Champion!

If only I could translate this into not pretend success...

Pleasant Picture Before Bed

On the job
Originally uploaded by star5112

ADORABLE!

Mouse Toilet (or things I say when I'm tired)

Alana, James and I ordered appetizers to share at a restaurant. After the waitress brought our plates, I explained that they always give their customers "mouse toilets". (Certainly something you would not want to clean your hands with). As Alana pointed out, I "traded diphthongs":
mouse toilet: ˈmaus ˈtoi-lət
moist towelette: ˈmoist tau-(ə-)ˈlet
(My apologies that the pronunciations are not written out correctly, I can't figure out how to do all the characters in html).

The last time we hung out, I had to backtrack on a story with
"Oh wait, not Morgan Freeman... I meant the Hulk." Understandable mistake since they are often confused.

Test Anxiety

Test anxiety USUALLY occurs before or during a test. I get test anxiety after the test (or assignment) I did poorly on. I think there is an expectation from others that I will do really well. I worry that others will be disappointed when I do poorly.

Yesterday, I wrote two lab finals and they did not go great. The exams were back to back for a total of 3 hours. The very first question on my first exam I had to set up an AC circuit with a light bulb. We only had 15 minutes to collect data and I could not get my ammeter to display anything. My lab instructor pointed out my cables where in the wrong inputs for an ammeter. Once I finally had things set up properly, I had so little time for data collection it left me completely frazzled for the rest of the morning.

Last night and today, I'm stressing out about the tests. Mistakes I made keep going over and over in my head.

Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England (Puritian)

Ugh, more nightmares

Two nights ago, after I wrote my last blog post about nightmares, I was too tired to remember my dreams. So what made me wake up in a cold sweat early this morning? Zombie apocalypse*. I will spare the very gruesome** details but you didn't know who was a zombie until they attacked. The only other non-zombie was a female chef I didn't like*** and we had to learn to work together.







*Interesting Janny stat: this is the 6th zombie related post. Might explain a few things.
** I accidentally typed gruelsome the first time.
*** Not a real person but the chef part was integral to her skill set in my dream.

Inconsolable

I'm tired and I'm discouraged. Part of it is frustration from school. Part of it is feeling very unattractive. Part of it is feeling left behind and left out. Part of it is being frustrated that I'm sick so often. The worst of it is sometimes my best efforts aren't good enough. I need a good sleep. I don't know if it is all the anti-histamines I've been taking but I've had nightmares 3 nights in a row:

The first night, I dreamt I woke up and there was a child standing by my bed watching me sleep. In my dream I didn't believe it was actually happening so I forced myself awake.

The next night, I dreamt there was a dragon attacking my house. I was a hobbit and I ran down to my cellar to hide. There were all these other hobbits in my cellar and they appointed me king. As king, it was my job to get rid of the dragon. Just as I was going up the stairs of the cellar, the dragon came crashing into my house. His head got a little stuck in the cellar door so I cut off his hand and slashed his throat before he could get free. I then stabbed him in the heart to make sure he was dead. The cellar was filling up with his blood and we all ran towards the small window to escape. Then I woke up.

Last night I hiked to the top of a really steep hill. I was taking pictures and the hill started shaking. The hill was an active volcano that was starting to erupt. I ran down the hill as fast as I could. As I reached the bottom I turned around to watch lava start pouring down the sides. I wasn't watching where I was going and I tripped. Then I woke up.

Even though I woke up terrified, thinking about me being the dragon slaying king of the hobbits is making me laugh. You see this ridiculous brain I'm dealing with? If only I could get it to figure out how fast water is flowing between concentric pipes (AKA fluid mechanics question that made me cry).

I forgot about Uncle Kool-Aid

I might be procrastinating from homework but this morning's post inspired me to read Wikipedia's article on SNL animal sketches:
Facts About Brian Fellow

• Brian Fellow was once bit by a snapping turtle. Ever since then, he seems to have an irrational fear of any kind of turtle.


• Brian Fellow was once attacked by a pigeon.


• Brian Fellow has a friend named Jessie, who fixes cars.


• Brian Fellow has a friend named Angel, who likes to name birds.


• Brian Fellow has a strange fear and hatred of goats.


• Brian Fellow has a clean mouth. There is no talk of the birds and the bees on his show, except when there are birds or bees, and sometimes, not even then.


• Brian Fellow has an Uncle Kool-Aid who often wears a big belt buckle.


• Brian Fellow does not like porcupines.


• Brian Fellow has a brother named Ryan Fellow.

Brian Fellow's remarks on animals

• On a boa constrictor: "That's one big worm!" or "Does the snake still work for the Devil?"


• On a Sphynx (cat): "What'd you do to that cat? He bald-headed!"


• On a tarantula: "That's one fuzzy bug! ...If I had a bug like that, I'd make a coat out of him!"


• On a parrot after the bird mimics his catch phrase "I'm Brian Fellow": "That bird is a liar!"


• On a bat: "I understand bats live in caves", to which the trainer acknowledges yes, "Does he know where Osama bin Laden is?"


