There are a number of issues that have come up over the last while in the news that I’ve wanted to comment on, but haven’t really had the time or energy. Christmas is coming up soon (in case you weren’t aware), and I’m doing my best to get through all of my various projects for people. Ah, poop, I just remembered that I have to get something for my trainer. I also want to make a batch of fudge or cookies to bring in to work and give around to a few people. It’s kinda nice working at an office during Christmas.

For the most part, I’m almost done, I think. I still have to get something together for my mom’s parents (although I do know what I’m going to do for Puppy), and I need something else for the Smooshy, I think, but otherwise, I either know or am ready for most of my list. I picked up a few things for people in Saskatoon, so that kinda helped a little. :)

I spoke with my friend JJ the other night on the phone. He’s out in Langley right now, and his trip is continuing fairly well. I had to catch him up on all of the recent news, and he was surprised to hear that I had a boyfriend and a motorcycle. Not sure which came as the bigger surprise. :) It was good to hear from him, and he mentioned that he’s going to be flying home for the holidays, and will be playing couch-surfing, so I (think I) told him he could probably stay here for a bit. I’d have to do some cleaning up, which my apartment desperately needs anyways (and I’ve been saying that for a coon’s age), but it should be do-able.

I’m also slowly getting over my dread disease; I suspect I’ve said that already. I still feel kinda rough when I wake up in the mornings, but I think my throat is finally starting to open up again. It’s a strange and scary feeling, swallowing liquid when you can’t fully breathe and feel as though you might suffocate. Definitely not something I could say that I enjoy on a regular basis. I’ve been taking some sinus meds to see if that might help, but who knows anymore.

Ah, finally. I just yawned and popped my ears a little, so I might actually be on my way to hearing properly once more. It’ll be a miracle.

Fortunately, I have not died. I have discovered, however, that a (near) week spent at home can get a bit dull after awhile. In addition, staying at home with no one but the cats and occasionally the Smooshy to talk to does wonders for my ability to communicate.

I did my poster presentation for my class last night. It was obvious that I was sick, since I had the physical manifestations and my brain was just a-wanderin', but I think I hit a bit of a stride towards the end. I hope, at least. But I think my mark is based more on the content of my poster than the presentation, so that should carry me out okay. If the mark had presentation elements to it, I would have spent more time preparing something, instead of just talking off the top of my head.

After class I went out for some drinks (and a plate of potato skins, which I polished off with no problem -- apparently I was hungry!) with some of my classmates, and I brought the Smooshy along. As is often the case when he gets dropped into a crowd of people who he doesn't know, he was fairly quiet, but it seemed to work okay. One of my classmates was looking at us and commented that she could tell he's the quiet one between the two of us, which isn't always so, and I told her that. :)

Oooh, potential for dirty comment in there... heheheh.

I also bought myself a printer this week, which was one of my few excursions into the scary outside world during my week of being Typhoid Jen. It's an Epson CX4800 3-in-1, and so far I love it. It has served me well so far, and the trial picture I printed of Thena as a kitten (just on regular paper) looks good.

I've managed to mostly finish one pair of mittens, and I have to do some finishing work on a few items, but I'm slowly getting around to actually completing things. Maybe I'll go back and finish the shirt I was making for me -- but that's going to have to wait until after Christmas. For now, I still have one pair of mittens, maybe some slippers, a scarf or two... I have a few things. I've actually been cross-stitching again, and enjoying that. Damn me and all of my crafts!

I had to pass on Madeleine's baby shower on the weekend (not her bridal shower, which is what I keep trying to call it). I feel/felt bad about it, but I figured it was kinder of me not to get anyone else sick, especially since I suspect I may have had a mild flu or something equally fun. Who knows. It led to me getting the flu shot today at work, for the first time ever, so there ya go.

I've collected a number of articles that I want to write about and comment on, including a rant I started many moons ago, but I haven't really had the time or inclination. All these craft projects, you see. :)

However, I did manage to drag the Smooshy out to see Harry Potter last week, and I'll ruin it for everyone... Cedric dies. It's true, and I'm sorry to be the one to break it to you, but there you have it.

