Leprechaun in Mobile, Alabama

If you haven't seen this yet, you really should.

Dear Blog, Story of my life

The Green Bible

Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.
Deuteronomy 15:11

Inspired by the red-letter edition, Harper Collin's has come out with a green letter edition of the Bible
that highlights passages on stewardship and God's care for creation. It also includes essays and a study guide. At first it sounded like a gimmick but I've read good reviews. It might make a good Christmas present for me (hint, hint).

Mutualism

I've spent 10-14 hours each day this week in class or on assignments. What do I not want to hear as my work is past due? I don't manage my time properly. Let me lay out my week for you:

Monday - 1 assignment due, prepare handout for work
Thursday - 1 assignment due, 2 labs due, prepare handout for work
Friday - 2 assignments due, prepare handout for work

Not managing my time properly and not having a enough time are entirely different. I was told my problem is I help people with their work (hypocritical statement coming from the person who asks me the most questions). Group dynamic amongst the physics students: I help others and others help me. Yes, I spent time helping others but how much time did I save by getting help from others?

Rider Pride

Forwarded to me from a friend:

After living a full life, Doug Berry, the (once) Winnipeg Blue Bomber coach, died. When he got to heaven, God was showing him around.

They came to a modest little house with a faded Blue Bomber flag in the window. "This house is yours for eternity," said God. "This is very special; not everyone gets a house up here."

Doug felt special, indeed, and walked up to his house.

On his way up the porch, he noticed another house just around the corner. It was a gorgeous white and green three-story mansion with a 50-foot tall flagpole with an enormous Saskatchewan Roughrider flag, and in every window, he could see Saskatchewan fans.

Doug looked at God and said, "God, I'm not trying to be ungrateful, but I have a question. I was a good coach, ran a clean program, took the Bombers to the Grey Cup, and came close to winning a national championship."

God said, "So what do you want to know, Doug?"

Doug asked: "Well, why does Ken Miller, the Saskatchewan coach, get a better house than me?"

God chuckled and said, "Doug, that's not Ken's house; that's mine."

Good News for Muscial Lovers

Breaking: 'Glee' renewed for full season | Ausiello | EW.com

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How to Avoid Becoming Like Whitney Houston: Glue Your Emmy to the Fridge

I heart Joss Whedon*

*and Neil Patrick Harris and Felicia Day and Nathan Fillion

Ridiculousness Personified

Conversation to myself at school:
"Janice, learn how to spell your name then you'll be able to check your mail."
Janice finally succeeds in logging in
"Argh, NASA! You send too many emails!"
A friend nearly snotted all over himself he was laughing so hard.

Grace in Small Things: Day 21

I'm possibly way too tired to be doing this but here I go...

1. Work went really well today. Yesterday was a bit of a disaster so I was expecting the worst.


2. Last day without my own computer (according to the UPS tracker)


3. My professor performing a melting ice dance


4. Good conversation with no distractions


5. Sweet, delicious Neo-citrin

Being Present When You're Present

People and their electronics have been perturbing me of late. Consider the following scenarios:

• A university student is invited to a special school function. During the speeches plays Solitaire while sitting at the same table as the dean


• Being the only one not on a laptop during a documentary. I felt like I might as well had been watching it alone


• A business man accompanies his mother to church. He checks his email on his Blackberry instead of paying attention. Really? That email couldn't wait an hour?

I'm not sure if people see the barriers they are creating between each other; divided attention does constitute quality time.

Grace in Small Things: Day 20

Just under the wire. I actually wrote these on the bus this afternoon but didn't have time to type them until now:

1. seeing my favourite 3 year old bus mate. He is made of awesome even when he is too tired to practice his evil laughter


2. Leo the bus driver is the man. Always a privilege to be his passenger, There is a reason why he is the bus driver with the most seniority.


3. half hour to sit in the park on a beautiful day. I need to do that more often even when I'm not forced to.


4. Miss Kylee is here! I miss her when she's gone.


5. being let out early in two classes -- every extra minute of break helps on a long day


6. people who wait for me so I don't have to walk to class alone


7. too short of sleep but then ready 20 minutes early and very productive morning

Happy 5th Blogiversary

It is officially been 5 years since I started blogging on Angelfire. I started here on blogger about 3.5 years ago. Wow, have the times changed.

When I began blogging, I had just quit my job as a full time teacher and began my new life as a sub/shelf straightener/tutor in Saskatoon. I moved again to Calgary, became an admin assistant then found another full time teaching position. I'm back in school and back in Regina.