• On a pig: "Why does that pig hate Jewish people?" (a reference to kashrut, a Jewish diet that forbids consumption of pork)


• On a Miniature horse: "That's the biggest dog I've ever seen!"


• On a goat: "I didn't like that goat, he had devil eyes!"


• On a turtle: "If that turtle bites me, I'm gonna kill it!"


• On a rabbit: "That rabbit just winked at me!"


• On a porcupine: "That rat needs a hair cut" and "All I'm saying is he needs a haircut. Looking all homeless and stuff."


• On a donkey: "Our next guest has big ears too because he likes to carry coffee beans and rocks. Please welcome a donkey."


• On a cow: "That cow has a big head. I bet he's all stuck up 'cuz of that big head."

"That bird is a liar"

In celebration of post #1234


Brian Fellows Safari Planet: parrot & tarantula

If you haven't been watching "Parenthood", you should

I had no intentions of start to watch a new show but I heard good things about Parenthood. It is the story of four grown siblings as they deal with parenthood*. I cry every episode.

Without giving anything away, what you need to know:
Adam (Peter Krause) and his wife Kristina (Monica Potter) are trying to deal with a son that never seems to fit in. Meanwhile, their overachieving daughter always takes the metaphorical backseat.

Sarah (Lauren Graham) left her drug-addicted musician husband and has run out of money. With no where else to go, she moves back into her parents'(Craig T. Nelson & Bonnie Bedelia) home. Her teenage children have a hard time adjusting to their new school and their absentee father.

Just as Crosby's (Dax Shepard) long-time girlfriend is pressuring him for a commitment, he learns he has a 5 year old son.

Julia (Erika Christensen) is successful lawyer with a young daughter and stay-at-home husband (Sam Jaeger). Her daughter constantly goes to her husband for her needs and feels they are lacking a mother-daughter bond.



* Well, duh.

In all things moderation

Comments will be moderated for awhile. I had a spam bot or something attack my comments. Don't worry if your comments don't show up right away.

Tyra, you need to smile with your eyes

Unfortunate time to pause:

R.I.P. Bryan

About two weekends Bryan, who I've known since kindergarten, was in the hospital for unspecified reasons. He was released a couple days later proclaiming he'd have to make some serious life changes. He's always been a very fit person but he was going to have to give up smoking (a habit he's had since about grade 8). Today I found out he died from a heart attack on March 24th and his funeral is today.

Not until we started university did I realize how smart Bryan was. I wondered if he acted dumb because he was scared of what his friends would think. He couldn't hide it anymore once he was thriving in university. He finished a social work degree in 2002 and worked in the local jail ever since.

Bryan always had a soft spot for the downtrodden. He was a very generous supporter of the Humane Society and any organization that helped abused children. He had a good rapport with the inmates and wanted to be a good influence in their lives.

Mixed feelings to strong opinions about a new stadium

At first I was all for improvements to Mosaic Stadium in Regina. I was a little apprehensive about the building of a new covered stadium but I was going to wait until the feasibility study. For months we hear about the strength of the Saskatchewan economy and how this is something we could afford. Suddenly farmers all over the world refused to pay ridiculous prices for fertilizer and the government gets way less royalties from the potash industry than expected.

Before the provincial budget came out this week, we knew there would be cuts. A couple months ago, the government cut some coverage of chiropractic services but never did I expect it to be completely delisted. This is completely moronic -- people who can't afford pro-active services are going to cost the system more in re-active services (i.e., drugs and surgery). If we can't afford partial coverage of chiropractic services then we can't afford a stadium. If the people want a stadium get public money to fund it.

Andy Hallett Tribute Comic - The Afterword

For those of you have never saw Angel, this is not going to make any sense. Andy Hallett (who played Lorne) died from congestive heart disease a year ago. His good friend Mark Lutz (who played The Groosalugg) wrote the afterword in the new Angel comic "Lorne". An excerpt:

The rapport was instant, easy going, and warm. We spent the next hour talking about everything under the sun EXCEPT for the fact that we were both different colors and in these outrageous outfits on the ....Paramount.... back lot. Executives in suits would occasionally pass by us, everyone of them giving us some manner of ‘look’ that involved a combination of curiosity, mild-amusement and disbelief. Andy seized on every opportunity he could to make them laugh.

“Humans,” he said loudly in feigned disgust, “don’t they know it’s not polite to stare?”, to a gaggle of “suits” across the street.

“Who raised you, anyway Ma’am? Have you no respect for visible minorities?”, he inquired of who I instantly recognized as former head of Paramount Pictures, Sherry Lansing - but he, obviously, did not. She laughed heartedly and nodded in the direction of both the blue and green humanoids that had just verbally accosted her …an absurdity that I’m sure only could take place in ....Hollywood.....

Something You Should Learn in Kindergarten

I organized a documentary screening back in January at the university. A lady who works for the Faculty of Science helped a lot but was unable to make it to the event. Last month she borrowed the DVD and I haven't seen it since. We are donating the DVD to the public library and I said I'd drop it off weeks ago. I've been sending the lady who borrowed the DVD emails for weeks asking when I can pick it up from her with no reply. Finally today she admitted that she does not have the DVD anymore because she lent it to a friend. WHAT? THAT IS RIDICULOUS! You don't lend out something that isn't yours. I look like a jerk to the library because I'm waiting on someone I do not know to return the DVD.