I will warn people who go to see it -- don't get a large drink. Also, make sure you pee beforehand (which I always do). I had asked for my usual medium and received a large, which I didn't finish, and I still desperately needed a bathroom about a half hour before the movie ended. I learn these things so I can pass along my knowledge and wisdom to you.

For now, I should get back to work. I have transcribing to do (since I already got the rest of my work done earlier this morning).

I am sick. :(

I have moved out of the massive chills/achy/sore throat realm into the sore throat/running nose (that was a new one this afternoon!) party. Being me is a joy, I gotta tell ya.

Tomorrow, I really really need to do my school project. Otherwise, I'll keep forgetting, and when I go to present on Thursday, that'll be rather awkward.

I am frustrated, annoyed, potentially upset, and possibly coming down with a cold. In fact, that last part is probably a guarantee.

The thing is, I've been much more angry in the past about issues, but now... now this just adds to it.

Maybe I just have higher expectations for my jobs -- my 'careers' -- than are actually being met. Maybe my rank really is that of a glorified secretary. Maybe because I am a woman and younger (and okay, present today), I am meant to do the menial tasks.

I just find it amusing that when I originate a document, once it leaves my hands it is rare for me to see it again. But when the document 'originates' (highly unlikely) from one step above, it is up to me to ensure that it gets to where it needs to go.

Needless to say, I didn't put my name anywhere on that one. I have work of my own to do, and it's a crying shame you're too damn busy to help -- but not entirely unexpected. Colour me completely unsurprised.

I could go on, but... *sigh* What's the point? In April, this is all going to change... but April is a fuckload of time away from now.

Is it just me, or is it fairly rude of someone to regularly check their voicemail with their speaker phone and office door wide open? Or to conduct telephone calls with this method on occasion?

On a totally unrelated note, I now have a work cell phone once more. Yippee.

I think my 'hiatus' lost me some readers. No one comments anymore. :(

Either that, or I've grown unbelievably boring... I'd believe that. :
Anyhow, I got the sexy new computer last night and spent some time in commercial breaks installing various games and so on. The Sims 2 now runs sexy-well. Who knew it could load so quickly?

My only real concern at this point is with the monitor. Because it's a flat panel LCD, the monitor is extra-damageable, and when I have one kitty who was fairly used to sitting on top of the monitor and doing as she pleased... it's a concern. There was a plastic sheet that came taped to the front of the monitor that I'm keeping there for now; when I'm not using the computer, it stays flipped down in order to at least semi-protect the front from questing kitten toes.

I got very grumpy at the end of my workday yesterday and buggered off to the Chapters in order to engage in some retail therapy. I picked up 5 books (I think), and I'm hoping to spend some time actually reading them. I do still need to get our book club book, but since it was 45% off online versus only 30% off in the store, I figured I'd try that.

I also discovered that Terry Pratchett has a new book out, so I'm either going to have to find me a library and remember how to use it, or ... never mind, just ordered some lovely new books for me. Damn those authors for taking so long to publish. :)

I just realized that I think I'm slightly behind in my Discworld reading... either that, or I'm just confused. I think confused is a likely option.

Anyhow, I need food, and I need to do some research and I think some knitting. I (mostly) finished a mitten yesterday! I am proud of me.

The Smooshy and I are losers of a new kind.

I woke up on Sunday with a migraine. I moved onto the couch in the living room to try to settle my head and the accompanying nausea. He joined me shortly thereafter (since I had woken him up deliberately, it being after 11:30 already), and we had some cereal. We then played Baldur’s Gate non-stop until about 5 p.m. or so, when we finally decided to have some dinner (digestive biscuits not being the most filling of meal replacements).

We had grilled cheese sandwiches and homemade soup, then ran out to the south end to see Chicken Little. The Smooshy feels we deserve praise, because we really did finally leave the house.

Upon our return, I ‘twisted’ the Smooshy’s arm to get him to play some FF10 (which he had bought earlier in the week to play at my place), so I could sit and knit for a little while.

Now I’m at work, and I just want to be home, knitting. Partly it’s because I bought a bunch of wool and some more supplies from my mom’s store on Saturday, and also partly it’s because knitting is more fun than working.

