I just wrote my last exam of undergrad. I feel a little funny but mostly good. Packing shall now commence as i move out on Tuesday, and yes, I did forget about my blog for a little while there. Busy, busy as a bee, but no more reason left to study. 
Today I handed in the second of two English papers! And I feel Jubilant!
Last night, after wandering downtown Kingston streets I ended up at my highschool friend's house just off campus. It was almost 2 am, we were chowing down on cheese and spinach pizza and reminiscing about the time I got in trouble for leaving my juicebox on the table in the cafetria in grade 10 - humiliating. While recounting that story to the group I began thinking about other random things from high school, namely bubbles on fire, jazz solos and band trips, ping pong in gym class and confession. I've never confessed to a priest because that is some straight up Roman Catholic business and that's not how I role, but I did attend a Catholic high school within which I went to near-monthly mass and at least once a semester our religion class was sent to the in school chapel (I feel like this was called something else, but I've blanked). It was always a semi awkward affair for the reason stated above. Usually I would bide my time reading the reflection questions our lovely/awesome Chaplain (sidenote: who also wrote me a wonder letter of reference for a scholarship which I am eternally grateful for) had projected onto a wall until an appropriate number of students had confessed then I would silently slip out and back to class. This sort of anxious and uncomfortable experience of course brought me back to another awkward religious event: The RAPTURE. Now I myself am not in on this whole Rapture bonanza which televangelists seem to be delighted, no, Ecstatic over "WE ARE LIVING IN THE END OF DAYS- PRAISE THE LORD HALLELUJAH, AMEN!" (straight up this is how one lady minister began her preaching when I tuned into CTS midday a couple of weeks ago) .... but I am ecstatic over the song above and to more of an extent over the version of it below. I am ready to fly awayyyyyy - oh so anxious for the Rapture dayyyy! .....Well I've heard about it since I was a child, carried it with me through my troubles and trials .... I just can't wait!!! I just can't help myself, it is so catchy. Also it remains semi novel to me as I have yet to find an available mp3 version so I'm stuck searching it up on Youtube every time I'm looking to hear a little fundamentalist folk .... Anyway, gather 'round kiddies and enjoy some Rapture Rhythms with me.
p.s. How random is the accompanying slideshow in the first video? - 1:50 and 2:26 are a bit much ... but then so is the whole thing...
Tonight I have a 3 hour night class on Renaissance Art and I thought I'd share with you the sum of what I've learned thus far from a month's worth of Art History class:
“Look at my missed calls! So many people are miss-calling me because I’m having so much fun.” -Drunken first year who just can’t get enoughCop #1: “What would you rather be doing tonight?”
Cop #2: “I’d rather be drinking.”“A cop came up to me and thought I had a red cup. The cop said ‘Where’s your red cup?’ I said, ‘I don’t have a red cup, I have a carrot. I want to feed the horses.” -Guy holding a big orange carrot, talking to his friend.Cop to guy on lawn: “I’m getting paid, bro, that’s all I care about.”
Guy on lawn: “You should come have a beer with us after!”
Growl. I don't know why, but I just felt like typing that. I got so much unpacking done last night just before bed. It's easiest to work then because it's not so hot in my room and I usually can't get to sleep easily so I can toddle around doing useful things until I crash. Also, earlier in the day I strategically unloaded all my clothes onto my bed so that I wouldn't be able to sleep (comfortably, at least) until I put them away. Today I cleaned, reposted posters, organized books and binders and tried countless time to play SIMS2 - that's probably why I wanted to type growl - everytime I play my computer is not cool with it and crashes. Why, God, WHY?!?! The clip above is just Lily in Simlish - yay don't act like you're too cool for this craziness - gawd I love the Sims!
