horoscope horrors

"you know what you want and aren't afraid to do whatever is in your power to get it. you are a wonderful homemaker"

"you will hear some good news today that may have to do with your recent hard work and success"

"today, you may be taking on far more responsibility than is yours to deal with. try to work at lightening your load"

"try to focus on the positive today and you may find yourself becoming happier with the present situation"

i say horoscope horrors because i am far from taking horoscopes to heart, but it is scary the day that grades come out that my horoscope suggests i will hear good news regarding what i have been working on, or that i am a good homemaker on the day that i spend cleaning the house, or that i know what i want while i was working on a job application for a job that i really want. craz-i-ness!

happy shortest day of the year (i know ... it is still 24 hours long) -> happy winter!

bok van blerk - delaray (below: i am always glad to share a history lesson)



and this commercial is so terribly cute/funny that i had to share it
-soccer kid-

instant coffee and little timbits here and there

funny thing is ... i am instantly happy when matchbox twenty comes on on the radio.

and i have finally a few references lined up for this one job application. who ever knew that job applications and searching for suitable references would be so excruciating.

in the meantime though i am enjoying this snow and glad i can't leave the house to do anything, and just have to stay in and be a little lazy ... although i dont think i can stay away from the library too long, it is just time to read something i actually want to read. and the list of must read books is getting terribly long. in the meantime though: i am doing homework and thinking very hard about possible research topics for my modern japan history seminar, and my economics thesis. any thoughts for the second class?

ps. i hope alfonzo americano (or for short i decided to call him hugo) does not feel like i am cheating on him, now that i am home and using my parents (un)reliable and slow computer, which just happens to have the internet on it. and also ... it was nice to find that my parents had bought a bigger sreen tv so that watching hockey is instantly more enjoyable, but at the same time we lost a channel. so now we are down to 4. i am thinking that trip to the library is becoming very important soon.

world wide web

of all the place i could be writing a post from ... i am at sunnibrook hospital in toronto. the last few weeks have been a rollercoaster, and now i am waiting, waiting, and waiting. i have already read every magazine they have in the lobby, and all the newspapers have my fingerprints on them ... and then i found this little gem, and black box, a computer of all things, with full internet access. so here is where i watched the highlights from last night's game ... and watching heatza scores many goals, while crosby is frustrated with our very own gerbz .. made me smile a little.

the news is not all bad ... dad is going to holland. and when he comes back treatment will begin. it won't be easy, but this place has a positive vibe. which is good, because in the next year i am planning to visit quite a few times. anyhow, i am logging off so my lil brother can play games on this thing, while i go searching or something else to read ... then, off to the airport.

logging off.

music for the trip home: westlife!

punked out

it is really starting to get to me. i think by the end of tomorrow i cannot see another q, b, z or m.

but as always distractions are abundant. i did come across the definitions for the toronto maple leafs and the ottawa senators on urban dictionary dot com of which the majority have been written by leafs fans; entertaining nonetheless.

josh groban -awake

red friday

"how good it was for me to suffer pain; So that in all Your statutes You might school me; The perfect law that You, O Lord ordain; Exceeds all earthly riches. Let it rule me!; Your ordinances are my greatest gain; For gold and silver can no longer fool me" (Psalm 119: 27 anglo-genevan psalter, revised version)

i received an e-mail in my inbox today, and as much as it may be a piece of propaganda, it cannot be far from the truth. i have been studying international economic organizations the last few days for an exam coming up tomorrow, and there is a lot to be questioned, but i support the men and women overseas nonetheless.

"You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends. He still fights for your right to wear that shirt""You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting. You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him "

cold - can you feel it in your heart

exam frenzy

"If I could make these moments endless

If I could stop the winds of change

If we just keep our eyes wide open

Then everything would stay the same"

altogether trying to bolster my spirits, remain hopeful, pray continually, and ... study hard:

exam status [1/3]

just came back from labour economics exam, and am glad to report it went relatively well. it was certainly nice to see the senators logo staring at me everytime i looked up, as some guy in front me had to wear his cap backwards: he is a smart man.

am now preparing for a monday morning exam: 3 essays in 3 hours. yikes.
some things change, but other things remain the same, so exam time has come around and the repeat function on my playlist is put to good use again: listening to josh groban - you're the only one & westlife - love crime: " know that for you to be here without me by your side it's a love crime"

where the first song is so terribly good, and the second one is so terribly catchy.

logging off in 3 ... 2 ... 1

beep.

numbed

"but every road can hide a corner you can't see ... i am calling out to the only [O]ne"

you're the only place - josh groban


to love somebody - damien rice and ray lamontagne


to leave it behind - the great lake swimmers


no words.

purposeful purposium

while i was reading the globe and mail from 1979, i came across this picture of levesque i believe. in its original context it was about the referendum on sovereignty, but i just tweaked it a tiny bit to show something a bit more current (ugly picture though ...)

if i had a camera i would have taken some pictures of the earrings i got from my not so secret santa. i am ecstatic about spending sometime away from studying and ... well, you know ... studying. but then there is always the little reminders about more important things in life.

i always joke a bit about my "purposes" and usefulness around here. but in the meantime i have been reading rick warren's "the purpose-driven life" and am glad to be assured that i have some definite purpose. this purpose is outlined under 5 headings: you were planned for God's pleasure, you were formed for God's family, you were created to become like Christ, you were shaped for serving God, you were made for a mission. enough purpose for me then.

Ephesians 1:11 - "in him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will."

sunday

"we're going to the house of God, are you coming?"

not enough

if courses were goals and goals were courses, if an university career was a hockey game, and a hockey game was an university career, then me and the senators would have a lot in common: making mistakes early on and then coming up short in a game of catch-up.

"you have come to a sad realization. cancel or allow." allow.

coldplay - fix you

you can want

spend a few hours this morning reading the hamilton spectator on microfilm today. although i found less than a 100 words of relevant information to my research project, i did see some interesting things.
like: "PMS is taken by courts as a justification for crimes committed in the UK" - May 27, 1981.

of course i forgot to bring the battery charger for my laptop and had to come home ... i am never going to be ready for exams. at least i am the trainwreck that the economics department thinks i should be. i fit the profile: great.

maria mena - just hold me

gameday: sens vs. isles. i hope the fact that i was reading about the NY Islanders winning the Stanley Cup in 1981 will not have any bearing on tonight's game. although the sens could use some luck.