Ah well. After playing a bit of Baldur’s Gate II with the Smooshy in the morning, he went home to his friends and cards, and I started out on my errands… which turned into just going to my mom’s store. I brought the bike out to the parents’ house on Saturday so that Dad could go for a ride while I borrowed his car to do grocery-shopping. He wound up spending his time fixing my broken turn signal (not that broken; it just needed to be popped back out again, essentially) instead. I got to ride home in the very cold rain that had started, sans-wet weather gear, which I had considered bringing with me and decided not to (I had taken the car home to unload groceries, then had to bring it back to the parents’ place… and to get home again, I had no real options other than my bike). My mom called shortly after I arrived to double-check that I had made it okay. I had.

I spent the evening over at R and N’s place, and R and I played a bit of a video game called the Warriors. It’s a Rockstar game, which is the same company that does the Vice City games, so you can imagine the language and so on. In the Warriors, you’re a gang member, and you have to mug people and take drugs for health and beat up other gang members and spray-paint graffiti. Entertaining. :)

I wasn’t feeling too well, though; my stomach had started really hurting that afternoon while I was grocery shopping, and hadn’t improved at all by then. I was feeling pretty low as a result, and I even fell asleep for a little bit on OFK’s leg. That actually seemed to help my stomach out a little bit, at least. OFK drove me home a little after midnight, and the Smooshy had already returned to my place. We played Baldur’s Gate until about 3 in the morning (trying desperately to finish a quest that seemingly had no end), and I ate some leftover spring rolls I had and seemed to feel a lot better after that.

So all in all, the weekend was pretty good. I’d love to spend some time spring-cleaning my apartment and maybe getting rid of some excess furniture and clothes, but I don’t want to toss clothes I’ve never worn. I hate getting things as gifts, saying I’ll wear them, and then never actually doing it, for whatever reason. If only my office was warmer, I’d have a tonne more tops and pants that I’d be willing to wear in. For now, I’m going on my third straight week in just jeans, I think. Not necessarily a good thing, but at least around here no one seems to care that much.

I spoke with my dad this afternoon just before lunch, and my new computer was being unpacked even then. I’m actually really kind of psyched about getting it; there are no guarantees that I’ll be able to get it today, which is okay, but now that it’s here, I do sort of want it sooner rather than later. :) I figure that I’ll set it up on the coffee table in the living room tomorrow, and spend most of the evening getting everything installed and established the way I want… for I am a bit of a geek. I have to dig up all of my old bookmarks and so on, which will be a bit of a pain in the ass, but I kind of look at the whole thing as an enforced spring cleaning.

I just spoke with my dad; I’m definitely not getting it tonight. Ah well. He’s also bought for me a TV card, so I can watch TV from the comfort of my bed and even record shows on my computer… and burn them to CD or DVD if I want. My new computer is tasty. Of course, one has to wonder how the kitties are going to deal with it; there will be no more of this, since my new monitor is going to be a flat panel one. Maybe Thena will just go back to this or this, but she’ll have more room. No one can say my cats aren’t spoiled *rotten*.

I just took a quick minute to look through the pics of my girls. Thena was an adorable kitten… Venus looks much the same. :) I wish now I’d taken pictures of the havoc Thena wreaked on my arms and hands though; the Smooshy refuses to believe she was anything but an angel. Although apparently she hisses at him when he pushes her off the bed… that’s something she’s never done with me. She just gets grumpy sometimes when I pick her up, and especially when I try to trim her nails. Always fun.

Anyhow, like you guys don’t know this stuff already… what else is there to report? I got nothing. I’m trying to think of/get presents ready for Christmas. I’m lucky in that I did do a decent amount of shopping through the year, so I have presents ready for some people. I probably have to add to them, and I’m sure I’ll have forgotten where I put most of them… ah, organization, you aren’t really my friend.

On a positive note, though, I am updating a bit more! Yay! I had planned on writing about how I’ve noticed aspects of my personality as I’ve gotten older, but haven’t really segued into that effectively, except in this regard. Voila! Basically, I’m going to North Bay this weekend with the Smooshy to meet his parents, and we spoke briefly on the phone about it today. He told me how it was going to run (departure times, who we’re spending time with when) and so on, and it reminded me of travelling with OFK and R. In short, I like to have a plan in mind for the day, even if it doesn’t end up happening exactly that way. I like to know what days we’re likely to do what activities, and when we’re going to leave, where we’re going to stay and so on. Maybe this doesn’t bode well for my dream European vacation, but I like to pretend it’s all okay.

