still excited

i think i am going to leave writing a full commentary on the weekend for when i am back at school, because dial-up internet is giving me significant grief and that way i can relive happy moments when i should be studying ...

but first off: happy birthday to sherry. happy birthday to cindy. happy birthday to dad, and happy birthday to 2006: you are almost one year old.

for now i will let some pictures do the talking.
skating at nathan phillips square. while some of us were skating, and some of us were watching, there were some interesting "sting"tunes with crews setting up for new year's eve. as this day was a day of many firsts i should mention that it was my first time in downtown toronto and on the subway.

skating was followed by some significant defrosting/warming up and dinner at the food court in the eaton centre. easily finished a 10 inch sub right there. and after that .... the highlight of all highlights: the leafs-sens game at the air canada centre:
the overtime win was more than my voice could handle, but very important as i am now assured that i am not bad luck. and maybe we can't beat toronto in fanpower, or level of obnoxiousness, or immaturity, but we can get them where it hurts the most: on the scoreboard. and i'll gadly take it.

i was led by my "cheesy" but very effective posters:

the final scoreboard as evidence for a hard fought victory. or excellent goaltending skills. i'll take either explanation. with very close seats to the ice i was rather disappointed spezza was not playing, but it's all about the game so nothing beats this night.

above: sherry and ken .... and embarassed leafs fan? ok, i will put down my weapons, take off the gloves and call a truce on this one ... but it should be duely noted it was all in good fun.

the night ended with some drinks at a downtown bar, as a tribute to our birthday girl. and yu and france. very many million thanks!

anyways, a slightly bitter ending was with a speeding ticket on sundaymorning. i am guilty, but at the same time they were pulling people over in half a dozens. luckily it was only very minor. only a few hours left until 2007. thus, i will leave with a HAPPY NEW YEAR wish and a promise for an updated entry when i get back to school and have some decent internet. but i don't want to go back to school. not yet. sigh ... i think mcmaster really does hate us. well, i might just be whining. which would make me like tucker. which is the leafs. which sucks. then i suck? that can't be. so i will stand tough and excited to see all the girls and to decorate the house. i mean there should be some use for my posters. somehow. somewhere. i mean i get 1/7 of the living room wall space .. dont i?

bundle of joy

introducing the newest member of the family ... laika! having stolen all of our hearts, one thing is for sure: a game of soccer or driveway hockey will never be the same

at the top

i was tempted to name this entry "we like it on top" but it brought back too many thoughts of first year residence, where i actually liked it in the middle ... and even then, too many people and too many imaginations (or dirty minds) leave me with the existing title.
this entry is an honour to the end of the year, and the hundreds of top 100, top 10, etc. lists that are made. i was even tempted to make a list of favourite moments, favourite songs, or favourite hockey moments, but am too worried to forget something, or someone. plus i can't make up my mind anyways. thus i just wanted to pass along some lists of favourites i have come across for this year:

radio 538 - presents the top 538 songs: of course they won't pass along the top 10 just yet, but a browse through the other 528 is a worthwile waste of time. people could send in their favourite top 3 songs of all time, add up all votes and all songs and voila! the top 538. you might notice heavy dutch content, which would be because it was done by a dutch radio station.

pitchfork feature looks at the top 100 tracks of 2006. interestingly they add a little blurb on every song. interestingly, justin timberlake with my love finds its way to the top. so maybe there is some truth to the idea that the worst will end up as the best. but then again, i would highly doubt the credibility of this site, only because i have never even heard of most songs, or the site for that matter. interesting read though.
they also put together a top 50 of 2006 albums

ESPN - the top 100 sports stories of 2006. thought this was rather interesting

anyways, after spending a couple of hours on dial-up internet putting this together: i give up! put i figured not posting it would be like really wasting my time ... even as i already wasted it ... hmmm

joy to the world

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

went to church, then played roadhockey with the lil'ones and went christmas carolling tonight. it is looking more like a canadian christmas every year! i have to say, it was a lot of fun. and check out the stars tonight. maybe no snow this year, but clear skies and shining stars make up for it. really maybe if i wear my pajamas inside out tonight, might i wake up to a white scenery, but am not putting my hopes on that ... weather network tells me so.

anyways, this is just a short message to say that i would sing you a christmas carol today ... but distances prevent me ... thus, please accept this as a digital message; wishing you a blessed christmas!

song: angels we have heard on high

"i'm so excited .. just can't hide it"

as i am fighting with the computer to put this entry together, my mom is laughing at me for the picture content. i can't help it i need to organize the hockeyplayers for some picture content. plus i can lay claims to the pictures in this entry, because i was there. [insert triple smile here] - this one is a shoutout to sherry.

i don't even know where to start ... good times, such good times. i wish i could present the last few days in form of song, but my creative fluids are running wild with little sleep and bittersweet memories of hockey and ice. i just came home an hour ago from ottawa, a homeward trip that started at 5am with the sound a most obnoxious and painful beeping of the alarm clock. despite that though, i am not very tired. well, probably tired. just high on adrenaline.