GO SENS GO!

oh dear!

i don't want to whine or anything ... but it is only 9.30 tuesday morning, and i already managed to spill my entire coffee in a lecture hall ... it just trickled down to the front of the classroom to the professor. how embarassing. and what a waste of perfectly good coffee! i am not sure if should alert someone from the physical plant so it can be cleaned up ... but then again it seems that not many people would. aiaiai ... what a pickle. and now i am moving on without my coffee.

this sucks.

music: none. only the sound of a fan and computers in the computer lab.

impressions

now that i am sitting here on a sunday morning, eating pepernoten, i am thinking about the fact that i really should have written this post last night when my ears were still ringing and i was lying awake with the moon shining in my face. then i would have been somewhat productive. but maybe the fact that i came home to find out the senators had lost yet again to a no-good team had me shut down the computer, who i have named alfonzo americano, in disgust. so maybe when neither "darth gerber" or mr. swedish delight himself can/will bail out the team they are just average. nah ... i am talking nonsense. they are never just average. plus if they were playing just average it is because they have probably forgotten they needed to show some of the loyalty to their fans that we have shown them. relationships are hard work.

good thing it could not ruin a good night though, which included taking in a performance by the trans-siberian orchestra at copps coliseum. seeing that i am a newbie at all things concert, i have some many questions and thoughts about the concert. i want to know things like whether or not the stage belongs to the band, what they do in the summer, whether or not they have health problems from being subjected to the lighting all the time, etc. but really, at some point i was sure that the guitarists were not actually playing because they were running up and down the stage, throwing their heads up and down and ... well everything else they do on guitar hero. it just seems so impossible to still be able to play so well and synchronized ....

i had a great time just watching the constructions in the air as part of the lightshow. or the the lightshow itself i am convinced would have to have been constructed by geniuses, with a lot of imagination, and taste for colour. i mean the constructions looked like spaceships in a sky filled with stars. cool!

altogether though it was such a good mix of funny, and touching. the narrative that played throughout the first half was the story of christmas eve. although it is too long to reiterate, there was a subtle message against terrorism. it was very touching that the narrator described the ruins in the middle east on christmas eve from which one chello played ... which then moved into one of greatest performances of carol of the bells.

this video is from this year's performance in pittsburgh, and was very similar to the one in hamilton. it includes parts of a number of songs, but was very entertaining:


i also really loved the drummer solo. like really really loved it. i mean, no one normal person should be able to move that fast ... no joke.

about halfway of the show, one of the lead guitarists? vocalists? ( i don't really know because they all look the same) came out wearing a leafs jersey, number 13 to be exact, and the ensuing ensemble of cheers and boos was quite funny. i think i performed my duty of boo-ing as loud as i could, while the guys in front of us looked back at the loud and mixed response of 6 girls behind them. we are a house divided.

allright these were just some of my thoughts about last night. would definitely recommend seeing it. to anyone.

remy zero - fair
tso - carol of the bells

ps. vote pizza line and volchenkov for the all-star game in atlanta.

i dont know what you are talking about ...

while i am trying to finish a 15 page paper tonight, i had to make a quick comment:

it sounds like someone is being slaughtered downstairs, while i am listening to sil tu me amas - il divo. it adds a lot of drama, and i feel like a helpless bystander.

that someone - by the way - is the ottawa senators who are playing the buffalo sabres tonight, which is on tsn, and half the house is watching. i am missing it, but then maybe the memory will only be the sounds, not supplemented with video evidence. this way i can more easily pretend it never happened.

muse - sing for absolution

surprise

i am getting my ass kicked. and frankly i don't like it.

never take poli sci 3e03. love the class. hate the assignment.



i know nothing much about music and guitars. but i really like this.

i also have a quite well known affection for the numbers 9 and 19.

i copied this image from ottawacitizen.com, which me quite happy for the aforementioned reason.

i was so bored at the library today, that i took a picture of the orange carpet at thode with my webcam. i got some funny looks of people as they walked by and saw themselves on my screen. hehe.

mark cohn - life goes on

y

our men in france often feel homesick

"we learn from history that we learn nothing from history" george bernard shaw.


this is actually helpful now: realism or neorealism? realism. because mankind is not rational.

tidbits

essaying ... or trying to.

i dove into a pool of IR theories, and i think i am drowning because neorealism is really pulling me down.

i try. and now i am wondering if i am in the camp of meliorists or not at all.

yesterday's class of public expenditures began with this exact question: "how much are cows worth these days?" and then "does anyone here have any cows?" i especially enjoyed the guesstimations of the class, which then ensued in a discussion of "cow farms."

i maintain that everyone should vote for the NHL all star team, if only because a free subscription to XM satellite radio for a couple of weeks. i have been listening to starbucks fm cafe, and am enjoying the selection of music. i just thought of a nice formula to represent my utility levels for starbucks that includes some variable to subtract the fact it is american, but now i am thinking i dont want to embarass myself too much, or be so nerdy. already did? dang.
i love the fact that the station has a show called "the daily grind," very witty. now if only i could be productive i would be a happy camper.

the interview.

tom petty and the heartbreakers - i'm walkin'
mark cohn - life goes on
iron and wine - carried home
wilco - on and on and on
crowded house - four seasons in one day
shane nicholson - safe and sound

getting excited for battle of ontario round 4. go sens go.

when it gets to you

i thought this was a pretty cool desktop background ...

warning: this is a random posting. i will not be held responsible for any utterings of sorts.

i blame facebook for making me think of "gesiena is ...." everytime i try to think of something to post.

yikes i just looked sideways and paul walker is seriously staring at me. i think i should consider readjusting the pictures on my wall again.

based on a discussion i had with a friend today i am really curious to know whether or not there are any cowboys in holland. i am thinking not.

and ... happy birthday julie!

Stars - HYMNE (vangelis)

on a hockey note ...

"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."

i wrote this exactly one year ago, (when almost every post was about hockey) ... two things are for sure: 1. time flies. 2. time heals all wounds, because we all know in the end it was not so bad ... now why did i look this up? i am just a tad bitter about them losing today. even if i did not watch. or listen. or follow it.

whatever. i need to study.

sum 41 - with me

things that make you go "hmmm ... " [1]

"In God's Name" - religion and public life in theeconomist.com (note the column on the right with links to a number of articles)

sweetening my weekend

this team, captained by mr swedish delight (left), will be enjoying the services of both right and centre for many more years. i think this officially means i can buy a spezza jersey.

i love canada. i love hockey. (go back two years and you would not have caught me saying that)

matchbox twenty - bent

confessions

if you knew i was in economics you would have thought i was smarter than this. i mean i should be the queen of efficiency and productivity. but here you have it. the truth is uncovered. i am not:
(now that i think of it, it should not really surprise anyone, especially when you realize that stephen harper, or peter george have economics degrees, and what do they get done? exactly.)

Go Sens Go (Hockey Night in Canada)


i have a few obsessions. and (rightly so) the sens are near the top of the list. oh and in line with my (strange) habit (disease?) of listening to the same song all day long here you have it for today:
(really too bad youtube does not have a repeat button .... or that i feel so guilty about downloading free music ... )

One Republic ft. Timbaland - I apologize

university 101: always carry an umbrella

i am thankful for many many things. but especially today:
- for long legs and being able to jump over or around puddles
- for ending class early so i have time to grab a cup of coffee between classes
- for discovering a subject that i really enjoy: intellectual property protection (i know!)
- for saying that i will go swimming, and then actually doing it
- music.

aqualung - something to believe in

i like ...

the song. not sure about the video though.

matt kearney - breathe in, breathe out

sooooo distracted.

measuring progress by word counts and nutrition by peanut butter and jam sandwiches, and sanity by the cups of coffee.

where is my mind? in Funk-ytown

so i just looked up from writing my paper and thought there was a fish swimming in my water bottle.

yikes.

have been completely overwhelmed with schoolwork, and completely distracted by life. but had the chance to see the home opener of the hamilton bulldogs last night a la second row. it was a great game, and a nice ceremony, with the anthems performed by hamilton's own: brian melo. my throat is not feeling all that happy, but i love it when the crowd gets loud, so i do my part ... and more. funk alert!

back to my book report on Nature's Metropolis. fabulous book. too bad i need to go through it so many times that i will hate it when i am done.

a bit more catchy - special d.

and ... go sens go!

listen.

study. repeat. study. repeat. study. repeat.
study some more. and then repeat some more.

three days grace - wicked game

interesting development?

it seems that election day has a chilling effect on ontario, as the temperature went from some 30 degrees to 13 degrees in just 24 hours.

this is as much of a political rant i can get going:
although i hope dalton mcguinty does not get re-elected, there is one clear advantage he has over ... let's say, john tory: choice of hockey team. other than that there is nothing much to say about politics right now because at election time it seems that political affiliation is a commodity that can be bought and sold, and right: it isn't. so much for democracy. i think i am going to skip the election show and study tonight instead, while checking nhl scoresheets repeatedly.


blah ... i hate the smell of popcorn.

trans siberian orchestra - carol of the bells. i know it is early but could we not skip halloween altogether? but seriously: to go or not to go?

at the next high school reunion ....