I can’t tell if it’s the Smooshy reading me well, or if it’s just how he is, since this is the first time we’ll have travelled out of the city together. I think he’s getting nervous, which is cute… I’m fairly blasé about it all, at least at this point. :)

According to the weather website, the temperature is going to start dropping below zero soon. Poop. This means it’ll be time to pack up the bike and get that all done. I’ve managed to buy almost everything I need to put the bike away; I still need engine oil and a cover, though. I’m somewhat envious of JJ, getting to keep riding, but at the same time, sometimes it’s nicer to take the bus – I get to read!

Speaking of which, I mentioned that I had been reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, I think. I finished that on Friday, and I think it gets a thumbs up for me. I had originally started it and set it aside, but once I picked it up again, it was a pretty fast read. Now I’m into Pilgrim, by Timothy Findley (I bought a new paperback copy of it a little while ago, since a former friend of mine had borrowed my trade copy and we haven’t spoken since… and I didn’t buy it from the cheap book store when I saw it there, since I thought I’d be getting it back from her), and it’s a bit slow-going so far. Then again, I only just started it, and it’s a rare book that manages to grab my attention straight off.

I’m finding that the Smooshy’s pilfering of my library is opening me up to wanting to read more, and making sure I integrate more of that into my time. Maybe not so much my free time, but definitely cracking open the books again when I’m travelling and so on. I think I’m going to go through my book collection soon and remove some of the older ones that I won’t be rereading so as to make more room on the shelves for the books I will be rereading – or lending to people. I also have a number of books that I’ve borrowed from folks, and I really ought to read those soon and return them. Do you think anyone would notice if I just spent my days at work reading and knitting? I could knit myself a door that no one could see through!

I did wind up picking up wool for a poncho. I do respect the comments people made, but the fact of the matter is, I need something for when I’m at work, and I’d feel a bit odd bringing in one of my blankets from home – especially as I need those blankets when I’m at home. Right now, my feet are cold, and I’m wearing sneakers and gym socks. Most days I’m wearing a sweater and another layer, and I’m still freezing; and that’s a problem I had at my other work, too. I could continue to wear large, ugly cardigans (my really ugly one I still have at home; I haven’t quite been brave enough to bring it in), or I could practice my knitting and joining together and so on and make myself something I could use at work. I think a poncho is a bit more practical than a blanket, since I’d look kinda weird bringing a blanket to a meeting. :)

If I seem defensive, I don’t mean to; I’m just explaining and I’m out of practice at writing, so my tone is all off. :)

Okay, time for me to wrap this up and post this, I think. It’s a shame I wasn’t able to use my three paycheque month the way I might’ve hoped, but at least… well, at least all of my insurance is paid up, and at least my computer exploded at a time when I had a spare paycheque coming in. Small blessings… it’s just that I wanted to go to Chapters, and I kind of want to buy a Booster Juice before I go to the gym today, and I want to buy a new printer, and then and then and then… ah well. I’ll be okay; I have been so far. I just whine. :)

Booyeah.

My blog is worth $18,629.82.
How much is your blog worth?

My life, in a few updates:

First of all, my computer is completely fried. Dead dead dead dead dead. New power source did nothing for it (the old one had carbon in it and everything… very nice), and so the whole thing is toast. Here is where I respectfully request that people don’t start diagnosing it for me – while I’m feeling much better about the situation now, I believe in my dad’s computer geek abilities (he has been working with them for over 30 years), and I trust that when he says things like, ‘the drives don’t even start spinning,’ he knows what he’s talking about, he’s telling the truth, and the drives won’t even start spinning. They’re dead. It’s not just a motherboard issue, it’s not just a power source issue, and so on.

If I sound somewhat mean about this, it’s because I had a few well-meaning souls who were diagnosing my computer problems for me, and perhaps not believing me when I was telling them what was wrong. I don’t like being doubted, so I get a little cranky. I’m better now.