Currently in Kingston, chillin' at my apartment ... well the "in Kingston ... at my apartment" part is true at least. You see, I got up here yesterday afternoon and the wireless wasn't working. I tried plugging in my N64 (ghetttoooooo) and it was only black and white. Things were just not going my way. I had to walk to campus to use one of the solar powered computers at Stauff (ghettooooooox2) and then nothing was open because it's Sunday. argh. I did however finally book a hair appointment - haven't cut my hair since I posted about it months ago, and picked up shampoo - how'd I forget that?! Luckily Dorcas dropped by to unload a bunch of her things before heading back Toronto and set everything straight - internet is clearly working now, and N64 is technicolour!! Now I just need to get 'round to unpacking all my ridiculousness and cleaning - oh TOMORROW!
Today while blogging and working the doorbell rang - and who should it be but a courier with a package from the Queen's Campus Bookstore just for me!!! I got the brilliant idea last week to order some of the books I'll have to read for the two English seminars I will be taking this coming year. I am always shamed when the end of the year comes and I've not been able to read all the required material for a course. I am especially nervous about my shortcomings this year because I'm enrolled in small seminar courses where I'll be expected to participate regularly with thoughtful input, hard to do/fake when you've not read anything. And once I'm unable to complete one book the whole semester is blown, I can never catch up. Case in point: I could not for the life of me get through Invisible Man last fall semester and do you think I successfully read all the novels that followed in my American Contemporary Literature class? Of course not. Neuromancer, Woman on the Edge of Time both only half finished ...
I decided that in conjunction with Goalatude 2 (which by the way I've read 2 1/1 more books since by last Goalatude update!) I would try an read as many of the (mostly long) novels for one of my seminars. I've started with Austen's Northanger Abbey which I'm only 20 pages into and already am enjoying. Then maybe I'll read Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Grey, because it is short and there is a greater chance of success with it. All in all I'm quite excited to start this reading adventure, I've wanted to read Middlemarch forever and Villette's back cover description intrigues me. The only novel I am not so excited to delve into of the group I ordered is Wuthering Heights - I've purposefully avoided this novel for 21 years and now it's finally caught up with me.... help. Wish me Luck! (I guess my pouffy Georgette Heyer books will have to wait - okay by me, I love owning books I've not yet read - Antici ...... pation)
Yikes, It's been a while since a proper post, no? I can explain: I have been so super busy this past week and a bit. I had planned to post last Friday, then I had lots of work come up. So I decided to post on the weekend - but c'mon! The weather had been gross all week and finally this weekend it was absolutely beautiful so I couldn't justify sitting in front of my computer for any length of time. So now it is Monday again and let me just run down what's been happening in my corner of the world for the last little while.
Last weekend my mum and stepdad + my dogs came to visit for almost a week so when I wasn't working I was visiting and driving between Oakville and Bolton (Dorcas, I have seen the edge of York Region and it is FARMLAND!). I got a chance to revisit the McMichael Art Gallery and view the magnificent work of Yousuf Karsh, in particular his highly controversial (at the time) photo of Gow Crapper .... Monday I got to register for courses for my last year of school - for the first time ever just about all my first choice classes were available for me! Shockahhh! Tuesday I took my final driving test and PASSED! again Shocks all around (especially since I started the test by first hitting the curb, then forgetting to put the car in park while doing a parallel park in the bus that I drive). Okay, it's not actually a bus but it is a Volvo wagon so it's practically the same thing, right?! It's like as ginormous as an SUV but without the height and therefore visual advantage. This is the most exciting thing for me to achieve in years. I am the biggest worrier ever and for the past 2 years when I'm not thinking of something immediate by brain falls back on: OMGOMG I have to get my G before December 2009!!!! *Sigh of Relief*
Tuesday night I went for coffee with my girlies at Williams but received absolutely horrible service so I emailed a complaint which was responded to with a $25.00 gift certificate ... um hells ya! I will say that their Customer Service higher up is amazing compared to their restaurant service.
Friday I enjoyed a bbq with neighbours and then spent all weekend working a little and reading in the sun a lot!