.... i won't be a country rock star like some of us (Welcome to Jeff Catto On-Line) ... but maybe i will have some fun stories to tell, and accomplishments to share.

yeah. i have that kind of confidence.


this song has been in my head all day: andre hazes en gerard joling - blijf bij me, which instantly makes me think of this song: lange fraas en baas b - het land van.


while i was on the bus the other day, an older lady started talking to me about my t-shirt. i was wearing a "the doors" t-shirt, that i had once picked up at bluenotes for less than $5. she told me i had very good taste, and continued talking about the band, and how my parents must have been big fans. when i told her they were more into country, she shook her head, and applauded me for making much better choices .... thing is: i haven't listened to most of their music, and could not tell you one thing about the band. i was really sweating it for minute ... serves me right though, i suppose.

a friend of mine shared this with me. i love the part where luxembourg gets beat up. hmm .. i should really try to figure out how to paste the actual thing here, rather than link it. yeah ... about that.

odds and ends

"Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain" Psalm 48:1

age: 21 years and two days and counting. i am so thankful for all the messages and e-mails-> and even more thankful for those 21 years of many many blessings.

i have a lot of readings to do, so i will have to pass on the marauders-geegees game today (which i had been wanting to attend), but i am sure i will find other ways to prohibit myself from having a particularly productive day.

officially, the 2007-2008 hockey season has begun 2 minutes ago, in london, england, and is actually aired on the cbc. too bad i still have to wait 4 days before i can get really excited about it (msg me if you are interested in joining for a "beginning of the season beer and pizza" part-ay) in the meantime there is lots of news and season previews on youtube.com although i have to say there are none that i particularly like, but it is fun to re-live the exciting plays from last year anyways.

the decemberists - here i dreamt i was an architect

steven sufjan - chicago

i think i will have to put my feet up, read my readings, and enjoy a fabulous cup of coffee in an even more fabulous mug. and maybe think of something useful to say and post for the next time ... maybe.

"when you're not with us, we're blue, so blue, oh .. "

lo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ve this rain

status: reading

lifehouse - storm

i've got more: just came across this article ``Gingers extinct in 100 years, scientists say`` an even more interesting development is the response: a facebook group `save the redhead breeding program`

oh dear ...

they're from the city. i am not.

i was glad to read this in the Toronto Star. i am currently taking a class in international economic institutions, and like every university course there is a lot of reference to globalization. it seems that with a renewed focus on local produce, there seems to be some opposition to the effects of free trade and flow of resources across borders. in any case, the current situation is this:

TheStar.com News How young people are being driven off the farm

i also looked for the new dairy farmers' commercial, aired on tv, but i can't find it online. but trust me, it definitely beats the milk rap, and the one where naked people were bathing in milk (i mean, water with dye).
can't afford to reminisce too much about this though, because i need to get back to reading about the city. interestingly though the course (called the North American City) attributes the existence and growth of the city to the country. take that you city folks!

peculiar farm fact: the farm. interestingy they were also called the "soul of socialism"

i am rooting for the peeps in plaid.

high tide

I currently working on my resume, and some job applications/while also thinking about grad school applications, and came across a reference letter I had received after the summer. I never thought I was this bad ... (or that I would be unable to rival this sense of humour):

"Mornings were frequently a challenge for Gesiena but by mid-day she was usually able to speak in full sentences. She did show some sparks of initiative, particularly at the end of the day, when she could clean her desk and exit the office faster than a civil servant with job security. If we had been organizing beer and wing parties instead of Coffee Breaks I believe we could have achieved unrivalled success."

... and continues ...

"I have no hesitation in recommending Gesiena for any position where dedication, hard work, attention to detail and the ability to excel at new tasks are not requirements. If you have no other suitable applicants I suppose you could do worse than hiring Gesiena. But I am not sure how."

Allright then,
9 days until 21
and preseason hockey season starts TONIGHT for the beloved Senators, in approximately 4 hours, while I will be reading, reading, highlighting, reading, and reading.

In the spirit of Hamilton, and music, I am listening to All I Ever Wanted - Brian Melo

no breather

14 days until 21

20 days until TMLvsSEN

i added me to hyves.nl and am looking for more ways not to read/write/think.

will be going home this weekend though to see relatives from le pays-bas, and study? there is really nothing exciting happening here: i am thinking i might even be the only one home,.because it is deadly quiet here ..

lifehouse - storm

another summer come and gone

17 days until 21

23 days until TMLvsSEN

that was it already. summer is gone. school has begun. and no more vacations to be had. there are books to read. assignments to start.

i posted a little bit at the beginning of the summer, after which i realized that the struggle with the internet and the computer was not at all worth it. but now i have my very own highspeed internet connection and my new computer (which still remains nameless)!

i could spend hours to explain what i did this summer, but really there would be nothing too exciting, as i spend the entire time working. no vacations, and only a few short trips. it was fantabulous nonetheless. i had the chance to spend a couple of weeks with my grandmother (oma) and cousins from holland, visit fathom five national park, camping at alconquin park, and tons of bonfires. photo evidence:

flowerpot island.

on the boat tour.

byebye johanna. we'll see you in switserland.

someone (who shall remain nameless) may have stolen a tree. it was a really nice tree.

lake of two rivers.

must ... have coffee ...

church picnic 2007. i must say when i had the chance to take on frouke, i prevailed. luckily no photo evidence exists.

hockey hall of fame, store. may? 2007. the bickering and violence never ends.

fall out boy - thanks for the memories

having to share

excerpt from the limited amount of poetry that i read:

Druppels van dauw - E. Griffioen-van Wuijkckhuijse

Nu is de wereld kostbaarder dan ooit
Ik blijf verwonders voor het venster dralen:
vannacht zijn druppels dauw als zilv'ren kralen
met gulle handen in mijn tuin gestrooid.