Pet Peeve: Addendum

I thought of another one:
Nondescript subject headings for important emails.

The Physics Admin Assistant uses great subject headings:
Regional Science Fair Request
Seminar - March 19 3PM

The Math Ed Program Advisor uses the same subject heading every time:
Of Interest?????
Whether it is a You Tube video, news article, lesson plan, it is always the same. Being super busy with school right now, checking his emails are not a priority. Yesterday I found out he sent me information for a temporary teaching job* with the subject "Of Interest???" By the time I contacted the school, the position had been filled. Ack!




*not quitting school, it was for May-June.

Little Add

I added a Music, Movie & Book Recommend Gadget on the right. It is powered by the website Tastekid.

Notes in Church

LynnieC: My stomach hurts from the ghost of poopies future.
Janny: My stomach is feeling great from the ghost of poopies past.

Funny People Think I'm Funny (with Apologies to John Denver)

I sent this video to Jay Onrait to help with Olympic withdrawal. He loved it! It was a great start to the day to find out others appreciate your awesomeness.



Janny's note to Ky: It is alright to have a crush on Jay Onrait, I'm sure he could handle your high fives. Like your brother, I've watched him on TV for years. He's funny and charming and ridiculously tall. Viewers love him, people love working with him and that is why he was asked to anchor Olympic Morning.

Well that took long enough

I once read that if you ask your brain a question, it has no choice to answer it. It may not answer it right away but it never stops until it does.

This morning as I tied my shoes, I noticed my laces were made out of a nylon blend. I became annoyed because cotton shoe laces stay tied better. Shoe laces that won't stay tied reminded me of a time I re-lace a friend's shoes in a parking lot after midnight. The cops drove by and thought we were doing drugs. I chalked it up to strange behaviour and my friend's is anxious nature. I realized today the cops thought we pulled out the shoe lace so we could use intravenous drugs. Duh, why did it take me 12+ years to realize?

As I walked towards the bus stop, I heard the word antediluvian in the song Atlantis by Donovan. A couple years ago, in a semi-conscious state, I was bother that I didn't know what antediluvian meant. When I woke up in the morning and the weeks following, I was bothered where I had even heard the word.* People told me that I must have been reading something about Noah's Ark. This didn't make sense, I would remember that. It is amazing what the brain picks up when you are not paying attention. I spend so much time with music in the background as I work. This is the same reason why I realized I knew all the words to Bowie's "Space Oddity" as I caught my self singing the harmony part as I studied.






* Poet and I didn't know it.

Lazy Sunday Live 2010!

Never gets old:

BBC's How to Report the News

Language warning

Handsome Men's Club

Mom & Dad, don't bother watching, it won't make sense to you anyway.

I'm tired and frustrated and I don't want to do this anymore

Do you know how hard it is to do relativistic energy proofs when you have a migraine? I have a midterm tomorrow so choice do I have? I just want to curl up into a ball and cry. Drugs help relieve the pain but not the other symptoms.

I'm going to put on my new shoes, maybe they will help.

Pet Peeves

I’m a little grumpy. After 2 migraine free days, I, well, umm, have a migraine.*

1. water in my ears


2. people who touch the controls in my car. Tell me if you’re cold, don’t adjust it yourself.


3. People who complain but do nothing about it. Example: People who ride the bus in Regina complain about smoking in shelters but say nothing when they see it happen. Same goes for people who don’t vote.


4. Sniffling during class. Blow your nose!


5. People who don’t put CDs or DVDs back where they belong


6. Strangers who try to have a conversation with me while I’m going to the bathroom.**


7. eternal optimists

*I also like redundancy
** Lady janitor in the lab building is a notorious offender

Sometimes I remember the strangest things

I had a headache today, again. I slept a good portion of the afternoon and the acetaminophen with caffeine has me wide awake. With the Olympics on, there hasn't been much of new TV so nothing saved on the DVR to bide my time until I'm tired.* I received all the seasons of Gilmore Girls on DVD from my family last year for Christmas. I stopped watching episodes over the summer since I couldn't bare to watch anymore of season 6.** Last week I decided I could continue watching if I skipped parts of season 6 & 7.***

OK, I didn't want to talk about my headache, my sleeplessness or Gilmore Girls. Yes, Gilmore Girls makes me weepy sometimes but tonight it wasn't really the show that was making me weepy, it was Christiane Amanpour. You're probably thinking "What does CNN's chief international correspondent have anything to do with any of this?" She was made a cameo in the series finale of Gilmore Girls. Soon as I saw her I remembered a fellow teacher told me how she always wished she had become a journalist like Amanpour. This the first of many conversations about our path in life we take. All these feelings and insecurities came flooding back to me and it was a little much.

Sorry for the rambling.