I started blogging to stop bugging my friends with emails of random thoughts, forwards and surveys. It turned into another form of procrastination for me.

Thanks for reading.

Grace in Small Things: Day 19

1. the wonderful online community of teachers who make my job easier.


2. even though my new computer is somewhere between the Atlantic Ocean and my toilet, I have a computer at home I can work on in the meantime


3. concord grapes -- I like how I can pop them out of their skin into my mouth


4. finding out you influenced someone for the better


5. awesome hair day, even after I had a 3 hour nap

Grace in Small Things: Day 18

1. Got an email from Ky that her presentation went well!


2. multiple naps


3. talking about silly things with my sister


4. leftover pizza for breakfast


5. house to myself for the day

Science Ponders Zombie Attack

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Science ponders 'zombie attack'

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Janny=Trouble?

Names that mean trouble | Melanie McDonagh - Times Online

Grace in Small Things: Day 17

Sorry, got a little too tired to finish this last night...

1. generous friends


2. FREE HAMBURGER, CHIPS, POP AND MINI DONUTS! First week of school is awesome.


3. saving time by getting a ride to school from my dad


4. plans for an upcoming trip coming together better than I imagined


5. some much needed perspective on how blessed I am

Grace in Small Things: Day 16

1. Steve Jobs was in such a good mood after his liver transplant, he gave me a 160 GB IPod instead of a 120 GB one


2. finally got gas money for my trip last month


3. opportunity to get my name on as many journal articles as possible in the next two years


4. someone with a lot to purchase letting me go ahead in the line


5. having the time to run silly errands with a silly friend (details to follow)

Grace in Small Things: Day 15

Sorry this is late. Last night I wasn't feeling well and went to bed at 8:30

1. the class that I thought would be scary might not be so scary after all


2. resolving some differences


3. Alana gets to be my lab partner for one class


4. my mom had a good night sleep and is feeling much better


5. finding candy in my school bag


6. my friend Elizabeth's daughter had surgery on a detached retina. It was a complete success and she has already started to regain vision. The recover will only take 3 weeks instead of the expected 6 weeks.

I want to kiss Steve Jobs full on the mouth

[Dear Janny,]
Apple is pleased to announce the updated iPod classic, now with 160GB of storage capacity so you can hold up to 40,000 songs or 200 hours of video.
Since your 120GB iPod classic has not yet shipped, you will receive the new 160GB iPod classic at the same price.

I had to read the email two times just to make sure I had read things right.

Debra Jackson on Dollar Palace

From a news story on towntalk.com, serving the Alexandria-Pineville area of Louisiana:

Lyn and Mr T Bust a Move on Soul Train

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Grace in Small Things: Day 14

It is the difficult days when the little things mean the most...

1. didn't miss any thing despite being late for class


2. thought I missed the bus this morning but it was just really late


3. being reminded you can't judge a book by its cover


4. FREE mini-donuts


5. the new nurse at my allergist office is a girl who sat next to me in Grade 9 Math


6. being referred to as "Awesome clever"


7. only one class and no work today (easy start to a hectic semester)


8. watching Top Chef with my papa


9. despite being banged and bruised and little lighter in the wallet, I am incredibly thankful for my health and to have a family who loves me very much

Foolish and Costly Mistake

I spilled water on my laptop last night. Not a little bit, probably a little less than 2 cups worth. I flipped it upside down immediately so the water could run out while I went to grab a towel. I wasn't thinking and should have shut down the computer first but the time I was back it was off. I read online that it can take up to 5 days to dry out but I think it is fried.
I bought a 500 GB external hard drive last week and my most recent back up was on Sunday. At most I lost a couple emails that I received since then. I just bought a new hard drive for that computer and was hoping it would last me until next fall.
I have no idea what I'm going to do.

When Determined People Have Too Much Money

Balsillie ups his bid for Coyotes to US$242.5

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Feed the Masses or Just Me

Last school year I spent way too much money buying meals at the university. I convinced myself that I'd make a lunch everyday to take but that rarely happened. When I was teaching, I'd cook massive amounts of food the freeze it. I think I set a personal record today for most amount of food cooked in one day but not consumed:
- 9 servings of pasta and sauce
- 9 servings of chili
- 5 servings of tofu stir fry
Please note that all of this food was made from scratch (except the pasta and the tofu). Even if I have nothing else but these three things for weekday lunches, this food would last me until Thanksgiving weekend. I need a little more variety so I want to make soup sometime this week before things get too busy at school.

