to the Peace Pavilion on the Dartmouth waterfront, a giant trip to the mall to get more things for my apartment, and some time spent downtown so he could ogle the camping gear at MEC and the cameras at Carsand-Mosher. As a bonus, Liam brought over some boxes from home for me that included exciting things like plates and spoons. My mom sewed me a set of curtains for my bedroom and sent me some cute pictures and a bright yellow tea tray. With little touches like these my place is looking more settled every day -- just in time for the invasion of girls next weekend!

And finally, I had a confusing ten minutes in computer class today as I listened to my prof go on and on about all the different tools in a database and he kept mentioning swords. I couldn't understand what swords would have to do with databases -- until I realized that with his thick Lebanese/French accent he was actually saying "sort". Suddenly things made sense. I'll take S words for $500 please.

2006-09-14T22:11:00.001-03:00

The baby pigeons are gone. John, my superintendent, "eliminated" them while I was in class on Tuesday afternoon. Even though I know there was no other solution to the problem, I feel horribly guilty every time I hear the mother pigeon outside the window. It might not even be the same bird, but my conscience still translates "Squawk, squawk, squawk" into "Baby killer!" I guess at least now I can start using my balcony...

My Management Without Borders lecture today provided a reminder of just how varied my classmates' backgrounds are: When we were discussing the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and its impact of the public image of Shell, a girl spoke up who grew up in the same town as Saro-Wiwa and whose father worked for Shell. It's hard to get more first-hand that in a classroom discussion about an event that happened eleven years ago on the other side of the world! Although there are many important lessons I learned at UPEI, there really is something to be said for being in a class that isn't primarily made up of people who all have (relatively) similar life experiences. Also, it's hard not to be impressed when your professor announces that he won't be at next week's lecture because he will be speaking at a UN meeting in Paris!

And finally, Michelle has the internet! Yay!! And Liam is coming tomorrow! Yay!!

2006-09-10T23:12:00.000-03:00

Well, this weekend was certainly action-packed!

Friday night Roisin (a friend from Waterloo) and her boyfriend, Ryan, arrived in Halifax after a week spent camping in the Maritimes. I'm pleased to report that they made it over to PEI and loved it. Ryan even got his first glimpse ever of the ocean! They stayed at my apartment Friday night, which gave me a chance to show off my new digs for the first time -- and Roisin was suitably impressed by the lack of holes in my carpet. We went for brunch on Saturday morning and then wandered through the Public Gardens for a bit. Roisin and Ryan went downtown to do some shopping and I went to the bookstore to spend $170 on two tiny textbooks. The two of them left for the airport in the later afternoon, so I did some reading and took a little nap.

This morning was brunch at The Thirsty Duck with people from SIM and then a city-wide scavenger hunt! Team Gazeebow Unit (no, that's not a misspelling) came in first place, so I am now the proud owner of a Halifax bookmark and $5 in Tim Horton's money. Both of these things will come in handy! I also finally got to see Katie, picked up a few plants at Pete's Frootique, and got to have a nice chat with Rachie.

Now for the first full week of classes...

2006-09-07T18:09:00.000-03:00

Last night was the long-awaited Keith's Brewery tour. Most of the first-year SIMs (there are 54 of us!) and a few of the second-years toddled off to the waterfront to watch women in wench-dresses and men in suspenders explain to us how hops and grains and water become beer. Then they gave us a drink (no, I didn't have any) and sang us "What Do You Do With a Drunken Sailor?" It was a fun half hour, but I can't believe people pay $20 for the experience.

After the Bewery we moved on to the Henry House for dinner (where I'm pretty sure I saw the guy who sold me my couch). During conversation with some girls from out west I was appalled to discover several large gaps in their knowledge of Eastern Canada: 1) they did not know PEI was famous for potatos; 2) they thought Cape Breton was a town in Nova Scotia, not an island; and 3) one Albertan thought that Nova Scotia was a three-hour FERRY ride from TORONTO! That being said, these girls are extremely nice and also excited to be in the Maritimes, so I think I'll just educate them about Atlantic Canada as much as I can. After all, it's not their fault they're from Western Canada... (I'm just kidding Laura!) Actually, I'm really enjoying getting to know my classmates, even the Albertans. ;)

In other news, the two pigeon eggs on my balcony have hatched. I thought I heard peeps last night, so I went out today to check -- and there are two scrawny, ugly little baby birds in the nest. I thought that baby birds would at least be cute! I guess I was picturing yellow chicks or something...