Dit wonder kan allen maar zijn bedacht
door God, die mij met kleine zegeningen
wijst op de troost dat vaak de mooiste dingen
onstaan zijn uit het duister van de nacht.

happy birthday canada!

between an early trip to the airport on saturday, preparing for the church picnic and the actual picnic tomorrow, there is not much room or energy for any holiday weekend partying/trips. that means that my much desired plan to ever go visit the barclay unit will be postponed. again.

as for canada day itself, i watched some 5 minutes of the tribute to princess diana show, only to decide it was a bit too much for me. no other patriotic activities planned on this front. interestingly hearing the canadian anthem, is for me, directly associated with hockey. specifically the playoffs. and even more specifically the finals. funny how that works. i have been trying to put together a team for a ball hockey tournament, but am running in some trouble getting a whole team, without leaving anyone feeling left out.

hmmm ... yay to our new pool. it is not too luxurious, but most definitely nice for a dive after work. altogether though, i am just looking forward to go back to school ... i think. although i am enjoying work very muchly, i just get antsy to finish up. i mean one more year left, it is just too good to be true!

finger eleven-falling on

opnieuw terug van weggeweest

even though the nice weather has returned, my cold has not left yet and i am not really up for a trip to the beach with friends, so i stayed home to do nothing. well, that was until i got really bored and decided to updatemy blog. and i know, it has been like a month. a good month though.

there is no more hockey on, so that leaves my saturdaynights free for other activities. although the senators did not get very far in the stanley cup finals, the fact that they made it there is good enough for me. plus i am convinced that in a couple of years, after resigning almost the entire team, we will be like anaheim, only better looking. in the meantime, i followed the awards show and the draft to stay a little bit updated.

for the rest of the week i keep busy at work. i am glad to say that i am no longer working at the military base, not because i hated it, but because i got a different job: closer to home, nicer hours, more pay, and a chance to learn important skills and network a little bit as well. this past week has been especially busy as we organized a charity golf tournament! it was a great success and i learned a little bit about golf as well. also this past weeks, the canadian air forces' snowbirds were in owen sound, and being so crazy about jets as i have always been, it was really exciting, and having been able to capture some nice shots/video i was hoping to post it here, but alas, internet is not co-operating. the story of my life. well just a tiny part of it. only 2 more months + one week till school starts again? i think i will be able to get along with the dial-up for that much longer. UPDATE: i got one picture to work :-)

that means summer is passing by much faster than i can think. and i still have so many plans ... right. i better get on that.

my super summer mix:

westlife-soledad

dj tiesto - close to you

brief smoke signals

it has been a few weeks since i have posted last. eeek! so much for my intentions to document the weekly adventures of cornpuff and mr. storkbat. although i have to admit they have not been very many places. maybe i will take them to work some time this week.

life has been as adventurous as unadventurous. the ottawa senators made it to the stanley cup finals, and the first game against the anaheim ducks is tonight. strangely i don't think i really care very much about how they do, because so far it has been an excellent journey! although i am hoping to see getzlaf square off against spezza. the game starts in about an hour, and i am pretty sure i am going to try to be smart and get to bed early for a 4.30am awakening, as i have to leave for work before 5am.

as for work it has been as interesting as it has been uninteresting. part of me really hates it, while the other part actually kind of likes it. i can't make up my mind about it, and it is really confusing.

anyways, i was not planning to write too much, and am going to do some research on barbeques as we still have to get one for mom for her birthday, which is tomorrow. eek! i am off to paint my nails. red.

westlife -soledad

GO SENS GO!

that IS the way (i like it): hockey night in canada and the adventures of mr. storkbat, cornpuff and alfie jr.

i take back all the things i said about blogger and pictures and not working ... because: voila! mr storkbat and cornpuff a la hockey night in canada!

now that i am still waiting to hear back from a couple of job interviews .... but am getting some things done, such as cleaning out my room so that it can be painted. the cool thing is that i ended up reading a couple of my old diaries. my entry for november 1, 1996: (translated)

"dear diary. i have to tell you today that nothing happened. goodnight, gesiena."

i surely had a good laugh about all the crushes i had, and all the marks i got on my tests. my last entry for that year was the results from a playbackshow that we had as a year-end party for choir. my friends and i got specific haircuts, and matching outfits to sing this song: verliefd zijn - guus meeuwis & vagant . i am not sure what is up with the video. because blogger is not letting me post any videos :-(

i have to go get changed now, as i watered the trees, and got myself real wet.

as for my dearly beloved senators: YAYzors! only 8 more wins till the Stanley Cup. in the meantime i am making roadtrip plans for ottawa/buffalo. wednesday i will be going to T.O. to get my passport renewed. so maybe buffalo won't be such a bad idea. hmmm ... mom's home, i better go look productive.

adventures of cornpuff, mr. storkbat & alfonzo (2)

since blogger is being a huge PITA, I am not sure if i can be uploading any pictures. personally i like to blame it on dial-up internet, although realistically i might be a factor. i am already at 4 cups of coffee for the day and have soaked up enough vitamin D for the entire summer, as i spend most of the day gardening. i was able to teach mr. storkbat and the cornpuff the essentials to gardening. i think they got lesson #1 quite well: dispose of the fallen, rotten leafs that seem to be lying around everywhere being pretty much useless.

this weekend was pretty much boring and exciting at the same time. having a vehicle around and time to not study, i got a chance to go out with the sibs for a couple of drinks and the hockey game. we did not last very long, maybe until the end of the second period and opted to grab a couple of movies instead. good thing was that when we came home i just caught the tying goal of the third period, which put the game into overtime. still decided to watch bon cop bad cop instead, for some pretty good laughs. i mean canadian film making .... there is always something to laugh about.

on sunday it was really nice to see everyone again at church. we organized a breakfast type dinner and played a game of soccer before bible study. i am officially out of shape, but had a couple of interesting falls (and dives) and got myself a good headache with a head ball on the top of my head. not good. not good at all. anything for the team though -> woop woop!

am still jobhunting, and pretty much praying to get hired. i guess the worst thing really is having to wait. off to distract myself until 7pm.

summer tune: DJ Tiesto - Close to You

adventures of cornpuff, mr. storkbat & alfonzo

i have decided to document the experiences of cornpuff (or crosby), mr. storkbat and alfonzo (more commonly referred to as alfie jr. and diehard fan of his nick-name-sake) in owen sound this summer. somewhat inspired by sherry's work with the penguins, I have documented their first few hours of official summer holidays. picture -> them boys sitting inside because it is raining :-(

i was only home for about 15 minutes, after which i left to watch some highschool soccer action. although it was cold and raining the amount of scoring action was great. i think the final score was 12-0 for good guys. all i could think of was that it would be nice if tonight's hockey game would resemble the same one-sided effort for the good guys.

after each hockey game, i am even more convinced of the #19 factor. seeing that spezza (#19) scored the first goal of game 1 for ottawa and zajac (#19) scored the first goal of game 1 for the devils .... hmmm i am started to believe some economic (or psychological) analysis is in order 1st intermission right now. about 20 minutes later i realize that ottawa players in the number 20's are not having such luck judging from NHL.com Report Viewer seeing that I can't watch anymore. it's all in the numbers. current score: 4-3 (OTT).

yee-hah! that's the way ... i like it (and redden scores to give us a little boost). UPDATE: final score is 5-4. i have some great pictures of cornpuff and mr. storkbat watching hockey night in canada ... but unless i figure out what beef this computer has with my plan, i am going to have to put off posting those.

as for hockey (i waited a whole week for it, so bear with me on the excessive hockey talk):

[dancing]

[still dancing ... while holding breath]

and logging off to do some real work. summer kick-off tune: dance4life - DJ Tiesto

done'r and goner

je suis fini!

now i can no longer hide behind textbooks and have to face the real world for some 4 months. i have free time, and already don't know what to do with it. why is it so much easier to waste time when you dont have it? no fair.

status: really trying to be nice

only two more days in the hammer ... and two more days of highspeed internet and bickering with jax. then i will be going home for the summer! until then i have one more exam that i have no desire to study for whatsoever: business history. now as i am quote, unquote studying hard, and not wasting time looking for the newest espisode of supernatural on youtube, or posting messages on facebook ...
in light of all this studying cornpuff, mr. storkbat and myself have resorted to youtube for some comic relief. and the following (familiar) three have come out as winners:

Raj Binder with NHL Playoff Predictions - love the hamilton and ottawa comments
Raj Binder and the Ottawa Senators - "the stanley cup ... or the protective cup"
Raj Binder at the NBA All Star Game - "do you wish you had gone to college?"