so i spend part of my week in stevester's city. i can make an attempt to name all the reasons why ottawa is such a great city, but i think i will just leave it at the fact that there are far more positives than negatives. far more. plus it is the home of the ottawa senators, well maybe kanata would qualify more as a home, but even then, much nicer. i mean, even when visiting the national art gallery and coming across a piece the "love empire," which consisted of a stage at which people could proclaim their love ... i was tempted to proclaim my love for ottawa, but then the people working there would likely raise their eyebrows and wonder why that could be. i think it is love at first sight. it really does exist.

with a visit to the national art gallery, as well as the canadian war museum the day before, i definitely filled my cultural hole before the end of the year. also, shopping and seeing friends made things even better.

but the highlight would definitely have been the senators-lightning game that we went to. i have to say there is nothing like a crowd of some 19000 people cheering, and nothing like being there during the game. it was a bittersweet experience though. for one, ottawa lost. for two, spezza got hurt, and will be out indefinitely. in other words, he won't be there on the 30th. the crazy thing about ottawa is, is that walking around the city the commercials on team 1200 become real places, and pictures of the players appear at random places. coming home today though i am glad to find out that they picked up two points in philadelphia, from a 6-3 win. nice work. very nice work.

i don't have any pictures from the week, but i was there when this shot was taken ... i guess that could count as a good picture. plus it comes with my message of: please get better, we need to see our interests represented. that is, win some more games.

i think i will leave this post at this. i am too tired to coherently finish all my thoughts, plus after reading this you must think i am crazy, obsessed at least. i have to admit i am crazy, but not obsessed. just enjoying it and playing it up a bit. it is all in good fun, and worth a try and highly recommended. hopefully the pictures from the glam cam turn out ok, and that maybe i will get some pictures forwarded in due time :-). as for now, i still have to write some christmas cards and do some laundry.

song: ""pump it up'" by who knows who. actually i have no idea. but i guess this counts as a shoutout to the girls, and a compliment to staff at scotiabank place.

oh, and did i mention the ice? we did not get to skate on the rideau, but freezing rain and walk back from parliament hill provided a similar effect.

nerd attack

mommy, its OVER!!!!!!

except for, i sound a lot happier than the green guy on "just for laughs"

anyways, having just watched the Mighty Ducks 2, and checking the hockey scores for today, i am most definitely ready for some sleep. oh, and whatever paul maurice put in the morning coffee of his players. i'll have some of that, i am sure i could use that for the next round of exams. and of course i have to mention, i just have to. as i was writing my exam, partly on triple cocktails, the 15-19 combo provided some nice triple cocktail action out in buffalo. cheers to that!

looking forward to going home and holidays and ottawa and toronto and hockey and seeing people i have not seen forever ... sigh ... such happy prospects

adios!

killerbees

exam status: 3/4 complete


"smart is for chumps"

housemates, my homeys (this fits with my g-unit image), are full of wisdom.
happy birthday JAX!! welcome to the old-timers club. who ever said old-timers aren't cool? it's all good, it's all good.

yikeszors

Flappie

I was listening to some Dutch radio, and they played this 'song' by a Dutch comedian. i am sorry it is in Dutch but the song is about a little boy who could not find his rabbit anywhere on christmas eve ... and after searching and searching found it back with christmas dinner, on the table. so sad!
as for hockey tonight - equally sad. i am hoping for an extension of the spezza scoring streak, other than that no hopes ... (one hour later update: negative even on the smallest hope)

just spend an hour watching numb3rs from this website, which has become another study enemy, only second to youtube and nhl.com.

2 more exams. need to keep focus for 2 more days. deep breath ...
song: keane - nothing in my way

square eyes zors

i don't think that staring at a computer screen, while typing notes for 16 hours a day is good for my sanity. my thumbs are starting to hurt. but only 3 more days until it is over.

i did not want to write anything else, but then realized that i have faithfully reported on hockey happenings since i started this blog. and thus i must report on our recent win from detroit and hasek. neither watched it nor listened to it, but am glad to know it is the first time i saw a goalie penalty on the scoresheet. anyways, after talking to a cousin in holland i checked the soccer situation, and the only dutch team (PSV) that is left, lost their game against Bordeaux in the UEFA championship, hopefully next game is better luck.

vote rory!

listening to razorlight - america, not all that uplifting. but am glad to know that the top floor is by far the coolest. i am not sure why i chose to stay behind the computer while taking a study break considering my earlier thoughts .... but such are my priorities.

attempt #1: failure

since my last post i have done nothing involving academics. well, except for writing a few lines of study notes. but ... that does not count for anything. thus, before i hit the books, let me remnisce(?) about the last hours for just a little while longer.
went to simcoe or norfolk? for a baking/sleepover/dinner/scene it? party. let the pictures speak for themselves.

let the handicrafts begin ... or time for cleanup?

i am told i must have a sick mind for making this. but in my defense the man in the shorts needed a woman in a bikini ... for the beach, people, just the beach.

group picture!!!

tray of love. sugar. blood. sweat. and tears ...

the alien cookie gets a special mention. at least we are prepared for E.T coming back.
i did find out this weekend, though, that i have been lacking a little in my childhood. no santa claus. no easter bunny. no curious george. no beauty and the beast. very little disney experience. as such horrific at Scene it? the disney edition. maybe i will have to dedicate part of my Christmas holidays to catching up.