Anyhow, less than an hour after the official diagnosis came down, I had ordered a new system off of Dell. Stop groaning and so on; my dad’s office has had very good experiences with them, and Dad told me he wouldn’t be able to build me an equivalent system for cheaper. I was overdue for an upgrade, and while this new system won’t be of the highest quality, it will still be an awesome system. I’ll just have to spend some serious time rebuilding everything from my bookmarks to my file system. Basically, I won’t realize what I’ve lost (aside from some of the obvious, like my mp3 collection, or the three seasons of Scrubs I had on my system – build whoop) until I go looking for it.

I had been very afraid that I’d lost my digital photo collection. Back at my previous job, I had spent some time uploading my pictures to my picture site, and I had burned most of my collection to a CD in order to transport them to work. I had thought I might’ve thrown out that CD, since I had everything stored on my computer already. I’ll confess; it was the thought of having possibly lost pictures of Thena and Venus as kittens that brought me to tears at one or two points during the day.

The next day, the Sunday, my dad brought me out a loaner system, and I started to hunt around my apartment properly. There had been no point in doing it on Saturday, since I don’t label most of my CDs and I didn’t have a computer to test things in anyhow. In my hunting, I turned up a jewel case that looked very familiar, with two blank CDs in it – one with MP3s, and the other with my pictures, up until May of this year. This means I may have lost out on a few pictures of my kitchen, or possibly even a few of the kitties, but the bulk of my collection was safe. Needless to say, I was very relieved.

See, procrastinating about cleaning and so on pays off sometimes.

Though I think when I get my new system, I might go through and organize all of those blank disks I have. I can even use a number of them to restore a portion of my mp3 collection, if I’m so inclined. The Scrubs episodes I can borrow or re-download if I want. Season 2 is due out on DVD soon, so that’s one less season to concern myself over. :)

I’m also very lucky in that my final school project isn’t due until the last week of November. Well, that’s my presentation date. This gives me a bit of extra time to settle in with the new system when it arrives before I have to go full-tilt generating materials for the final presentation. I did lose one of my papers, but I have the hardcopy of it for referral purposes… it just means re-typing anything I want to use, which is good and bad.

I’m hoping that I’ll get to use the book club members as a bit of a focus group, because it doesn’t seem as though the people who said they could do it are going to do it – at least, I have yet to get back any kind of reliable confirmations. I’m looking into that now.

There’s also been a bit of drama in that the Smooshy’s roommate has discovered that he has bedbugs. The roommate and I work at the same place, so we’re both in a good position to know what to do in this situation, but that doesn’t make it any less icky. This means that the Smooshy has practically moved in with me even more than he already has, and so there’s been occasional friction as a result of that. Well, there’s been friction as a result of one thing, mainly his schedule vs. mine, and what that means for time spent together and such. Needless to say, it’s straining sometimes, but we’re getting from one day to the next.

Work is… work. I’m continuing my practice of trying not to talk too much about work, partly because I’m very fortunate in that I have a colleague that I can complain to whenever necessary, and he shares my issues and experiences them, too. We’re in this together, and while our situation is somewhat crappy, it’s nice to have someone who understands the circumstances.

The Smooshy is also great for that; I complain for twenty minutes, and he summarizes the big issue in one or two sentences. It’s great to have someone who sees my side, and sometimes sees the other person’s side, too (which I can also be good for), and supports me, even if he might privately think I’m wrong. :)

But I will say, April is a long time away.

I was going to do NaNoWriMo this month again, but now I’m not sure, given that it’s already November 2nd, and I would be starting out with catching up to do. We’ll see how the desire comes and goes. Likely goes.

I’ve been having a very hard time being motivated to do much of anything lately – or to get any kinds of desires going. I basically don’t want to do much of anything aside from knit, cross-stitch, and/or play video games. Most days work leaves me so dispirited that I just want to come home and veg on the sofa, doing one of those activities. The kitties seem to like it, since Thena can go out and Venus can relax or occupy my lap, but it’s not exactly great for getting things done. I have managed to get some laundry and some baking in, here and there, and even some household puttering, but overall, I feel fairly unproductive.