FYI:
april 24: today i have been in Canada for exactly 7 years. usually this is cause for celebration with the family ... but i am still writing exams. i can't help but wonder though, where have those years gone? eek! one thing is for sure: it has been sufficient to "canadianize" me to some extent. that being evident in my love for cereal and hockey
april 24: elaine's birthday! i would teach the penguins a little dance for her. such as the golddigger (G-style), but i think they are still hungover.
april 24: also the birthday of William I of Orange, Alan Eagleson (punch him ... please), Barbra Streisand, and Kelly Clarkson.
april 24: the day the Greeks enter Troy using the Trojan Horse (1184 BC)

after 3 cups of coffee, and a million bathroom breaks i really must be stuyding. plus really likes it when people buy me donuts.

ik wil alleen maar zwemmen

seriously. is it thursday yet?

listening to: westlife - butterfly kisses, and some "thrashy euro music" by armin van buuren.

whoop-di-doo ...

... some people might say: but after a pretty horrible exam last night i was uberly glad to come home and see this:

4 wins down ... 12 wins to go! thanks to them boys for making me and alfie jr. ve-e-ery happy.

and especially after a pretty good exam today, and gorgeous weather i am ready for some more studying and then SUMMERRRRRRR!

"that's the way (i like it)"

i was getting a little nervous about the first round of hockey for the ottawa senators and i should not care so much ... but i do! anyways, after today i can breathe a little easier until tuesday, and enjoy my dinner. series at 2-1.


song: it's not over - chris daughtry

practice to win

... thinking of roses and the upcoming playoff series ...

just had a ball of fun at home this past weekend, and brushed up on my soccer and basketball skills, and even got some time to practice my street hockey ball control skills with the dog ... all that during a white easter. i also got a haircut, watched some hockey night in canada, played poker and had some interested and less than mature conversations.

the best comment i heard though, "this snow is completely useless, just like the toronto maple leafs." now that's the spirit!

btw this is the font that i fell in love with, and now i am going to type up some more studynotes, listen to some more boyband tunes, and daydream a little more.
studytune: brian mcfadden and delta goodrem - almost here (this falls in line with my preference for male/female duets ;-) )

good friday reflections

"Down the Via Dolorosa called the way of suffering

Like a lamb came the Messiah, Christ the King,

But He chose to walk that road out of His love for you and me.

Down the Via Dolorosa, all the way to Calvary.

The blood that would cleanse the souls of all men

Made its way through the heart of Jerusalem."

Although we can realize the truth and comfort of this every day, there is always emotions of great joy and shame on Good Friday. especially shame for not taking the opportunity to share this joy with others every day, in that light i just wanted to share the following passage from Luke 23:

"As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' Then " 'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!" 'For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?" Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself." There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last."

flying high

i have diagnosed myself with an extreme case of spring fever, because despite all the unsure-eties and frustrations i have to say i am a happy gal. too restless and excited to sit still and actually study ...
for the more frustrating part: all i can say about my current status is that it is a large, juicy, sweet and sour pickle. i have no idea what i will be doing in a month, and am not really getting anywhere in the decision-making process. but i wont be taking a history seminar in the summer, as the random-like allotment system did not work in my favour, so now i am trying to put my economics skills to the test in a cost-benefit analysis of the situation. plus i am trying my hardest to find a job, either here or in owen sound, which is turning out to be harder than it should be. i think altogether that leaves me praying for a solution, and wishing i could go home to consult the parent-unit. almost easter!

in the meantime i am making a sincere effort to study for exams, while also wasting my time on facebook and other internet venues that have little or no value to my education or general well-being. oh well. i did end up listening to the westlife rendition of "total eclipse of the heart" which gives me a whole new appreciation for the 80's. i mean that was a great decade. and also in the spirit of boybands i have to share that mark (for those who followed the above link: the third one from the left, with the shirt/sweater combination) is very handsome! he has very nice features ;-)


oh! must mention about the weekend! frouke, my (maybe not so) lil' sis came to visit me, which was a perfect excuse for the b-clayans of this world to go out. even though we were surrrounded by a much too large number of leafs fans who were ready to eat their plates or something ... it was bunches of fun! anyways toronto won (so no plates were eaten), ottawa won, it's all good. and i will be practicing my pool skills so next time my team can turn out as winners as well. i try.

anyways, i should be getting the laundry out of the dryer, before it burns. because i think that is possible. and i cant risk losing the vanilla smell from my clean laundry ...

i shall study. and listen to more of the same song. and update this blog more often, with hopefully some substance of thought ... or thoughts of substance? and in the spirit of the near end of the hockey season: Go Sens Go.

tuesday tune: james morrison - the pieces don't fit anymore

when the sun comes through

as i was reading through my courseware for business history i came across a line that i had written on the top corner of a page "you tiny brained wipers of other peoples' bottoms" -> i am sure that i had a reason for wanting that documented, but even if it never serves the purpose i had intended for it (the one that i can't remember) it brought me a really good laugh amidst all this essaying. plus a page on economies of scale and scope, and organizational capabilities deserves some extra flavour. btw anyone remember what it is from (b/c i had to google it)

back to work and then maybe treat myself to TCBY? probably.

essaying tune on a not so lonely day: the great lake swimmers - to leave it behind

call me crazy ... call me what you will: just call me

the nice thing about being home alone is being able to blast music and sing along and not having to worry about anyone reminding you about it in a future wedding speech ... hypothetically anyways. at the same time though ... it is ve-ery quiet.

i did realize this weekend i am going to have to work on my comebacks so i can win the next insult-off from jax she pretty much silenced me last night. and then she thinks i will miss her ... pffff ... sheesh. crazy girl that one. well maybe i dont do canadian beer very well, that could be it. blame canada: always blame canada.

must do work. must ... and she collapses on her computer, only to wake up right in time for church the next morning. actually my room is small enough that if i fall backwards i end up on my bed: so backwards it is!

sing-a-long song for a-lone-some-ness like times: kt tunstall - other side of the world
"over the sea and far away
whe is waiting like an iceberg
waiting to change,
but she's cold inside
he wants to be like
the water,
all the muscles tighten in her face
buries her soul in one embrace
they're one and the same
just like water"

sweet, popsicle sweet, dreams!

progress

one week later and the mountain is not any smaller but there is some progress!

in the meantime (bear with me here) i am intrigued by the new playoff campaign:

i can't help but feel that i have some advantage (and authenticity) in this department ;-)

i realize we are a biological mistake ... but one day we will take over the world. trust me.

essaying tune: landing in london - 3 doors down

blog up the bog down

official signal from the smokey mountain of schoolwork i am currently sitting on:

four papers and two midterms in less than two weeks

talk to you after that :D

in hockey news - alfonzo will officially take over chanting duties for the time being: GO SENS GO!