anyways, coming home this morning i had a shower, coffee, lunch and then watched the Mighty Ducks. the movie. i mean while i was failing miserably at decorating cookies the sens were failing miserably at winning hockey games. but i am too tired to actually care right now. as such, no comments. well, mcgrattan deserves a special mention for all the fights he has fought so far. i mean if you can't win a game, at least we can stand tough, or pretend to be more than a bunch wussies.

also enjoyed knowing the fact that the staal brothers have a Dutch heritage. i mean if you ain't Dutch you ain't much ... i guess that means i will have to cheer them on a bit, but not at the expense of the sens, there is still a lot of love there, despite the sad looking scoreboards. go dutch go! go sens go!

work is calling my name. and since i have not been kidnapped or eaten by large apes i have no excuses. thus, here she goes ... again.

ottawa: stars of the missed shot

exam status: 2/4 complete

am watching newest episode of supernatural on my computer, and while i finally have some time to actually write a blog entry, i dont really know what to say. or feel like saying anything. well, for some short thoughts on stuff. the chairs in convocation hall were like a style royale, very nice mcmaster, something you did right. and for shopping; can i be in the shopping cart next time? the key to less worrying about exams is linkin park - in the end. "i don’t know why it doesn’t even matter how hard you try ... i had to fall, to lose it all but in the end it doesn’t even matter" lol. despite how worried i was this last exam went quite well. unlike the last hockey game, darn jagr.

sleep; i am going to exhaust you.
ugh. cliffhangers.

melody and books

G's ultimate exam time playlist (version 3.1):

James Morrison - give me something
Take That - patience
Blof - een manier om thuis te komen
Supermode - tell me why
Racoon - brother
Staind - fade
30 Seconds to Mars - from yesterday
Linkin Park- in the end
Three Days Grace - pain
The Fray - how to save a life
Snow Patrol - chasing cars
Angels and Airwaves - the war
Bob St. Clair - world hold on
Armin van Buuren - sail
Rise Against - ready to fall
Evans Blue - cold
Dashboard Confessional - don't wait
Machete Avenue - cut to pieces
Target - Embrace
Matchbox twenty - the difference

these are my study suggestions for those among us who really cant study in silence.

no excuses for some of these songs. i never claimed to have a good taste in music anyways. interesting is nelly fortado's new song all good things (come to an end), which she wrote with chris martin from coldplay. apparently most record companies hated it, and refused to produce it. so much for appreciating canadian talent. even if i can see where they are coming from.

just realized on my last post, i talked about spezza's article, and then move right into cupcakes. for the record, i meant real cupcakes, but spezza can be my cupcake for a day, after all his name does start with a "J." (ps. you dont have to understand this reference ... its a long story).

ok just printed off my paper, handed it in, and am going to start studying for econometrics. i dont think i have to mention how much i dont want to study, given the number of posts in the last few days ... i really should stop wasting time.

timeless utility my ass

i think the title captures my mood rather well.

anyways, i will not load you up with the frustrations from writing an exam that i studied quite a bit for, without gaining any 'utility' or any return of some sort. but after about 1 hour into the exam, i got an aweful stomach ache, that lasted until i ate a delicious, warm, butter pecan cupcake that elaine and her friend baked for me. especially on the walk home from school, in the very very very cold, i had time for many many angry thoughts, and i was ready to post them all, but the cupcakes did the trick. i wont. interesting however, was the fact that the invigilator asked me if i was finished by placing his hands across his neck, in like an execution type of way. well, i certainly felt finished. in the execution type of way that is. interesting though, when i handed in my paper he mumbled something about how he was glad i made it through, in the creepy way. anyways. weird.

right now, i just want to go to sleep. but i still have a paper to finish for tomorrow, and another exam on saturday that i really need to study for. sigh. as for the rest of the day, i went to get a snack at the bakery during my study break, but i could not find anything i really wanted, so i got a loaf of fresh bread, and ate it with cream cheese instead. also, have become addicted to arizona green tea. you have probably seen the large cans around. very yummy.

no hockey game today. (well toronto lost, but that is nothing new - now am worried about boston getting up in the standings though ...) but i have been pretty obsessed, and i guess admitting it is the first step towards healing. but, before i heal: on an economic note, the idea that revenues are up, but attendance down at hockey games, has everyone talking. i just wanted to point out that the canadian hockey games (that is, played in canada) are among the highest in attendance (maybe not edmonton, but they are some angry people this season) i guess this way you find out who the true fans are. well, not really either, because there are those poor students among us ... anyways, i thought i mention something of some sort of substance, even if it has to do with economics (which i really hate right now)

also to make my day a little bit: jason spezza nice to know i have something in common with him: wearing a no.9 in my short (glory) days of team sport (hey, my favourite number is 9). "There’s something I like about numbers with nine in them." Also, i have a pretty bad taste in bands as well.

mmm .. delightful cupcakes ...

song: 30 seconds to mars - the kill
yikes, after i picked this song to add today, i looked up the lyrics , maybe not very meaningful, but somewhat relevant to my thoughts on the way home about economics. crazy eh? i am probably just exaggerating. actually, make that highly probable.

when exhaustion sets in ...