This past week has also been great because I have discovered and rediscovered loads of great music! I have been in dire need of new music and something different than my usual fare. I am talking opposite end of the musical spectrum for me ... like DANCE music.
I've been listening to everything from Deadmau5 to London Beat - and I don't need any judgement thank you very much.
Recently I discovered (for myself, they've obviously been around a little while) this jem of a band Passion Pit and I loves them sooooo much. I am so glad there is still half a summer to enjoy this music as it is defo a summer jam...
What a wonderful way to begin a new month! This morning, while eating breakfast, my sister handed me an envelope from the Queen's English Department, the contents of which was an acceptance into the 4th year honours program of both Classics and English! Let me explain. For some time now I have been toying with the idea of changing majors. This is not always the easiest or wisest decision when you are going into your last year of school. When I spoke to the Classics Department head she gave me the old raised eyebrow in response. But as Queen's Classics majors know, the Classics Department LIES all the time. Example: this year I attended a Classics info session for first years by accident (mislead by my latin prof - lie #1). During the course of the presentation one of my favourite Classics profs laid out available courses - LIES, only half of these courses are available in a given year. Then she insisted one would not have to take up a classical language in order to satisfy their degree requirments unless they want to go to Grad school - LIES! There aren't enough courses offered NOT to take either Latin or Greek, and most often both are needed. Here is where I find joy in my English department acceptance. Because I've been accepted into the honours English program now, I WILL NEVER TAKE ANOTHER LATIN CLASS - THANK YOU SWEET JESUS! Latin as I have mentioned on this blog before is the bane of my exsistence. Although it gives me a certain pleasure in knowing that I can read a dead language that was used for 1000s of years by some of the most historically important people on earth, Subjunctives, Deponent Verbs and 2nd Declension Nouns populate my nightmares. OH HAPPY DAY!
In honour of this momentous occasion I give you MC Nuts for Cumbria Tourism rapping William Wordsworth's poem Daffodils. I myself am partial to Blake, but Respect Wordsworth.
We all have those moments in which, no matter how much education we've received or how much culture we imagine we have, we embarrass ourselves by incorrectly pronouncing a word. If you have friends like mine, they will NEVER let you forget this and take pleasure in lording it over you as if superior semantic skills (hello my dear friend alliteration! okay I know semantics isn't really what i'm talking about but for the sake of the alliteration...I do love alliteration) equals superior intelligence. This is not the case. It is possible that in making an error in pronounciation you are just following society's accepted way of saying something - this is the argument I will use in defending my slip up with crêpe (pronounced krep, apparently). I obviously prounounced it krape, as does most of the English-speaking population, but of course Ivana had to correct me. Other times misprononounciation can be caused be caused by the foreign root of the word, such as Hyundai, which I understandably prounced as High-un-dye. The correct pronounciation is, I believe, Hunday, but don't quote me because I am only as smart as yahoo answers,
In 1 hour and 30 minutes I will be sitting down to write my second last exam of 3rd year - exciting stuff, I know. Not nearly as exciting as having to come back home and study for my final exam of the year ... no, that in itself is just too exciting for words....barf. I've neglected my blog a little this week because I've been studying and also been lounging about in a nonproductive manner for the rest of the time. I am definitely in an exam funk and I can't seem to pry myself free... I've even stopped listening to music really up until today ... I've just been blahhh. What I have done though, is watch copious amounts of television ... more specifically: Planet Earth (always enjoyable) and as of Tuesday I am now addicted to MANTRACKER:
Basically this is the most intense reality show I watch next to Hell's Kitchen and I LOVES it. two prey are thrown out into the Canadian wilderness and given a bit of a headstart, but Mantracker (an Albertan cowboy ... a real live cowboy!) is sooooo BA and is always just a few paces behind them. My favourite description of a prey so far is "Maverick Chicken Farmer" .... enough said.