And don’t get me started on my libido, urgh. I keep putting it down to a messed-up sleep schedule, but I don’t know if that’s fair. Tomorrow the Smooshy gets to find out if his lobbying and polite grumbling to get his schedule changed will bear fruit; we’re both very hopeful that this will in fact be the case. It’s very difficult to maintain a relationship when you only ‘see’ one another for a few minutes at night and in the mornings (maybe), and on weekends… especially when those weekends often fill up with other activities or errands that need doing… and especially when his ‘weekends’ are usually only a day long.

At least I’m starting back at the gym again. A bit. I’ve been this week, that counts. I’ve also been out on the bike a decent amount, and I’m fairly comfortable on it, though I do still have moments of fear/concern in turns and the like. I’m definitely not zipping through hairpin turns at 100 km/h, so you can stop worrying about that. :)

Ah well, time to wrap up for now. Anyone have any suggestions on libido-boosting? Thanks.

*sigh* Rough day yesterday.

I managed to set up a pho excursion, and Ben met me at my place ahead of time. His class ends early, and his house is in the opposite direction. We text-messaged back and forth to say where we were and so on, and because my transportation was going the wrong way first, I was a bit delayed. My last message from him involved him telling me that a utility pole was on fire on my street.

Joy.

I got closer to my apartment building (I was coming over the hill as I got this message), and didn't see any huge flames or anyone out on the street, so I figured that it was okay. As it turns out, it was a utility pole almost directly across from my door, so needless to say, I had no power.

I called the Smooshy, who lives about a 10-minute walk away from me to see if he had power, and he didn't (the streetlights were out on the way over, too). About an hour later he called to let me know that he had power, but I still didn't. He came over about an hour after that, and a bit before 7 we decided to go out for dinner (since we were waiting on another friend, anyhow).

Now, I got home around quarter to 5 or so, and we were sitting in my apartment with about a half-dozen candles lit for lighting. We figured that after dinner, there would likely be a return of lights.

The Smooshy and I got back to my apartment around 8:45, and they were still working on the pole. We decided to set ourselves up in the bedroom with a whole bunch of candles and he read while I knitted. I am so cool.

We had five candles on my headboard, which made Thena somewhat grumpy when she went to jump up there and had no room. We had two or three candles on my dresser, in front of the mirror, and Venus decided to explore those while I went to the washroom. I was listening to the Smooshy talk about how it would only take one good tail swoosh, and then he was saying she was on fire.

He put it out, and she seemed a bit rattled, but nothing too awful. Some of her tail fur was a bit singed, and I could feel where the heat had removed parts of it, but I don't think it came anywhere close to her skin. The Smooshy later apologized to me for letting her get burned, and had said a few times before that that a singed tail was the best lesson.

She curled up on my while I was knitting and demanded attention, so I don't think she was too badly affected.

Anyhow, the guys in the truck drove away shortly before 10, and right around 10 the smoke alarm (electric) started whining. We were wandering around trying to figure out what the whining was (as it decreased in volume) when the lights started coming back on. Somewhere in there was also a loud pop that I thought was cats knocking over something, so I blew out the candles and started a walkabout of the apartment.

We returned all the candles to their previous locations, I found nothing out of sorts, and I watched Gilmore Girls with the Smooshy (after his shower). We talked for awhile and went to bed late, as is our habit.

In the morning, after I eventually got up (having already discussed with my colleague that I'd be late), I turned on my computer to boot while I went to the washroom. I came back to find nothing had happened, so I pushed the power button again. Still nothing. I checked out the plugs and the connections, the power bar, and tried again -- nothing.

I could still smell what I had originally thought was candles or burnt cat hair, but now realized was isolated to the computer and consists of that unique burnt electronics smell. My power source and possibly other components are fried.

I woke up the Smooshy and he did the same checks I did, but obviously can't tell anything yet. I called my dad and he's going to check it out for me as soon as I can get it out to the house.

Now, as a grand total of things that have died in my apartment lately:
(1) fluorescent light bulb in the kitchen;
(2) my floor lamp in the living room (previously died and fixed by my dad -- I don't recommend the model, which I'll hotlink later);
(3) computer and assorted components.