"slow dancing on the boulevard in the quiet moments while the city's still dark"

have been studying for most of the day, but feel entitled to a 10 minute break. sigh. tonight, in terms of hockey, we saw an exhausted group of senators fighting the capitals for the second time this season. and sadly, they failed to deliver a blow, and did not get the revenge we were hoping for. with 28 minutes in the penalty box for both teams, 37 shots on goals, the capitals capitalized in the third period with 3 goals in a 5 minute span.

i am not sure what bothers me more; that ottawa lost or that ovechkin got 3 assists, and a star in this game. i think the latter is worse. i had wished volchenkov would hold him against the boards for most of the game ... maybe that was too much to wish for.

but heatley and spezza both added one point, to a total of 36 each. notably, spezza being at a career total of 202. very nice. Bois, recalled from the AHL, spend 7 minutes of his first NHL game in the penalty box. altogether, then, this defeat cancels out my excitement from last night's win against the NY islanders (4-2). thus me and the sens are even. that leaves us still above the leafs right? i hope so. that's all that matters for now (letting my competitive side show..)

i better get back to studying, and get a good night of sleep (so that i wont succumb to exhaustion tomorrow during my exam).

song: the fray - how to save a life. although considerably overplayed, it is rather calming, and very appropriate for a few more hours of study.

my wish

for my two minute break from studying here is some country wisdom (i thought it was kind of cute, plus it brings back many memories of spending hours and hours driving for work this past summer ...)- rascal flatts:

I hope the days come easy and moments pass slow,
and each road leads you where you want to go,
and if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
if it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
and while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but you never forget,
all the ones who love you, and the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
and you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
and always give more than you take.

But More than anything,
Yeah, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
and while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

Yeah. My wish, for you,
is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
and while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

crystals

last day of classes, cupcakes and snow. especially snow.

that is the life.

loving the prospect of finishing finals. until then ... not looking so bright.

the thing is (1)

vermette's sweet, sweet goal.
limited ability in blogging leads to this. lol.

the thing is (2)

it is has been a couple of days since my last post ...

i went off to another world. one of white fluffiness. well, owen sound that is: i spend a few days with limited internet access and a lot of food. good food. yay to take out fries. ketchup is my hero.

on friday i went to the dentist, who quickly concluded that if i was single, and still in school i must be choosing a career over a husband. well, if that is how she chooses to see that, so be it. i mean, did i mention i am an '86er? oh well. i stayed in town to do some studying in the library before going off to get my hair chopped off. just a bit though. at night we got together with the whole family to celebrate sinterklaas. i ate my chocolateletter in less than 5 minutes. but my sister bought me some nice winter attire (ie. scarf and mitts), while she and my mom also made me some pillows ... why buy some if you make them. right? all in all: a successful evening.

i spend my saturday in williamsford. a town smaller than ... actually its not a town. more like a hole. a tiny dot. either way, it was me and the dog for the whole day. i got quite some work done, but having access to a very very large CD collection and being pestered by a most annoying and playful dog lend for some unproductive moments. and every minute counts in this business of studying. well, figuratively. i have been introduced to the alan parsons project, and frankly it makes for good study music and that is always hard to find. after some 12 hours of staring at a computer screen, i permitted myself to watch the hockey game, which was only possible with a good starchoice channel package. lol. i am going to try to post my favourite moment, if i can figure out how it works.

wishing i had some pictures from the weekend: wrong computer. sorry.

school update. YIKES!! i was able to write some 20 pages for my review, which i hope to finish up on monday. then study, study, study for finals. thus, that will be the summary for my week. no interesting notes there. thought i mention that i am pretty excited that dion won the liberal leadership race, i highly doubt that he can win an election, and another 4 years of conservative leadership might be good for canada. from my perspective. but only time will tell ...

as for hockey this weekend. thursday night against the panthers. 6-0 win. and for saturdaynight against lightning (again), another win at home. this time at 5-2. having seen this game, i was rather disappointed, because it was just plain ugly. bouncing pucks, giveaways, missed shots, and just bad bad bad puckhandling. well except for vermette, i gotta give it to this guy: sweeeeettttt!!!
picture: lightning smothered by flying senators

as for soccer. something i get equally excited for, even as it is not as readily accessible for entertainment in canada. but, i have been following the qualifying round for the UEFA, EURO 2008 games. qualifying rounds have started in september, and most teams have played 3 or 4 games so far. the netherlands, my favourite team for obvious reasons, has won 3 and tied one. winners coming from matches against albania, belarus, and luxembourg, while the tie was with bulgaria. the next game is not until the march 24, so there will be a delay in any news on the team standings. in the meantime, i will try to figure out details on the team, and coach. because, marco van basten i have found you, and many thanks to kaustub for pointing him out: i should have known. i should have. but i intend to make up any lost time. picture: rain or sunshine, orange represent!

off to bed for an early start to the school week tomorrow morning. wish me luck, on second thought ... actually no thought. big breath ....

song: alan parsons project - old and wise

still digging

celebration!
i take back my last post. gerber was just screaming: have a little faith in me. and faith we have. as for the capitals - lightning game happening right now: i am sure it is making ottawa feel a little embarassed with the capitals leading tampa by 4. yeah. i know. well, tonight makes up for sunday's game. noteworthy happenings: ottawa scored in the second period. one powerplay goal. goals by eaves, fisher, schubert, neil. dominated the first period. +10. volkenchov still injured. next game at home.

i watched the first part of episode 13 of prison break on youtube: how am i supposed to wait until the new year!? i can't help watching this show. if only because they are brothers, and the swans. especially the swans. as for gift buying: missions accomplished. of course i cannot say anymore than that because i would want to give away my (secret) santa's - for how much that is worth, seeing that it has not been so secretive. oh well: it's all in good fun.

as for school: i am pretty sure i barely passed my econometrics midterm and i still don't know what classes to take next semester. tough stuff. on to writing my review now, and then studying for exams. in the meantime i am just looking forward to a weekend at home, even though i will be spending most of it in the library.