* Please forgive, I just finished watching multiple episodes of Gilmore Girls. My brain is in fast talking mode.
** Not that it was bad, just hard to watch emotionally because you know what is going to happen.
*** Sorry, my brain is a little like this:

LORELAI: Because my brain is a wild jungle full of scary gibberish. "I'm writing a letter. I can't write a letter. "Why can't I write a letter? I'm wearing a green dress. "I wish I was wearing my blue dress. "My blue dress is at the cleaners. "'The Germans wore gray. You wore blue. ''Casablanca'. "'Casablanca' is such a good movie. "'Casablanca.' The white house. Bush. "Why don't I drive a hybrid car? I should drive a hybrid car. "I should really take my bicycle to work. "Bicycle. Unicycle. Unitard. Hockey puck. Rattlesnake. Monkey, monkey, underpants."

The Nose Knows

Today is the eighth consecutive day I've been sick. It started with a sore throat on Friday night then migraine Saturday then flu/cold by Sunday. My stomach is feeling much better but now it is just a dreadful head cold. I think my nose is playing tricks on me. It seems to start running like crazy whenever I've just washed my hands or if I even think of going to sleep.

New Highest Scrabble Score Ever! (With Apologies to May-B)

Beat my previous best score of 513 last week with a new high of 517! Woot!

As happy as I am for doing so well, I felt bad it had to happen when May-B was having such a rough game. Right after she had to swap her tiles, I played slumping for 100 points (my new highest single word score). She started a new game called "Thank God that is over".

Letters to Some Former Students

Dear Allison,
Glad to see that you are well and seem to have risen above where you came from. I always admired your cheery disposition in spite of your bad home situation. The fact that you are a new mother makes me feel very, very old.
Love, Janny

Dear Brandon,
Wow, you got hot. I'm sure you are still an idiot but the years since high school have been kind to you (unlike many others).
Love, Janny

Dear Andrea,
You've always seemed to have a sadness about you and I never knew why. I pray you can find the peace you are looking for.
Love, Janny

Dear Tyrel,
You seemed like you were one of those boys that would be stuck in that town forever. I am so proud of you for being more than the low expectations for you. It is amazing what the love a good woman can do for a man.
Love, Janny

Dear Travis,
I'm sorry if you thought I didn't like you. You thought you were my least favorite student but it was really the opposite. You honestly were the smartest student I have ever taught and I was just trying to push you to achieve what I knew you could.
In other news, I still tell people about how your grad date was a very attractive 23 years old.
Love, Janny

Dear Sabrina,
Is it bad that I knew that you'd be a girl that could never leave that town? Not necessarily a bad thing. I know you had big ambitions but family and friends were more important.
I forgot how hot your dad was. Also, your brother is still a piece of work but I think it is part of his genetics.
Love, Janny

Sometimes it is best to not know the context

Overheard at the university: "The Incredible Hulk and Morgan Freeman? That's just too much awesome for one conversation."

Ann-Margrock sings "Ain't Goin' to Be Your Fool"

I had this song stuck in my head this evening...

6-bee

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon's Glee Parody:

Strange Sleep

I haven't had a decent night sleep in weeks. I either can't get to sleep or can't sleep through the night. I wake up because I'm too hot or too cold. I wake up from crazy dreams. Ugh.
Last night I was so tired I forced myself to stay awake until 10pm. I woke up because in my dream I was trying to wrap corn on the cob with toilet paper so I could throw it away. Yeah, really didn't make sense why it would frustrate me into waking me up. It still dark outside so I was convinced it was the middle of the night. I turned on my clock* and it was after 8. I had slept more than 10 hours consecutively and I was still exhausted. I went to the bathroom, went back to bed and then slept until noon. For those of you that are less numerically inclined, I slept 14 hours. Might not be strange if you are May-B but definitely strange for me. I presume I shall return to my restless sleep state tonight.





*Digital alarm clock with a backlight. Definitely a handy for a migraine sufferererer.

Mad TV - iPad

I'm confused. Why would Apple name a product after parody product? This sketch is from over two years ago.

Life's Little Questions

Google search suggestions:

Tweets about Lost

Simon Pegg: Damon I heard that the smoke monster is the ghost of Locke's father's brother who is Jack and Hurley's son's mom. Y/N?
Damon Lindelof: WHO TOLD YOU THIS!?!? Someone is getting SO fired.
Simon Pegg: I got Abrams drunk.
Damon Lindelof: Lie. It is impossible to get an android drunk.
Simon Pegg: Touche. Seriously though, the island is the product of a cheese dream experienced after Jack Shepherd ate a whole Edam. Yes?
Damon Lindelof: Incorrect. The actual cheese which birthed the dream that created the island? Camembert.
Simon Pegg: Aarrrrrrggghhhhhhhh! Curses! I knew it was cheese though.

Overheard in a fluid mechanics class

"What's p among friends?"

Crocodile will chomp your face

Saltwater Crocodile Photo, Animals Picture – National Geographic Photo of the Day

Let me count the ways I am nerd bait...

- mention a desire to take as many differential equation classes as possible
- know less than others in the field approximately my age but enough to understand what they are talking about
- proximity
- participates in nerdy competitions and lose


PS: Happy 1200th post to me!