update: i was thinking for all those wondering about alfonzo, sherry over on her blog (i wanted to put a link to the direct post, but because i can't have everyone reminded of the first part of the particular post .. it is just the main link) posted some pictures of him, and using my saving tools, with all disregard for copyright laws decided to steal it and post 'er here:

ps. no worries, he is in a much larger bowl now

new companion

last night i had the chance to attend a Girls' Night Out organized by some of my fellow christians and wonderful friends at C4C. i had such a great time, and came out with daringly purple/red nails! but most excitingly and importantly i won the door price of a betafish - he has been named alfonzo, which coincidently does make me think of alfie in an italian style -> see everything does relate to hockey! he is going to be living in my room for now, until i buy him a nice home to put him where all the fun happens: in the living room.

on a slanted sidenote: after a 5-1 victory over the leafs last night ... it dawned upon me how much i enjoy the extreme happiness after smoking leafs. i just hope that i, and they (our boys), can keep their heads clear after the joyous occassion.
does that count as an addiction? am i addicted?

i better get some coffee now, pack my bags and get ready for a weekend in the OS
as for my weekend tunes: carlos - silmarillia 2007

GO SENS GO!

replay in slow motion?

i tried to skip class today, because i was so busy and needed to study a bit more for a mid-term today, but at 9.25 rejecting my opportunity cost calculations decided to throw on some jeans, throw my stuff in a bag and run out the door. i was there in 8 minutes. i realized i can probably count the number of classes i have missed over the past three years on one hand, and the number of days missed in highschool on the other hand. i have no idea why i do that to myself.

this past weekend i had a chance to listen to a presentation by paul henderson, whom you could call a canadian hockey legend. i gathered so anyways after hearing a lot about him in highschool. i think people thought that if i was going to be living in Canada i should at least know his name. and of course he is hockey related, so i was not at all interested: but now i am. interestingly however is the fact that he came to speak to us about his experiences as a christian, and impart some advice to us youngsters. and i got a chance to take a picture with him:
anyways, i just came back from a midterm and handed in a paper, which in simpler terms means i am very tired. as such i can justify a nap very easily.

happy birthday andrea!

song: nelly furtado - say it right

sleepwalking through the rain

I am a such a sucker for what we (mostly Sherry ... but it catches on easily) commonly call "our boys" especially when they are about to play their first game as one of them. So I thought this would be a nice picture to share. Plus it is black and white. we don't get that too often, unless we do it ourselves with microsoft picture it! or something. Plus I am pretty excited about hockey coming off a great home-and-home sweep against Carolina, which was not nearly as exciting as the home-and-home game against Buffalo, with lots of fireworks coming out of that one. But, as to not bore my audience with hockey talk, that will probably end with some off-topic comments on eyes and smiles or necessary haircuts, I won't.

I do remember that I promised a more detailed version of the Ottawa trip: well, Frouke met me in Hamilton at 9 am on Saturday, after which we left so we could get through toronto while half the city was still sleeping (kind of). It was a very relaxing drive, with lots of sun, coffee and little reading. Because we were not actually staying in the city, we drove right into what seemed like the boonies (wow, i dont even know if that is how it is spelled) to go to see Vanessa, Becky, Sam and their family. they were busy cooking up a storm for a charity dinner that we would be attending later that night. It was busy, but fun! Plus we got to meet a ton of new people, while constantly being reminded of which guys were single (thanks guys ;-)). After the dinner, around 11pm, we headed out to a birthday party, where interestingly most of the guys were wearing senators apparrel -> nice choice! Funny thing was someone's boyfriend (who shall remain nameless for reasons that will soon be apparent) was wearing his boxers a little too high for our taste. Well, actually, thats a lie the real problem was: they were Leafs boxers. And any sober-minded person should not be wearing those in public. I think he realized that pretty soon when we told him that he was asking for it. We had some people on our side that were not shy to pull a much feared wedgie. I know, pretty childish: but still pretty funny. It reminds me of this one time, when I just started highschool that one of my friends took me to the bathroom to explain to me what a wedgie was. That was back when I did not know a lot of words ... even though that is still a regular occurrence.

Anyways, on Sunday we went to church, which was slightly different than what i am used to, but really nice. On Monday, we got a tour of Kemptville College, went out for dinner, picked up some groceries and had a movie night! always good. On Tuesday we got up pretty early to go skating on the Rideau Canal. It was absolutely gorgeous, and brought back some fond memories of growing up on the canals in Holland. I really wish I had some pictures .. but alas, I don't. I can guarantee though that it was a rather interesting sight, because I can't skate very well. That was Tuesday already, which flew by with a large chinese buffet lunch, and a lot, and i mean a lot of Dutch Blitz. Then of course on wednesday it was, sadly enough, time to head home to Owen Sound. Now, since I had planned to move to Ottawa already the first year we lived in Canada, I realized that plan is not dead yet.

I was supposed to do a lot of studying at home, but that did not really happen. I did work on my poker skills a lot. And had lots of fun times with the family. And the dog. We made an interesting pair running up and down the mountains of snow on our yard. Sometimes I just miss those long coffee breaks with discussion about cows and the like, or going to town with mom, or having a meal together, or ... But I am kind of enjoying the freedom, and the girls, although I did wish we had a tractor to shovel that snow a little faster.

For the next three weeks, I know what I will be doing: 3 midterms and 3 research papers. not the most exciting prospect, but it could be worse as well, plus i have all my topics figured out:
paper 1: the establishment of the Bell Telephone Company and the divesture of the bell system.
paper 2: Personal Income Taxation of non-residence professional athletes: the NHL Player's Tax
paper 3: Influx of Silver and the Seventeenth Century Crisis in Europe

That should keep be me pretty busy for the next little while. I thinkI am hoping for a feezing rain day tomorrow, if not then I am hoping to get some tickets to see Paul Krugman speak tomorrow. Now, back to reading transcripts from some policy issues in the Canadian-American information sector conference from the 80's: it is quite interesting to read the jokes the Canadian presenters make of the Americans, and vice versa.

For a song selection i am going to have to go with Matchbox Twenty - Downfall. For some reason i always associate things and people with songs or smells. Well, this song makes me think of hockey, and my favourite player (who is apparently is a Matchbox Twenty fan) and thus I have declared it my 2006-2007 season song. It is not because of the lyrics, but now that I listen to it I guess it works a little bit: "I want you to be uneased, I want you to remember, I want you to believe in me, I want you on my side"

well then ... there was a little taste of my thought process.
so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good night (anyone else still remember what that is from?)

terug van weggeweest

Reading week is already over and we are on the homestretch. The next pitstop is the summer, and I am not quite ready for that one yet.
Spend a few days in Ottawa and a few days in Owen Sound this past week. And experienced almost every type of weather on the way back to Hamilton this past Sunday. I was wow-ed by the amount of snow there was back home, and had a super fantastic time in Ottawa. the last part just makes me anxious to finish school … and move. maybe? It was also the first time I tried skating in a while, on the Rideau Canal, and even if I was not very good, it was the ultimate Canadian experience for a Dutch(wo)man. + think beaver tails. Talking about Canadian – Dutch experiences: I thought this article was pretty cool:
across the pond
with the current exam schedule for this semester: it looks like I will be here until the bitter end; the 25th. a more detailed update to come later

week theme song: nowhere with you - joel plaskett (as a tribute to my sisters :-) )

looking from the outside in: or inside out?

at least north america could do two things right: milk & cereal (the real thing) and ice hockey. even though the latter never fails to drive me crazy on some front.

counting down to reading week and done midterms for a (short) while: in the meantime hoping for some creative energy to get this paper done ... ok go, here it goes again ;-)

learning to run up the stairs with a full glass of water without spilling. it is a learning process, and i apologize to the housemates for wet socks ... right now i am simply intrigued by the sounds of icecubes in a glass of water, while enjoying a lifehouse marathon, and wondering how i can become more productive, why google hates me, and how many calories i lose from running up and down the stairs when answering the phone ... so many thoughts, yet so few apply to this paper i should be working on. love it. for now.

song: chris daughtry - it's not over (i think the only reason he is good because he did not win american idol ... he is so much better off now)

necessity and sufficiency?