19 days until holidays. 27 days until christmas. the countdown is on.
song: evans blue - cold

just average

every good episode comes to an ending. just as a bad would. but this cliffhanger left the senators "struck" by lightning, and monday we'll have to see if they survived it.
in the meantime, i think my confidence is approaching failure rate, as the senators have fallen below .500. again. (i don't think i am the only one disappointed: see here.)
let's just hope there will be more than average coming out of this team.

so melodramatic. i know. but it is in there. somewhere. but really: in where? so confused.

song: once in a lifetime - shinhwa (my tribute to korean boy bands - and cindy, and sherry)

challenge

"learn the truth. love the truth. live the truth"

uit de schaduw

Van het vallen van de avond
tot het einde van de nacht
heb je weer eens te ver gezocht
terwijl het voor je voeten lag

Je bent van ver gekomen
je hebt het ver gebracht
dus als het even tegenzit
bedenk dan wie het laatste lacht

Stap uit de schaduw en loop in de zon
kijk om je heen en zie wat er komt
je haalt uit elke nieuwe dag
meer dan je ooit had verwacht

Een groot en sterk verlangen
of een kleine stille wens
zolang je durft te dromen komt
vanzelf voor jou dat ene moment

Stap uit de schaduw en loop in de zon
kijk om je heen en zie wat er komt
je haalt uit elke nieuwe dag
meer dan je ooit had verwacht
meer dan je ooit had verwacht

Je weet dat niets voor altijd kan zijn,
alles een keer verdwijnt
achter de horizon
je wilt wel terug
maar het maakt niet uit
je kunt alleen vooruit
dus loop in de zon ...

Stap uit de schaduw en loop in de zon
kijk om je heen en zie wat er komt
je haalt uit elke nieuwe dag
meer dan je ooit had verwacht
meer dan je ooit had verwacht
meer dan je ooit had verwacht







Also check out: music video for "hoe het voelt"

target

highly unproductive and bored: i even created a utility model for housecleaning - using functions, variables, maximization, summations, etc. i know that is what i have succumbed to. i am also drinking a cup of organic green tea with brown rice. i am told it must be japanese as they tend to add interesting items to their tea. and it is true: taking a sip of tea becomes like sticking your nose in a haybarn. furthermore my brain is functioning at low capacity: i could not even remember my pinnumber at the print shop. i think to be safe i won't leave the house, and just try to get some studying done. at least i got new printer ink, and at least one printer on the top floor will work somewhat properly. as for interesting things: i came across a video on youtube. i know you are thinking to yourself: no way a video. but yes. it was about islam in the netherlands. it turned out to be about dutch girls who became muslims. i thought it was rather scary. especially the comments people made. anyways; time for dinner. perogies! (they remind of the times that i wished to marry a polish man that could make perogies; luckily i am passed that stage now).

song: reamonn - tonight

exactly that

it has been a pretty good day. yay to fridays! well any day spend baking cookies, doing some studying, catching up with friends is a good day.

____________________________________________________________________

just a few random thoughts.

cellphones. on the bus, on the walk to school, in the library, and even in class, in the bathroom. yes, in the bathroom. and not even in front of the mirror. no, on the toilet. is that really necessary?

fish. i love fish. i really do. but a tuna sandwich in class, right beside me? that does not make going to econometrics any more enjoyable than it already is. i am sorry.

streetlights. on the creepiest part of the walk home from school in the dark, the streetlights on sterling will turn off as i pass by. it really makes the shadows bigger, and i will walk just a little faster. i am starting to think it is part of an evil plot ... eek!

flyleaf. because my playlists on my computer are giving me much grief, i have resorted to music on yahoo etc. the only problem is that one in five songs is by flyleaf. and this person does not make music. it is more like headache material.

my computer. sometimes my dellie is really great. but when i am writing a paper; it does not make me too happy when it freezes. rewriting even one sentence is a waste of time.

questions. i know they say that no question is a stupid question. not true. asking the same question within a minute is not cool. especially if it is on material that you have been taught at least three times before.

junk mail. i think i spend about 4 seconds twice a day deleting junk mail. that is like 49 minutes a year.

sigh. i think my biggest problem is procrastination.

as for interesting developments. being a history student I am glad Stephen Harper stood up to put some perspective on Quebec. honestly, they should have separated before Canada even existed. or not. i don't really care. it is just good to know there have been some developments as part of an endless bickering.
as for bickering: what is with the westdale alliance against drunk students ... honestly. i drink like one beer a year.
_____________________________________________________________________
right now the Senators are playing the Florida Panthers. they are one goal behind; and i am considering sitting the third period out. i should really study. Oh, make that a tie. No actually, one goal ahead. yay to sherry watching the game on her computer allowing me to run over to watch the replay on the good goals :-)!! Just as i am writing this, i happen to be listening to "We are the Champions (Ding a Dang Dong)" by Crazy Frog. i know. that is where it is at.
this game is just killing me. oh; and make that leading by two. yay to the heatley hat trick! I realize this commentary is all over the place, and without substance: i blame the sugar and the cookies.

there is just something about a man in a faceoff ...

song: The Fray - Over My Head.

almost

""Meaningless! Meaningless!"says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, "Look! This is something new"? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow." Ecclesiastes 1.