Grace in Small Things: Day 24

Has a rough day so a couple will be hockey themed (thus it will not make sense to most of you)

1. Some one in my fantasy hockey league dropped Tuukka Rask. Fool! He will be my 3rd goalie after Martin Brodeur and Evgeni Nabokov. [Translation: I have really good goalies]. This same fool dropped Alexander Semin when he was on injury reserve.



2. Martin Brodeur got a shut out! I'm in 1st place in my fantasy hockey league and my lead increases everyday.


3. Pilates started again today! I missed it so. At the beginning, the instructor asked me to talk to the class about how it has benefited me since my falls.
   
4. On the way to school, the bus driver saw me about a half block from the bus stop so he stopped for me


5. My bus driver on my way home has mad defensive driving skills. A taxi ran through a yield sign and the bus driver avoided him completely. I don't know many people who could have reacted that well in a car let alone a bus.

My New Desktop Image

It makes my heart glad.

I decided that Jason Sudeikis is Ky's soul mate because he is tall whilst bearded and punching.

From 2004: Jay Leno Announces He's Leaving Tonight Show

Wow, I think 2004 Jay needs to have a conversation with 2010 Jay:

Jay's 2004 Announcement - watch more funny videos

Neil Young Sings "Pants On The Ground"

Some Words on the Late Night Debacle from a Man Who's Been There

Dave Letterman discusses NBC's Late Night mess and does an excellent impression of Leno:

Headache: Day 4

I've had a migraine since Saturday. I have times when I feel better but it never really goes away. It is difficult to not spend the afternoon sleeping when you need to stay perfectly still in a dark room with your eyes closed to feel better. You can't worry about being to get to bed a reasonable time when you are trying not to puke from the nausea.

It is 1 AM and I am WIIIIIIIIDE awake. This will not help the chances of feeling better tomorrow morning.

Chia Presidents

The commercial came on during SNL so I thought it was one of their joke products:



It is not a joke (sorry, can't embed the video).

Either he's an idiot or using Roman numerals

From Sunday features unscheduled bonus for NHL fans, NHL.com

iGoogle's Is looks too much like Ls

The athlete is named Jennifer Heil but that not what I read.

Lingering Effects

I woke up with a headache so I took some Advil. The head feels better but my eyes are wonky (for lack of a better term). Whether I have my glasses on or not, my eyes can't seem to focus properly. Not being able to focus makes my eyes sore and make me completely useless to get anything done. So how is a girl supposed to treat the non-head hurting symptoms of a migraine?

Injury Update: 2010 Edition

I seemed to be especially injury-prone in 2009 and I was hoping for a better 2010.

On New Year's Day I got hydrogen peroxide in my eye. I tried to think of it less as a bad start to the new year and more as hoping that was the worst injury of the year.

Yesterday the temperature high was -28C. As my car was warming, I tried opening the door to put my ice scraper away but it only opened partially. I won't open anymore or close completely from the outside. I tried opening the door from the driver's seat but I tried using too much force at a strange angle. At first I thought I had dislocated my shoulder I was in so much pain but after a couple minutes it felt like it was probably just a strain. I eventually opened the door by getting into the backseat and using the full weight of my body with my other shoulder. Thinking back that was pretty stupid of me since I tore my rotator cuff almost exactly a year ago. Why didn't I kick the door open?

Regardless of the type of injury, it only hurts when my shoulder moves or touches anything or is still for a long time. I'll wait until my chiropractor is back from vacation to see a doctor about it. In the meantime, I know how to treat it but am not looking forward to frequently using an ice pack when it is -41C with the windchill outside.

Some Thoughts After a Second Viewing of Zombieland

- Woody Harrelson has magnificent biceps.
- don't take a germaphobe who hates loud noises
- I am the only person who seems to get the Deliverance reference.

Taco Bell Drive-Thru Diet

uhhhhhhh, yeah right.

Socialist Ten Commandments

Speaking of 12

"Pinball 12" The voices you hear are the Pointer Sisters. Enough said.

The Ladybugs' Picnic

With the super-saturation of Christmas music this time of year, oddly, enough this song is stuck in my head.

Jimmy Fallon sings "The 12 Days of Christmas" with The Muppets

Merry Christmas from a Family of Bloggers

December 1980: Teacher Lady (Janny), DC Power (David) & Queen of West Procrastination (Mary)

Change

She started to cry to her mother as she read what she needed to do; each was completely unreasonable. As much as I hope that she will get better, I doubt she will. Any change you make in your life will not stick as long as crave how things used to be. When she becomes unsatisfied with her current state then she'll get better.

I don't make New Year's resolutions. If something in my life needs to be resolved why should I wait?
"One last time"
"One more week"
"I will when..."
You are only fooling yourself into thinking you are ready for the change. As long as you love what hurts you, you'll keep coming back.

Habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.
- Mark Twain

You might think I'm being negative but I'm trying to say that people go about change in the wrong way. Some common mistakes:
- trying to change too many habits at one time
- no accountability or support system (trying to do it on their own)
- quitting after failure
- not recognizing habit triggers
- not planning for habit triggers
- not logging progress but rather dwelling on failure
- trying to "re-invent the wheel" (not doing their research before)
- replacing old habits with new good habits

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.
- Jim Ryun

I forget sometimes that I used to bite my nails. My nails and cuticles were terrible looking. There were times I'd chew my nails until they'd bleed. I got to the point where I was truly disgusted with how my hands looked. Stopping was difficult since most of the time I wouldn't even realize that I was doing it. I didn't have any real success until I recognized the reasons why I bit my nails in the first place. If I caught myself biting my nails, I'd stop then think about the situation I was in and the reason why it was happening.

If you made New Year's Resolutions, think for a minute:
"Did I take on too much?"
"Did I prepare myself enough for these changes?"

Recognize that you are a human that makes mistakes and it will take some time before you can kick your old habits. Trying to think of slip ups as learning experiences ("How did I get to this point? What can I do next time?").

"I'm Jake and this is an octopus stuck on my head"

Adorable

Power Droid Would Like Some Privacy Please

Power Droid Would Like Some Privacy Please
Originally uploaded by Glark

The Web for Beginners

On the Internet, it is Christmas everyday...

Buddy Holly

Heard Rivers Cuomo was injured in a bud crash. Got me thinking about one of my favourite music videos:

Buddy Holly
by Weezer

Dear Hackers,

You are stupid. Don't send a request for username and password to verify an account to a woman who has lesson plans on computer security. You've been reported so don't drop the soap.
Love, Janny

All that Work for Nothing

For the last month, I've been organizing a documentary screening for the students of my university and the general public. Upon the advice of a professor who had hosted similar events, I sent out a press release, created a Facebook event, sent an email to all the science students, made posters and advertised on local events pages. I got the impression that A LOT of people were coming.

The DVD and books for the event were supposed to arrive by Friday on at the latest. At the end of Friday, when the package had still not arrived, I emailed the organization. Last I heard was they were checking if they could overnight the DVD so it would arrive in time for the event. I never heard back if it actually was done.

Today, the day of the event, I waited and waited and heard nothing. Nothing had arrived by 4pm so I had to cancel the event. My understanding of the licensing agreement is we can only show it Dec 7-18 so if we didn't show it today, we might not be able to show it at all.

The whole situation absolutely makes me feel ill. I feel like a failure for not pulling this event off. Even though it was beyond my control, I hope it does not reflect poorly on me. I feel bad for the people whose contact information we did not have a didn't find out it was canceled until they arrived at the event site. I worry that we will not be able to show the documentary at all.

I was trying to deal with all of this while trying to study for a test today. The test went poorly because there was no way I would have ever expected questions like those. Sigh, what a day.

The Problem With Sleeping In

it is hard to fall asleep at a decent time.

Two days ago, my bus hit a car that slid into an intersection. I barely felt the impact but I had to brace myself as the bus driver slammed on the brakes. It isn't whiplash but my neck and back tensed up.

Yesterday, my back and neck were still tense which lead to a headache. Ibuprofen, acetaminophen and Shaun of the Dead did not help much. Fortunately I'm done my lab work for the semester so I did not have to be at school until 1 pm. I shut off my alarm so I could sleep as long as I needed to.

This morning I woke up with the headache sort of lingering in the background (if that makes sense). The longer I was awake the worse I felt. Eating pizza, ibuprofen, acetaminophen and Shaun of the Dead did not help much so I went back to bed.

I woke up feeling not great but functional. I headed to school and a cup of Earl Grey tea helped tremendously. I was able to finish all of my homework and then take the evening off.

Now I lie awake after sleeping 13 hours last night/this morning. I don't regret sleeping earlier, I had no choice but what to do now?

Web Side Story: A Love Story for the Social Network Era

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Losing Popularity

I'm only the 5th most popular website for a Google search of "Naomi Watts Juan Valdez". I promise to break through that glass ceiling people!

CBS Cares Colonoscopy Sweepstakes!

Oddest contest ever

A Nation Mourns

As I drove out of the parking lot, I was trying not to cry. As I drove towards Albert St, the tears started rolling.

The Alouettes missed their field goal and with no time left on the clock the entire crowd jumped up, cheered, hugged, high-fived, overcome with joy knowing that it was meant to be. Slowly the crowd grew quiet and we realised there was a flag called on the play. Hundreds of people silenced by the words "Too many men on the field". We watched in horror as the Als got a second chance at the field goal and made it. Final score: Montreal Alouettes - 28 Saskatchewan Roughriders - 27 There was no reason to stick around, so we just left.

Don't tell me that it does it matter. Don't tell me it is just a game. There is a reason why Rider fans are so passionate. The Roughriders are Saskatchewan's only professional sports team. It binds together generations forced to leave the province they love so dearly to be able a make a living. When I lived in Calgary, cheering for the Riders made me feel connected to the home I left.

Remember it is OK if you're sad, you've been through a lot today. Maybe watching the Babies trailer again will make you feel better.

River Tam Sessions

Series of youtube videos to promote the movie Serenity. I consider myself to be "in the know" for all things Whedon so how am I just finding this now?

BABIES - Trailer

It looks like it will be the most adorable movie EVER!