This makes me sad. :( With any luck, I'll be able to have it up and running by the weekend, with no loss of data. Some of it has been backed up, but not all. I'm okay with losing things like video card, motherboard, etc., because those are all older and can stand to be replaced, but the harddrive is a bit more important. I'm also very glad right now that I was able to get the last presentation date for my project, because having this on top of trying to get a project together and quickly would really suck.

Anyhow, time for me to head off. If you need to get in touch with me, use the phone! No home email access for me. :(

Holy shit, I don't update enough. :P

From this month's Ms. magazine (also appears at the Ms. blog):

"When a White House reporter last June questioned why Persident Bush only calls on one women[sic] reporter during prses conferences -- although female reporters accoutn for about a quarter of the press corps -- White House press secretary Scott McClellan blamed the media: "The president believes it's important to get to those major media outlets and start the news conference that way. And if it's a question of diversity within those organizations, I think it's a question to direct to those organizations, not us."

But Bush has greater gender-awareness problems. In July, notes Salon's Tim Grieve, "Bush apparently wanted to take a question from Reuters, so he shouted out, 'Reuters man, Toby.' Only it turns out that 'Reuters man, Toby' is Tabassum Zakaria, who happens to be a woman.

"Bush immediately corrected himself, then made matters worse," continues Grieve. "'Woman -- excuse me, I can see that,' he said. 'So how long have you been on the presidential beat?' When Zakaria said that she'd been covering the White House since February, Bush told her, 'Yes. Well, make yourself less scarce.'"

Your Kissing Purity Score: 31% Pure

You're not one to kiss and tell... But word is, you kiss pretty well.

Kissing Purity Test

Is it fair of me to say that because religion plays such a non-existant role in my life, that I am continually ignorant of and frequently forget what the religious background of my friends is...

... or is that just ignorant and stupid of me?

For example... if I can't remember if someone happens to be Catholic or Anglican, or Hindu or Muslim, am I being a racist/narrow-minded jerk, or is that acceptable, if not necessarily 'good'?

Maybe this is simply a reflection of the culture in which I live (one in which religion does not play a large role) that religion and religious backgrounds I can't keep straight, yet sexual orientation and predilictions are in the forefront of my brain.

I mean, I know there are differences between the various religions, and I'm never going to tell anyone that they should conform to mine... and granted, sometimes in my tunnel visionness I'm a bit surprised when friends from different religious backgrounds are unfamiliar with Christian customs (i.e., communion or Christmas/Easter traditions), but I don't expect them to automatically celebrate the same holidays that I do. Although sometimes I do jokingly tell N that she needs to CONFORM to our ways.

I admit it, sometimes I need reminding that things aren't the same for everyone. Just because I was raised by two parents who had two children and haven't divorced doesn't mean it's the same for all. Hell, sometimes seeing other girls in various states of undress serves to remind of me stupid little things like, 'Hey, not everyone has freckles/moles on their arms like me' or even 'Hey, people have different coloured nipples!'

Oh, I'm fucking deep. You'd better believe it.

But hey, I'm willing now and again to admit to my foibles. Not always, it's true... and it's weird that when it comes to work mistakes, although I do dwell on them, I simultaneously hate to admit to them, yet when it comes to being ignorant or uninformed in life matters, I'm usually willing to step forward and say something.

Gah. If I had all the time in the world (and a nice rich bank account and/or husband), I think I'd be a perma-student. There's much I'd love to study and learn about.

Sometimes I wonder if I've chosen the right path. Maybe I'd be better-suited to study writing, or sex therapy or something. Urgh. I think both of those would involve me moving out of the city to study, however, and I wouldn't even know if I could make it. There are many other people much more devoted to those pursuits than I. I just keep coasting, it seems.

Huh, who knew I could ramble myself into an existential crisis? I just wish I could be at home, knitting or something. I found an easy pattern for a poncho I want to make, but I don't know that my mom would sell me the yarn. She wants me to finish one of my current projects, first. Bah. When I'm sitting here at work, cold, the last on my mind is completing the sleeveless shirt I've been working on. Instead, I want me a giant poncho!