_

when i was reading this passage last night, i thought it was very interesting that the teacher in this passage asks the same questions we do. what is our purpose? it just seemed to be very comforting that this is (almost) a timeless question. especially with exams coming close, and deadlines i am guilty of trying to figure out this purpose. i know what it is, but the difficulty is in applying it to all aspects of life. in the end it's just a greater distraction, and thus i procrastinate and then it just gets more stressful: a never ending cycle.

_

on the topic of asking questions: where does the word deadline come from? i looked it up on wikipedia; but this "valuable" source of information fails me on this ... from other google sources i learn it is this (see picture below). despite the fact he is a deadline; i think he is actually kind of cute.

as for the hockey game tonight: after the first half of the game i was ready to hand in my two weeks notice. it was not going well. but with only the second overtime this season the senators were able to get their skates back on, and redden buried the puck. it was a bit of a disappointing game from the aspect of the first line; good thing its not my favourite because of skill (or looks for that matter); thus, i will happily be cheering for the next game.

_

in the meantime: i am hoping to get this paper done on the modernization in Japan; while singing along to ... actually no song for the week. that is probably why everything seems to be a bit off this week: i am just not tuned right. any suggestions?

double take

after a long night of class - another senators' sweep! with another victory over a division leader: we have turned the tables.

one more mid-term down. after 27 guesses on 27 questions hopefully my luck can match up with that of the sens. i also had the opportunity to go to a talk by the governor of the bangladesh central bank. very interesting. what i learned: you can have economic development with a low level of income. back to studying.

i own nothing. i owe everything.

got my game face back on

having chewed off almost all my nails; i am glad to report another victory over the buffalo sabres. despite the frustrating referee-ing and the cheap shots from briere - schaefer, phillips, heatley and vermette buried the puck very nicely. the team spirit and full-time effort finally paid off.

repetition preferable. very much so.

note: this is not really a hockey blog - but other than a hockey victory i only have history of economic theory, japanese history or econometrics to report on ... and trust me: not that exciting.

on a side note: i was just listening to the post-game show, and some guy called in with some stats. last year the senators were leading the conference with 16-3, as stanley cup favourites; two of their losses were from the carolina hurricanes - the stanley cup champions. at this point the buffalo sabres are a stanley cup favourite with a 16-3 record; with two losses from the ottawa senators - maybe this years' stanley cup champions ... just a thought to share.

quit playing games with my heart

title says all. little tear for a lost effort.
i guess it did not help that we kept jason in our closet. guess that teaches me to reconsider what i wish for

down main

"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear" John 16:12

going home from my discipleship group meeting, i realize that walking down the stretch of main street from hollywood to newton probably constitutes my favourite 15 minutes of the week. it is always windy, and a large volume of vehicles rush by, but once in awhile a magic moment of complete silence appears. no cars. but just as sudden the lights down the road turn green, and the rush continues. most of the vehicles carry only one person, who is probably coming home from work, ready for the weekend. also, a number of students pass by, headed towards campus, laden with a heavy bag, probably wondering the same thing i would have had it been any other day. how many days until the christmas holidays?

but its friday. coming back from discipleship group, i am not worried. not about school, not about the future. it really is a thought provoking time. i started off thinking about the number of people i want to e-mail. just to say hello. just to say i care. and just to give some encouragement.

then 3 people waited to let me walk ahead. i really wanted to pass on how much i appreciated that.

today we talked about the Holy Spirit. walking, i was thinking about my position in this world; in the lives of my family and friends. i began to wonder about how people actually saw me, whether or not i was disillusioned about being needed, or feeling loved. just a little spark of doubt. and then, i remembered. i remembered the child i was. the child of God. a picture of a father looking his at his little girl (perhaps a little driven by hollywood) came up in my head. and i knew, i need not worry. because, like i had just learned the Holy Spirit lives in me. He gives me immense comfort, and will guide me into all truth. Note: John 16:12-14.

coming home, the 15 minutes were up. and i would have to study again. i guess this may seem a little sentimental. maybe a bit silly. either way, i know i can't deny His presence. i also know that i can't be thankful enough for these moments. and want to share with all.

anyway. back to matters of school, hockey, and those other things that keep me occupied.
song for today: chasing cars - snow patrol.

bent to fit

"burn the mathematics" - Alfred Marshall.

sweet, sweet victory

beautiful hockey victory on wednesday night! scored some goals, emery was back, and even though most the of the players will "have to wrap ice around a lot of things" (quoting one of the commentators on team 1200), it was highly overdue and most unexpected (refer back to previous entry) result. hopefully it will last more than two days. but i have faith.

as the rain rolls into westdale; here is a happy reminder of summer:

Song: So Beautiful - Savage Garden :-)

i have been thinking quite a bit about next year with the posting of a housemeeting note on our fridge. the year is flying by, and we will have to make plans. i have made my plan: i am going to force all girls to resign the lease and then lock them up in sherry's closet if they do not willingly plan to stay. if that be the case i will bring them food once a day, and will make them write my papers for me, as long as no one leaves. but i cant be that mean, plus i think this is just wishful thinking. either way, i am a little sad to know we won't be altogether next year ...

why don't i just write a book about it? i might. i just might.

as for happy thoughts, happy belated birthday to Julie. hoping you were a least a bit surprised ... i guess the "eagle had landed" just a little too early for our purposes. anyways, i hope our economical version of karoake was entertaining. and yes, i do challenge y'all to sing/rap "white and nerdy" for a good work-out. yay to bok-choi, i am willing to bet my spelling of that is just as bad as my pronouniciation. on a tofu note though. just give me some real beef.

anyways, as the semester is ending, and final exams are coming awefully close, i must keep focused. i still have two midterms to write, one assignment, one essay, and one large review to do. the next few weeks do not look very promising. oh well, there is lost to look forward to: secret santa slumber party game and movie night thing and many birthdays, and christmas and hockey. oh, and not to neglect my other love; the match between netherlands and england resulted in a tie, once again. interestingly though some 57 Dutch fans were already arrested before the game.

as for interesting things i have learned this week. the Japanese constitution was actually drafted by a group of American lawyers in 1946 in one week's time. this constitution still stands, and does not allow Japan to ever enter into war, or maintain a military. i guess that's why they have resorted to a SDF (self-denfence force - not an army at all eh?). As for other interesting things, am contemplating whether to take a course on international monetary theory next semester, or to do a class on the economics of professional sport. also, should i take canadian business history or american foreign policy (the latter being a night class). these are the questions that keep me busy thinking.

boston is leading toronto now, i hope they keep it up. i am gonna study.

fruitpie and more fruitpie

Max Lucado (excerpt from He did this just for you):

"als je aan het kruis denkt, wat zie je dan voor je? Torenspitsen? Gouden kettinkjes? Kerken? Of gaan je gedachten dieper? Komen er woorden bij je boven als deze: Jezus. Spijkers. Bloed. Pijn. Dood. Graf. Graf? Leeg. Blijdschap. Belofte. Leven. Verlosser. O, de woorden van het kruis zijn zo vol pijn. Zo vol van passie. Zo vol van belofte. Gods belofte. Zijn belofte aan jou. Zijn belofte om alles te doen wat nodig is om jouw ziel te redden. Trouwens, daar denkt Hij aan. Hij denkt aan jou. En op dat moment dat jij nadenkt over het kruis, wil Hij dat je zult weten: Hij deed het voor jou. Hij deed het speciaal voor jou."

an interesting weekend at home ...

late fridayafternoon we (Sherry, Jax and G) headed up to Owen Sound, and soon learned never to "break the seal," or we all become little peemachines. but, at least it justifies a stop to stretch our legs. but after 3 hours of slow driving, it was good to come home. Spending some time in the barn, in town, on the couch, and on the trampoline, it was a pretty successful weekend, despite the excessive and obnoxious matchmaking attempts of my siblings, the hand of soap in my face, or the rather large bruise on my leg. plus the soap was green apple scented ... and we got to go to theresa's house, which was definitely the cherry on top.

on hockey matters: the weekend started off rather well with a 6-3 win over the penguins - which is all the sweeter because of my dislike for sidney crosby (who makes me feel utterly unaccomplished ... ). This feeling, however was shortlived, because the beatings began with a loss against the bruins, and tonight's loss from the canadiens. these beatings will likely continue indefinitely looking at the schedule, as, quoting sherry, "being fed to the slaughterhouse" does not look promising.

sigh, hopefully the netherlands will win in a friendly match against england, as to rekindle my other love, as my love for the senators is clearly unanswered.
i think this picture illustrates i need to work on my fan skills, my fanability, my fanaticability .... well you get the point.

note to self: i am sure we will come out of this beating with just a tiny bruise.

happy thoughts, G, happy thoughts

it's (not) just a game

allright then. i guess i should be happy because the thrashers fans are happy. i guess i should be happy because the capitals fans are happy. i guess i should be happy because the hurricanes fans are happy. i guess i should be happy because the canadiens fans are happy. i guess i should be happy because the bruins fans are happy. but i am not really feeling it. but then again it is just a game. or not? i can't really decide. am sure hoping that the above list does not get any longer.
and spezza, i am sorry, i did not really mean it.
note; we can all have a pretty bad case of pms. thus, gerber we understand.