"Hij maakt zoet wat bitter is" (He makes sweet that which is bitter) - a.f. troost. alluding to the story of the isrealites in the desert who complained about their thirst, not asking (nor even thinking about asking) God for help. but the gracious God that He is, made the water at Mara sweet. so also He provides us, despite our complaints, with even more than we c(w)ould ask for: the living water [Exodus 15] how can we ever be thankful enough for such grace, or even the 'simplest' daily blessings?

by Thor! from a Photoblog

it was absolutely gorgeous outside today. i was also pretty restless - something that was easily attacked by vigoursly cleaning the kitchen this afternoon. then i 'rewarded' myself with a new episode of supernatural, and got some study time in. now i am pondering religious intolerance in europe and the ottoman empire and thinking of running for some strange reason. pretty sad situation for a friday night. no excuses.

"and where the answers won't come around i blame myself for being me again"
song: di-rect ft. wibi soejardi - blind for you (if only for the piano play)

not my kind of pie

==wishing for a snow day ... if only to gain some perspective, and focus==

what is a crusting sleeve? whatever happened to putting stuff in the mircowave and pressing start?

i ought not to be worried. i think i am not worried. but i am fooling myself thinking that. because in actuality i am. it makes me think of this disney computer game we got for free with some sort of cereal: it is with these lion king character timon and pumba? i am not sure what they are called (and i am too lazy to google it) but anyways, there is this point in the game where you have to get across the river by jumping logs, and the character goes "decisions, decisions ..." now i wish i could say that i can't really identify with disney characters, but i can. i can't decide. i mean, from buying shoes, to ordering dinner, to guessing on M/C tests, to what to do this summer, to what to do with my life. ugh. and then i'd like to think it would be nice to have all the answers ... but then i am sure that would not make me much happier either. and then it comes down to trust and faith, which is never easy. interestingly i am probably the 6 billionth person to think this today, and many more billionth in history. i guess sometimes it just helps to articulate stuff. interesting trend is that this thought only comes up after i want to kick myself ... after writing some sort of test or midterm. talk about confidence eh?

i was looking for a picture to break up all this text for a bit: and came across this pic that i "stole" -> it is from the war museum ... and speaks to me like this: "toughen up, G, toughen up"
in the meantime there are many little things that make life so good. like wearing a clean sweater washed with my new laundry soap. i am smelling gorgeous ... even if i am the only person thinking so. hey, there is something about vanilla that just soothes the soul: think here coffee with french vanilla cream as well. i am also feeling a little lost, as i signed up to clean the kictchen rather than the bathroom for this week ... interesting how that throws me off eh? in the meantime i will try not to worry about the playoff status of my favourite hockey team. i realize that i may have made some enemies in the house with my obsessive cheering and loud bashing of this "other team," but i just want the world (or small blog audience) to know that i feel privileged to cheer for the greatest team in the league and that no matter how big the suck/rock factor is in the season: i am still loving it! [wow] ... so mushy ... maybe i really did fall in love or am thinking slightly incoherent because of the amount of coffee i have consumed in a short span of time. [wow] i better stop rambling before i regret something ... thankfully there is always the edit function .. if only everything in life had an edit function. except for maybe not.

so indecisive!
(note: descision trees are not an option, and never the solution)

song: DJ Tiesto - Just Be AND Just Keep Dreaming

a world of difference

back at school again.
frouke, gertine and myself braved the bad weather to come down to hamilton, so i could go back to class tomorrow. now, in itself i would have rather stayed, but exams and assignments dictate otherwise. church was cancelled for the afternoon which signals the extent of the bad weather, and as expected for the first 50km we could see less than a meter in front of us, and the rest was just an endless array of whiteness. but of course, as we come south there is next to no snow, and i have relearned the definition of winter ... and we dont have it in hamilton. except for cold of course .. which now is where it should be: outside of our walls.

and ... this time a real good drumroll please ... the heat is back! a whopping 21C. which makes me very happy, after a humbling experience, i wont be taking heat for granted again. plus i got the battery for the computer fixed, so this week will be much better than last if only for warmth and limited computer problems. i am also very excited for my laundry soap. i realize i must sound pretty crazy like it, but it is vanilla and waterlily, and it smells soooo good!! little things in life.

too bad ottawa lost to toronto in a shootout this weekend though. which has been nicely rubbed into my face this weekend by my so-called friends. i did for a moment think it was not really fair to put the pressure on my favourite J-man to win the game, but then again it was just a game. and shootouts in my opinion are not really a game ... more like an expensive way to flip a coin. either way, congrats to those who care.

song: "Ik ben boer Harms en kom uut Drent' en ik hou van disco Ik weet het is nie te geleuven moar het is zo Als ik die disco heur dan tril ik op mien benen ..." - nothing beats these kind of songs

home sweet home

i am thinking that i might even know what he (sjakie) feels like, out there in the cold .....

what i thought was a white winter in hamilton, is pretty sad in comparison to the snow overload here in owen sound ... it is so beautiful! even if it means that with the expected snow i might not be able to drive back on sunday .... to be honest though i am not very excited to have to think of the realities of schoolwork and heating problems? I will have to pass on the family trip to harrison park because i have quite a bit of work to do, and i figure that way i can take my little brother to hockey practice tonight ... even if that means i have to miss out on HNiC. i think that that would be a good thing ... for my nails anyways.

happy birthday to oma!

song: racoon - love you more

how low can you go

currently 8C and the winnie the pooh meter has given up 6 degress ago. wow! i think i might choose Mills library over being home today ... the landlord is coming, but not until the weekend --- luckily i will be going home before then

9 pm update: i bet that if i cried right now my tears would come out frozen ... like hail i guess. but i think i figured out what is wrong with the heater, now if only we had the tools, read screwdrivers here, to fix it. and some knowledge of electricity and gas would be useful too ... but knowing my luck i would blow up the house before i even figured out what was really going on ... so maybe i will just keep to the books .. or owner's manual in this case.

bleeding hands

and it is almost february ... already. time is just flying by, which means that the semester will soon be over, or that due dates are creeping up, or that playoffs are coming soon ... which ever way i decide to look at it. but maybe i should count down the number of days till reading week, which has me all pumped up for a few days of ottawa!! it will be the third time in one year, but definitely worth it.

right now it is 14C in my room according to the winnie the pooh thermometer in my room .. now i am not sure how credible anything by winnie the pooh is, but either way it is pretty cold in here. i know the entire house is pretty cold, the heater is broken, the landlord does not seem to care much, but when i came home this aft and opened my door, there was this cloud? of cold coming out of it, i think i could make a claim for the coldest room in the house. in any case ... makes you stronger right?