2006-09-05T19:31:00.000-03:00

It seems only fitting to begin my time in Halifax by reflecting back on my year in Waterloo. Those twelve months in 2004 and 2005 were filled with a lot of firsts -- my first time living on my own, my first experience with graduate school, my first time navigating a public transit system, my first tornado warning. I learned a lot while I was in Ontario, and I'd like to share some of what I consider my most interesting discoveries. Be warned though: just because I thought it was exciting or significant doesn't mean it actually was!

1. No matter what Ontarians might think, a creek on campus is not a substitute for the Atlantic Ocean.
2. The thrill of being able to visit The Gap whenever you want never wears off, even if the only thing you buy there in a year is a pair of jeans.
3. There are stables in the parking lots of most grocery stores in Waterloo so that Mennonites who have to do a little shopping have a place to tie up their horse and buggy.
4. A podium makes a good place to hide your shaking hands on your first day as a teaching assistant; however, never underestimate the authority that comes from being the one writing on the chalkboard.
5. It is possible to sleep for 20 hours in a row.
6. It is also possible to function for two days on three hours of sleep. (I think Michelle knew that already.)
7. Rosie O'Donnell is extremely polite.
8. Never wear a new skirt out in public without first checking if you need to wear a slip.
9. Don't let your boyfriend drink unattended with your classmates from Ireland.
10. Getting mail instantly makes your whole day better, especially if it's not a bill or a pizza flyer.
11. It says something about your neighbourhood when the closest stores are Mario's Pizza, a porn shop, and Lucky Super Convenience.
12. It is possible to pick up the instrument you haven't played in six years and make music again.
13. Thunder storms are not as enjoyable when you're by yourself.
14. Never order furniture online from Sears, unless you're prepared to spend hours on the phone trying to find a human to complain to when you've been sent the wrong-coloured couch. Stupid Sears.
15. After the first five minutes of terror, riding on a motorcycle is surprisingly fun.
16. In graduate school you sometimes have to curse as part of a seminar. Try not to blush.
17. When Mel rubs my head it makes my headaches go away.
18. Always have an air-conditioner for your tiny, top-floor apartment. When it hits 40 degrees outside your body will thank you.
19. There are cats that live behind the Parliament Buildings!
20. Having friends drive across three provinces to visit you makes you realize how lucky you are to know people like that.
21. When you're in a Greek restaurant and someone lights something on fire behind your head and yells "Opa!" it's not necessary to scream or duck.
22. If you're ever going on a car trip with Catherine and Mike be prepared to sing gospel music.
23. Meeting your neighbours in Ontario isn't impossible; it just takes longer.
24. Open the steam vents on your pots before you try to boil carrots.
25. When your carrots have exploded and your fish has turned to ashes, waffles make a good supper.
26. Big cities are filled with wildlife (for example: foxes, bats, rabbits, eagles, raccoons, skunks, groundhogs, swans, ducks, geese).
27. Some students will cheat no matter what you do to try to prevent it.
28. The architects of Hagey Hall didn't believe in windows.
29. The combined malevolence of a literary theory class can actually cause the death of a famous French philospher.
30. No matter how cute your red Mary-Janes are, they should not be worn to walk long distances if they cause mammoth blisters because then you'll end up walking through downtown Toronto in barefeet -- and that's just gross.
31. Smiths Falls is a chocolate-lover's heaven.
32. The inside of Mr. Dress-Up's treehouse is a little disappointing.
33. The oranguatangs at the Toronto Zoo have been known to use their food bowls as boats in attempts to paddle across the moat of their enclosure to escape.
34. It is possible to create a wall of Shreddie boxes over 5 feet tall when you eat an average of one and a half boxes of Shreddies a week for a year.
35. There's no place like home, but sometimes another place can come pretty close.

I've made it through the first day of SIM orientation, and with these tips in mind, I think I'm going to make it through the next two years too.