:-) :-)
enough about hockey. went grocery shopping tonight. the fact that i had a car and did not have to carry all my purchases home made me feel better about the loss of $70. who knew toilet paper was really that expensive? well, i knew, but just did not want to know. but i got some coffee ;-)

for the upcoming weeks i have a midterm every monday, and an assignment due every thursday. and then final exams! well, i guess the only reason i can use an exclamation mark is because it ends another semester. plus i am done on the 16th, and am hoping to go to Ottawa for a few days, as well as Toronto.
the last few days i have been playing the same song for most of the day. but i did get some cleaning done, thanks to the tunes. in true G style, I have a song to last me for a week. last week it was Matchbox Twenty - Downfall. for this week, here is a little excerpt:
"Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You're my God
You're altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me"

Note to self: have to try a little harder on essays to make that B an A.
If you are interested in some fascinating but heavy material: does God exist?
Considering my elementary blogging skills, i hope that link works.
now, back to studies on human capital and disease burdens

interesting: "John Strauss and Duncan Thomas found that taller men earn more money in Brazil, even after controlling for other important determinants such as education and experience. A 1% increase in height is associated with a 7% increase in wages in that middle-income country. In the United States, there is also an association, but a much smaller one, with a 1% increase in height associated with a 1% increase in wages. Moreover, shorter people are more likely to be unemployed altogether. Height reflects various benefits achieved early in life; thus one is not seeing just the impact of current income on current height. In particular, taller people receive significantly more eduction than shorter people."

comfort

"do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind"
Romans 12:2

what an amazing weekend!


SNOW!!!!


it had been a while since i had attended a studyweekend or a retreat, but am very glad i got dragged along this past weekend. it is like God knew exactly what i needed to hear.

well, God did know.

"He has showed you, o man, what is good. and what does the Lord require of you? to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" Micah 6:8

"In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight" Proverbs 3:6

the speeches were very good, and very interesting. i just want to talk a little bit about a few things mentioned in the second speech. being the history nerd i am, the mentioning of C.S. Lewis and the second world war, woke me right up. C.S. Lewis, an anglican professor in Britain, had the opportunity to preach in the anglican church in 1939, the year in which WW2 broke out in Europe. while British soldiers went to fight on European mainland, Christian students were left behind, with a sense of duty to follow their countrymen into battle. C.S. Lewis, however, while acknowledging this sense of duty reminded them that if all Christians would go out and fight battles, their places in society would be filled by non-Christians. nurses, teachers, businessmen, doctors would be replaced by non-christians; and a battle at home would be lost. hereby, C.S. Lewis encouraged Christians to fulfill their tasks in their daily work, and witness through that. so also, it is not expected for all of us to go out and fight the spiritual battle, or be the "flood" that goes through the cities of this world. for our daily activities are a witness to God's glory and a part of a battle we face day to day.

the discussions after the speeches were equally rewarding and i am wishing that i took detailed notes so i could share more of the message ... but i did not. just like i did not take pictures, because i left the camera in the car in the parking lot, which was a long distance from the cabins but on a happy note: the food was simply yummy! also, there were very few people that i knew, and thus very many to meet, and i think i talked to most people, at some point, even if it was in the bathroom, or in my sleep. one of the highlights would also be the game of soccer. being the true fan, that i am, playing in the snow would be a fun challenge. and as i spend more time on the ground than on my feet, i would definitely qualify it as a challenge, or myself as challenged.



http://cyaretreat.myphotoalbum.com/

on a hockey note: i may have to accept defeat, but just not yet. okay so i may not be the only feeling a little challenged, the sens are probably there with me on that note of a feeling. the defeat against the hurricanes and the capitals were both a bad dream, and i refuse to waste any more words on them. i can't help but love 'em though, and spezza did get one assist, that has to count for something.

other than that, please dont turn off your engines after the first period.

as we had compared hockey to the school season with games being tests and assignments, and the playoffs being the final exams, i am thinking that maybe i should start studying for that mid-term coming up, if i want to follow my own words, and keep my engines running ...

rest stop

"and when my smile gets old and faded, wait around i'll smile again"

early morning yesterday i am confronted by a man who is probably 4 times my senior. how much do you know about the integration of Canada the United States and Mexico? i reply quickly that i simply knew enough in the hopes of avoiding any conversation, but oh, i looked him in the eye for a millisecond too long. 'well that is too bad' he says, while explaining that secret meetings are taking place between leaders to create one large country, united under the bush co. i accept a flyer, and run off to class in the hopes of learning more about malnutrition, diseases and worms that plague less developed countries. and the man can be satisfied in knowing that he passed on his message to the new generation. my first thought is that i dont need to be reminded that the world is going to hell. i am an optimist though. i am convinced that all people are capable of love. i think that makes me moral sentimentalist according to most standards.

7 am morning today. i swore myself i would never leave an assignment to finish on the morning it is due, i guess that thought was short-lived. interestingly, though, i had a great day. 6 hours of sleep, one dose of tim hortons, and a number of familiar faces. i saw my first-year roommate today, a hug and quick word, but yay! also got headed, well that will be my term for seeing elaine at school, and being attacked head first ... lol.

am very excited for the coming weekend. CYA retreat at Campfire! in Markdale, plus i get go home afterwards. am hoping for some good discussion, a learning experience, and many friends to make. this is assuming that i don't sleepwalk out into the deep dark woods. if i do get lost the furthest i can go would probably be mexico, or the north pole. either way i will be sure to dress appropriately.

on a last note i will have to miss the hockey game on saturday, perhaps mr. brightside will awaken, because we really need to some heatley-spezzaction. sherry it is on your shoulders to sing/cheer/dance, because we can't exhaust our last option of painting our face just yet.

new beginning

"to proceed to perform the earliest part of some action" or in simpler terms a beginning. The beginning of a new blog.