anyways, tonight i will be going to some economics careers night, which will probably have a great impact on my perception of the field in terms of my future, and so i am pretty excited, or worried? plus there will be free pizza, which is always a bonus. but for the couple of hours before that i will get some studying done, read up on some hockey news, and look up the new episode of prison break. hey, in my defense it is a good alternative to 24h of csi miami.

where is google when you need it? or don't need it ... maybe it is a message to have me do something productive.

song: di-rect - good thing AND eric prydz vs. floyd - proper education

to be a child again

snow fights and snow angles on the front lawn: never too cool for that

and ... drumroll please ... the heat is back on!

song: katie melua - nine million bicycles

smart one

again, it is has been a while ...

but as per usual it has been pretty busy, although not busy enough to warrant me weriting three posts a day. i thought right now i could straigthen my hair and update my blog at the same time .. it is not really working though. but leaving my straightener on for an extended period of time does have the positive effect of heating up my room a little bit .. which at 16C with a shitty furnace is always welcome. despite the cold i am glad winter is back, and the snow just makes the whole world look better. although i may not have that same opinion after i actually wipe out on the sidewalk. it was pretty close today, when i was so smart as to wear sneakers to school. but the slipping and sliding on the way home did bring back fond memories of ottawa and the holidays .. so it was not all bad.

i really have a lot of reading to do, but you can only take so much theory and discussion of religious tolerance in the ottomon empire ... i think that will be the reading theme for this weekend. at least i have the hockey game to look forward to tomorrow, especially as my favourites will be back.

this past week has been pretty fun ... mostly leading up to the belated birthday/all star party for jax, sherry and cindy. as much as we try to keep secrets from each other, it is pretty hard, plus after a week of lying information does not match up very well anymore. but i think altogether it was pretty successful .. except for the west winning the game of course. interestingly people like bringing over a lot of alcohol ... only thing is we dont drink much, in the end we have a cupboard full of drinks ... i guess for a rainy day? or for a day like today when the furnace is failing to keep up warm and we need to look for other sources of heat.

better get back to studying for a couple of hours, and then EM! should be good.

song: racoon - love you more (especially like this version)

lonely no more

this is the respect we do(n't) show Chara .. hehe

"they're all coming back to me ...."

after a weekend of being pretty alone, everyone came trickling back in. cheers to Cindy for coming over and visiting on friday and cheers to Julie for coming back early on Saturday! For other noteworthy happenings, I sat through quite some time of watching tennis on fridaynight, and rather enjoyed it. and shopping on saturday morning ... and then Skate Canada on saturdaynight and hockey! It was all quite a waste of time ... but rather enjoyous. Today was a day of many firsts. Some acrobatic stunts and extensive car pushing was quite entertaining.

Anyways, I don't have too many good stories or happenings to report on ... so i will lay off on boring entries. just thought i put out an entry for the week.

UPDATE: on the car story, let me refer you to the all the details ... good times!

song: take that- patience

ode to snow

beautiful surprise this morning: no school! just when i was getting worried about getting far behind, i got an extra day to catch up on readings and more readings. also had the chance to do a bit of shopping, clean my room, do some planning and make for the first time red cabbage for dinner . also, i was able to do four push-ups today which is quite an accomplishment seeing that i have never been able to do even one before. also realized facebook is getting out of hand, where i had only signed to get pictures from a friend of mine, and now have been added left and right. i don't do anything with it though. but still, i am one of them now. right now a neighbour is doing some extensive construction it sounds like, and as such i will do some more essaying before i call it a night. just wanted to praise God for his perfect timing (as always).

song: set the fire to the third bar - snow patrol ft. martha wainwright (again).

in the groove

it took me a while but i am back to my 'normal' self ... (although i had a lot of excitement to recover from over the holidays). these are my indicators =D

• have been listening to the same song(s) for the last two days
  
• back to tracking hockey, while studying (and suprisingly it has been effective)
  
• i tried to deny it, but i really miss him
  
• back to one cup of coffee a day
  
• obsessive need to clean and keep up with laundry
  
• and reading without actually reading
  
• only takes me about half an hour a day to go through my favourites list to check all "important" websites and blogs
  
• oh .. and i bought more bran flakes after i thought i could live on corn bran squares; i am back to the old stuff (that's what i call loyalty)
  
• appreciating mcmaster for two-ply toiletpaper and foamy soap
  
• and most importantly writing useless blog entries
  
• mood: mellow
  

song: make this go on forever - snow patrol (and interestingly i do .. with the repeat button)

answers

today: i realized that the satisfaction of completing something (ie. getting some work done) > than that i gain from slacking (ie. watching TV/surfing the internet)

although i already knew this; the 'ephiphany' translates into renewed energy to work hard and as such i am very excited

tomorrow: hockey day in canada!

upside down

pedal to the ice - after 40 minutes
after a 2-0 lead by the boston bruins i was sure that all was lost on the eastern front. i figured that as soon as i felt a bit confident about a playoff position for ottawa i would be disappointed (again) ... but then someone lit a rocket called the ottawa senators. and 5 goals followed.

Team 1200 - 3 stars:
3. Tim Thomas
2. Mike Comrie (the new guy)
1. Dany Heatley
Hardest working senators : Chris Phillips
Honourable mention: Anton Volchenkov (for blocked shots)

All-Star Starting Roster is out - and no rory.

i finally made a decision on the courses i want to take. now that is all figured out, it is time to get all my textbooks in order .... and get crack-i-lackin. well slackin' has been the word of the year, but like the senators i got some fire under my study rocket.

cheers to reaching my goal for marks last semester (finally i have them all)!
cheers to a senators win over the bruins!
cheers to mom and dad's anniversary tomorrow!

double cheers to SNOW!!!!!!!!!

song: solarstone vs. sirocco - destination

what is it good for?

"Education: the inculcation of the incomprehensible into the indifferent by the incompetent. " - Keynes

new kid on the block

hennessy sure had his game face on this afternoon, scoring his first NHL goal. as such a shout out to him!

i have not updated much lately on hockey. probably a relief to some people, but here are some scores in the new year:
2-3 OTL against Atlanta Thrashers
6-3 W from Buffalo Sabres
2-3 L against New Jersey Devils (or Brodeur)
6-1 W from Philadephia Flyers

a good start? i am not sure. i hope it is good enough for a playoff spot.
oh and be on the lookout for my edition of 100 reasons why the sens are better than the lea(ve)s. note though that i have given myself a 4 month timeframe to complete this list ... and any help is always welcome!

anyways tomorrow i have early class so i wil make it an early night, for as much as that is still possible.

Monday - starting at 9.3o, where every line represents an hour:

ECON 2P03
HIS 2HH3
ECON 2GG3

ECON 3C03

oh and with regard to new kids on the block: a huge welcome to anna! you are adding to the cool (note here: top floor cool only). as for some other happenings: finally watched Mighty Ducks 3 on the weekend. and continued my search for the hat i want. i really am a woman on a mission as i have gone from store to store to store to toronto to ottawa to barrie to owen sound to hamilton. no luck so far, but i am hopeful.

song: new kids on the block -- new kids on the block. although i have never heard this song, or this band i figured it'd fit well with today's marginal theme. thanks for understanding.