Grace in Small Things: Day 13

1. my dad muttering "I'm doing science" while making a 3% acetic acid solution


2. my electric wok is out of storage!


3. despite having a bad cold, my mom did all the dishes so I could clean my room


4. all the wonderful people that help those in need (even when it is someone they don't know)


5. someone reaching out to see how you are doing

Stupid or Not Able to Think in a Crisis?

Trapped girls call for help on Facebook - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

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Gehl pushes bicycles

"Reduce the asphalt in Saskatoon."

-- Danish architect Jan Gehl,
who told citizens of Saskatchewan's largest city if they want to see fewer automobiles and more bicycles, the changes must begin at street level.

Shared via AddThis

Grace in Small Things: Day 12

1. I thought I had a migraine coming on but I got better instead of worse :)


2. May-B bought me tea for our mini-road trip


3. Sunday afternoon naps are the most satisfying of all


4. holding hands with my daddy while we watch TV (it helps keep him out of trouble)


5. cool breeze on a hot day

Grace in Small Things: Day 11

This is also my 1100th blog post!

1. eating a Sour Jelly Belly Twister on the steps of Westminster United with my friends


2. visited my bff Megamunch*


3. getting to go to bed early then getting to sleep in (about 9.5 hours of sleep)


4. leftover pizza for breakfast


5. finally getting to go on the second floor of the Legislature. I'll make it up to the dome some day.

*Rawr means I love you in dinosaur

Come Together

I have officially copied over my old blog posts from Angelfire into Blogger. I updated the links and deleted some posts that had broken links (~100). Anything older than May 2006 is transferred from Angelfire.

Grace in Small Things: Day 10

1. sitting in the grass, barefoot waiting for my bus in Vic Park


2. free buffet with steak! I'm on a roll -- two days in a row with free meals.


3. good news that a large blood clot in my leg is no cause for concern


4. an evening at home and supper with my parents


5. silly conversations with my sister

Classic Janny: Cowboy, Ninja, Bear Explained

Not only will you find rules to Cowboy, Ninja, Bear but also the variation Chuck Norris, Chuck Norris.

The same weekend I learned Cowboy, Ninja, Bear I dreamed I could use fanny packs for time travel.

The World According to Glenn Beck: NBC HQ At 30 Rock is the Heart of A Communist Conspiracy!

Dude, don't the Americans have like an economy to worry about?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Grace in Small Things: Day 9

I'm having a hard time being thankful so this one might be tough:

1. abnormally high pain threshold


2. not having to pay for parkade parking downtown


3. free breakfast


4. missing a bottom step 3 times but not falling once (I don't think my body could take it right now)


5. unexpectedly saw Blond Derek

Weekend at the Farm

My daddy posted some pictures from my weekend at my grandparents' farm on his blog. I will have to do the same soon.

I think I could suggest a few people for this show

From Scripted Shows that Need Reality Counterparts | TWoP

Big Bang Theory
Nerds making Battlebots. Nerds making laser mazes for their living rooms. Nerds arguing over what to name their Halo clan. Nerds storing their money in Green Lantern's butt. Plus, the educational side bonus of physics! Because I choose to believe in my heart that physicists are really exactly like this in real life, I'm going to assume this would be the greatest reality show ever. And yet, we do not have it. As Sheldon would say while reviewing Leonard's work, "Wrong!"

Grace in Small Things: Day 8

1. meatball sub with mozzarella


2. having my hair washed by someone besides myself


3. got a locker in the lab building


4. new shiny 500 GB hard drive


5. being recognize for my hard work and mad skills


6. being silly with Alana (she was getting ready to hunt with an atlatl dart)

When Fantasy Hockey Fans Get Antsy

Nhl.com announce that sign up for the official fantasy hockey leagues started on September 1 but not at what time of the day. Starting at about 12:00 AM EST people started to get a little punchy as to when the sign up will occur:






I really wanted to add that "your mom" is the president of Yahoo but couldn't think of anything clever enough.

Grace in Small Things: Day 7

Sorry this is a little late, I just got home...

1. The movie (500) Days of Summer at my local movie theatre. I thought I was going to have to wait for months for it to come to RPL or on DVD.


2. Spending (most of) the day with May-B. These days time with her is hard to come by.


3. The government will legally let me out of the country now


4. Had an extremely productive morning despite the distractions


5. Tony Roma's Lunch Special -- Delicious ribs for cheap