Matrix in Lego

Scarecrow day*

When I realized I forgot my lunch by the front door, I reached into my bag to discover I also forgot my cell phone.

When I was ready to go home, I remembered I left my coat in the locked study lounge so I had to find someone to unlock it.

As my bus pulled into my stop, I went to find my keys and they were not there. Looked in my locked car and the keys were in the ignition and my cell phone was in the trunk. Good thing CAA has a toll-free number because I had no change for the pay phone.





*If I only had a brain...

Putting the Fun in Dysfunction

In recent weeks, two people have blamed me for their problems. Both have a long history of dysfunction so I'm not sure why I, someone recently met, am the source. While resisting urge to sucker punch, a couple thoughts come to mind:

"When you blame others, you give up your power to change." ~Robert Anthony

And the classic folk song:

"Jolly Old Sigmund Freud" - Anna Russell

I went to my psychiatrist
To be psychoanalyzed
To find out why I killed the cat
And blacked my husband's eyes.
He laid me on a downy couch
To see what he could find,
So this is what he dredged up
From my subconscious mind:

Refrain:
Hey, libido,
Bats in the belfry,
Jolly Old Sigmund Freud.

When I was one, my mommy hid
My dolly in a trunk,
And so it follows naturally
That I am always drunk.
When I was two, I saw my father
Kiss the maid one day,
And that is why I suffer now
From kleptomania.
Refrain:

At three, I had the feeling of
Ambivilance towards my brothers,
And so it follows naturally
I poisoned all my lovers.
But I am happy; now I've learned
The lesson this has taught;
That everything I do that's wrong -
Is someone else's fault.
Refrain:

The Muppets: Bohemian Rhapsody

Neil Young Sings Fresh Prince

What happens to lonely scientists

An interesting effect of rubber bands in thermodynamics is that stretching a rubber band will produce heat (press it against your lips), whilst stretching it and then releasing it will produce an endothermic reaction, causing it to appear "cooler".
- Rubber band: Thermodynamics, Wikipedia

Power Droid Enjoys Camping

Power Droid Enjoys Camping
Originally uploaded by Glark

Now for something completely different

Godzilla doing the Safety Dance

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Grace in Small Things: Day 23

I'm going to do things a little different, I'm going to give a bit of a story to go along with the things for which I am thankful for the sake of context:

I couldn't find my bus pass this morning so I missed the bus. I didn't have time to go to my locker before my 8:30am lab:
1. I'm thankful I was still wearing my coat and mittens when the fire alarm went off and we had to stand outside in -2C weather for a half hour.

After we finally started the lab, my water pump broke so I have to come back another time to finish it:
2. I'm thankful for extra time to work on my two assignments due for tomorrow.

The assignments were not going well and my professor was not where to be found
3. I'm thankful for spontaneous airplane making contests, even if I lost. Sometimes you need some silliness to help make it through the day.

4. I'm thankful for Alana because my assignment would have taken way longer if we had not worked together.

I attended a physics lecture this evening at the university
5. I'm thankful for carmel double chocolate chip cookies for snack afterward.
6. I'm thankful for traveling companions for at least part of the bus trip home.

After a very long, frustrating day
7. I am very thankful for having silly people in my life that like nerdy things like I do.
8. I'm thankful I got home before my parents went to bed
9. I'm thankful to watch the last period of hockey (rare occurrence these days)

The Way I Feel Inside

I need your help. A couple months ago I discovered this song on my computer. I never heard it before and I have no idea where it came from. Does anyone out there have a clue? It is "The Way I Feel Inside" by the Zombies. I think there may be more than one version of this song.

What nerds do on a Friday night

A sixth order Sierpinski triangle:

Each side of the largest triangle is 12" long, the smallest 1/8" long.

The Good in Everyone

I sort of feel stuck in the middle between two groups of people who don't like each other very much. From my point of view, it is a long history of hurt feelings, not admitting fault, foolish pride and all that fun stuff. Neither party is a bad as the other one claims and both parties are to blame for the state of affairs.

I was listening to my IPod as I rode the bus home when the song by Sloan "The Good in Everyone" came on. A thought popped into my head "If you look hard enough you can see the good in everyone. Also if you look hard enough you can find fault in everyone." Made me really think about how I see the people around me. Am I looking for their faults? Am I waiting for them to fail?

Porcuuuuupine!

I've been swallowing baby porcupines again. My throat is ouchie.

Edgar Wright Here

I came across Edgar Wright's blog Edgar Wright Here. Thought all the fanboys and fangirls may want to know

Insurance in America

I was reminded that there is one thing that health insurance companies absolutely hate - sick people.

Sick people have the audacity to require treatment, which not only eats into profits, but upsets the accountants' balance sheets. Too much of that and you could completely spoil their day.

- David Willis, The US health system 'headache', BBC News Online, 12:55 GMT, Saturday, 7 November 2009

Not being heard

It is extremely frustrating to have something to say and
- you aren't given a chance to speak
- you speak and it was completely disregarded

In the first case, I feel like may I am trying to talk to people that are so concerned about getting their own point across that they don't even notice that others are trying to speak. I'm not the type of person to interrupt when someone else is talking. If I know someone else has something to say or notice that they were interrupted, I try to make sure they are given a chance to speak. One rare occasion I do get to speak, often try to interrupt and if I do not stop talking they just start talking "over top of me". It is totally bizarre.