What I'm Listening to: Touch Me I'm Going to Scream Pt. 2 by My Morning Jacket : it's a little slow to start but give it some time ....
 | My Morning Jacket - Touch Me I'm Going to Scream Pt. 2 |  |
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 | Found at bee mp3 search engine |  |
Calvin practiced balancing ... with some difficulty (facial expression is PRICELESS) 
We both practiced our nautical skills. Clearly Calvin has never driven a boat before, as evidenced by him hanging off the stearing wheel. I on the other hand am (or was) a licensed pleasure craft operator (caitie's 12yr old boy self says: that sounds really dirrrty tee-hee) so I handled the wheel like a pro. 
Calvin's shadow points to a duck ... Calvin is nowhere to be found ........
Calvin investigates a pipe that looks like a remodeled version of those in Super Mario ... NES era .... god I miss that console.
I try (again) to take a decent picture of some of the wind turbines of Wolfe Island. fail (again).
I take a photo of what I think is the Queen's Rugby field ... end up taking a photo of the bleachers on its perimeter.
Am drawn to the graffiti on the wall of Theological hall that reads: TRON (isn't this a 1980s film that I have never seen and never will? Thought so.)
Token Summerhill shot, only this time I took it of the ugly part of the building ... dare to be different. Calvin calls the tricolour flag ugly ... I defend it until, just when I'm about to take an upclose shot of it, it stops blowing in the wind ... now I'm not so sure about the tricolour flag myself.
Postcard shot of Biosci ... if people bought postcards of science lab buildings.
Here's another collective .... Animal Collective to be precise with My Girls. Okay so story behind this is that one day I was channel surfing and came across the video for this song on Much Music. I had missed the title and band but both Dorcas and I were so mesmerized by the trippy video that we had to watch the entire thing so that we could find out at the end who it was ... I'm still not sold on Animal Collective, however - this song is meh ... maybe their stuff will grow on me, maybe it won't ... + click on the picture ... this album cover is pretty trippy....
So this past weekend was basically a total write off in terms of getting any actual studying done. Friday was the last day of winter semester and obviously time to party. I went over to a friend's home played some 'card' games then stumbled around their darkened home tied to Angie (3-legged-race-style) using a flashlight to find easter eggs. I think our total find count was 2 ... I personally found 0 ... but i did get a wickedbad sliver. 
We then proceeded to march (read: stumble) towards Alfie's in the rain and waited to get in for long enough that my hair frizzed up and we lost one member of our party. all in all a good night. Saturday I spent sprawled on the couch until evening when Dorcas and I finally went out and saw I Love You, Man (kiani please forgive me). The movie was stellar (JOBIN!) and I couldn't stop laughing - would definitely recommend. 
Sunday I bummed around downtown and bought some nail polish and a pillow from Urban Outfitters (I'll admit I find the store super pretentious and totally self-conscious of their own trendiness - but I DO like their knick knacks and whatchamacallits). and finally last night Calvin, Dorcas, and I pretended to be really cool by celebrating the end of the semester with an Aztec Vanilla Cigar. I, of course had to be the man and take the first 'drag' (as Dorcas was appropriately calling it =D) and it was fun and games from there.
What I'm listening to: I love the 80s. i was born in the 80s, but I wish more than anything I was a teenager in the 80s - It was AWESOME! So when I heard the first two singles a little while back off of The Killers' new album Day and Age I was sooo excited. I'm not a huge Killers fan - I really did
n't like their first album, Sam's Town was decent, but I can already tell I am going to love Day and Age. Spaceman is my favourite song of the moment. I always watch the video when it comes on MMM and enjoy it a little more each time. Now I am as much a music snob as the next person and the Killers are defo mainstream to the max - but I also realize that life is too short to deny the joy that comes from a super catchy pop rock song from playing on my pod. And the Killers actually make some good music... so they can stay. Here is Spaceman by The Killers (click the picture) ... try not to roll your eyes and just enjoy!