In a linguistics class I took, we learned that the amount how much time a person talks in a group shows how much power they have in the group.* Are others around me not willing to give me the power to speak? Are they not willing to give up their own power? Are they not willing to recognize me as having something meaningful to say? This might sound strange to people who have known me for my whole life that I am going through this.** Once after admitting I maybe overly assertive, my grade 10 English teacher told me that was grossly understated. How can the overly assertive compete with the hyper-aggressive?

In the second case, it is a really a problem with one person who often asks for help and has difficulty hearing "no". You know when telemarketers call you house and keep on talking even after you say you aren't interested? Imagine if those telemarketers came into your home everyday, followed you around bugging you. This is a little bit how I feel on a daily basis.

Not meaning to be ranty but these things have been bugging me for a long while. Today I a had a little bit of validation from a causal observer that had noticed the on-going pattern. At least I don't think the problem is all in my head...


*It doesn't necessarily mean that if you talk the most you have the most power in the group, silence can show authority.
** Certainly not sound like the girl who made a peeping tom cry.

Remember that time I was an idiot....

Why did no one tell me on November 1st the title of my post was "And the most creative costime goes to..."? I've changed the title but the URL still says "costime". Oy vey. It seems to be a common theme with me: today in math class I told my prof that -1/2 was smaller than -1.

Grace in Small Things: Day 22

Ok, I admit I've been slacking. I haven't posted a GiST in about 2 months. Did lousy on a midterm today so I felt like I needed to focus on the good:

1. Mom discovering bag of leftover Halloween candy


2. Triscuits and melted Havarti


3. Being able to go to bed early tonight and sleep in (a little) tomorrow morning


4. Dad helping me with my ridiculous E/M homework


5. Finding out this morning that one of two of my labs due on Thursday is fast to complete and easy!


6. Awesome hair day


7. My lab partners are awesome, I don't know what I'd do without them.

And the most creative costume goes to...

Happy Birthday Alana (Happy Halloween to the Rest of You)

Things I'd Rather Be Doing Than Studying

• watching TV


• watching Hot Fuzz


• sleeping


• finding awesome things on the interwebs


• playing Scrabble

I'm burning out, I mostly just need to be sleeping.

James' blog as a public service

See if you can spot the problem:


This morning* I was reading my friend James' blog** and noticed his latest post was post-dated Oct 25. I was going to make a joking comment that it was a post from future James and to not drink the coffee. I look at the date of the comment I had already posted was Oct 25 as well but iCal read Oct 22. Opened iCal and suddenly the date changed to Oct 25 but when I closed the program it changed back to Oct 22. Stupid iCal, we'll have to see if it sends me any notifications today.

To quote a infamous James/Janice argument
James: "What day is the 30th?"
Janice: "We've gone through this already: Friday is Thursday."


*at the ridiculous hour of 6:30AM. This is the 3rd time this week that I woke up 2 or more hours before my alarm is to go off. Blah.

**previously known as Blond Derek on this here blog

Learning how to walk

May-B and I are taking an introductory Pilates class on Wednesday nights. I can only speak for myself but I have learned so much about how the body is supposed to be positioned and move. This week alone I realized I have an anterior tilted pelvis that has made it difficult for my back and hips to recover my fall in January. I was always told that put my shoulders back to stand up straight which is a little difficult when you are leaning forward.

This week my back was hurting and I remembered what we learned in Pilates class about having our hips in a neutral position. I looked in the mirror, adjusted my position and realized how severely my pelvis had been tilted. Suddenly my back pain was virtually gone but my legs were not used to being used like that and got tired quickly. It is going to take sometime of being conscious of how I walk, stand and sit but back pain is a great motivator for correction.

In related news, my Pilates instructor's body for seriously moves in mysterious ways. It isn't in a freaky hyper-extension way but rather a realization of "What? My body is supposed to be able to do that?"


Sorry, this was poorly written but you get the point.

Usually only in the movies

I admit, I got a little choked up...

In the 1950s, Diane Harris was injured in a car accident and her mother lied that Rodney Day had dumped her. In 2007 Rodney found Diane, who says, "We kissed and that was it." They married on Saturday.

Love stands test of time

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Daydream Believer: Literal Video Version

Have to give credit that Lyn found this:

We Used to Be Friends

but I haven't thought of you lately at all.

For weeks I've been trying been plotting the course of a couple friendships -- what went well, what went wrong, where we are, where we were. How can you go from knowing the most minute details of someone's life to absolutely nothing?

Musical Genius

I think these lyrics speak for themselves:

You're A Vegetable, You're A Vegetable
Still They Hate You, You're A Vegetable
You're Just A Buffet, You're A Vegetable
They Eat Off Of You, You're A Vegetable
- Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', Michael Jackson

More from the Book of Mark

"For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?"
Mark 8:36 (New American Standard Bible)