Anyhow, I think it's obvious by now that I'm only/mainly writing in order to avoid doing something else, and right now that something else is finishing up my paper. I think it's more or less ready to go, and I guess it isn't going to be worse than the version that got me the C+. :P I just wish I knew already what I was going to ask the prof when I interview her on Sunday, though. Mind you, I have highlighted some things in various articles that I've read and in her thesis that I don't think are directly answered there, so hopefully I won't be taking her over already well-covered ground.

I need more *time*. I need time to exercise, to cook, to clean, to do my crafts, to hang out with friends, to do schoolwork, to watch my shows, and to read for fun. I need time to spend with the Smooshy, to spend with the cats, to travel, and especially to sleep. I need time to find a new apartment and move and decorate and ride my bike and visit my family and write letters to my grandfather, and save money and pay off my bills.

Urgh. Living is stressful.

Okay, okay, I'm done now. Next post will be #1500, according to the Blogger count, though. That's kinda cool and/or depressing, isn't it?

Aren't you glad I'm back? So full of useful updates!

Okay, I'm gone. Stress bunny. :P

Ever notice the passive-aggressive hostility that becomes the norm for how a boy treats you when you reject them?

I'll develop this more later. For now... I'm trying to extract a few more academic thoughts from my brain.

I had the thought today... I wonder if I really am cut out to do a masters. Maybe I should just keep doing bachelor degrees forever. :P

One day, I will update for real.

Because I'm a jerk, and to get the hits... 'Rory Gilmore Sex Boat'

Okay, so I'm stressed about money right now. Anyone know of any easy ways to get rich quick?

I'm not quite at the point of taking off my clothes online for money, but it might come down to that. :P

Urp. I may have heard a minor winding up noise from the biological clock. I'm sure it's only temporary, but... uh oh.

End of day three. I couldn't remember what day of the week it was this morning. :P

Today was the first day of booth bunnying. The first proper day, rather. I was there before 7:30, after picking up a bad hot chocolate and semi-grody muffin from Starbucks. For $5.30, I was definitely not impressed.

I met a lady from Rosetown, Saskatchewan, and we chatted for quite some time. Once they opened up the tents, I helped a woman from some part of Alberta put together her display, and then sat behind my booth for awhile. It was freezing in the tent, 'cause they hadn't turned the heat on. Actually, I don't think they turned the heat on at any point. :P We got some hot chocolate from the hotel (good stuff!), and eventually a bunch of us moved out of the tent to get some sun. I actually had moved out to hit the washroom, but that didn't happen.

I spent a fair bit of time chatting with the deputy mayor of Riverview, N.B., about the Jennifer Teague case and so on, until they went off to the Berry Barn, and I came back to the hotel to have some lunch and have a nap.

On my way back to the hotel, I ran into my coworker, so we chatted for a bit, catching up. We'd both forgotten that we weren't staying in the same hotel, which explains why we hadn't seen one another -- plus, he's been busy with various obligations. He came by the booth later and helped me stuff some CDs, which had just arrived, and he's going to do something similar tomorrow.

I plan on going out to see the Berry Barn (Berry Farm?) tomorrow. Apparently there's something known as the Saskatoon berry, and I'd like to check it out.

I came back to the hotel to relax and watch some tv, then headed over to the mall to check out the sweaters and do some shopping. Only for an hour before the mall closed, and I sliced my finger on a hanger, 'cause I'm that awesome, then wandered over to the Pita Pit to get some dinner. Yummy, tasty dinner.

Like I said, no deep thoughts. I have too many things I want to do, and not enough time in which to do them. :P I will say, though, that watching back-to-back episodes of C.S.I., then the intro to Criminal Minds, which features a girl being abducted by a serial killer, does not do well for my peace of mind. Especially when I'm staying alone in a hotel room in a foreign city, and I already had to replace my key card once because it stopped working for reasons unknown.

I'm okay, though. I have my knitting.

Shut up.

I've also noticed that the bathroom mirror makes my eyes look really pink. I thought I just kept looking tired, but then I looked in another mirror almost immediately after, and that wasn't the case.

Oh yeah, I'm totally swamped. :P

Day two has finished, and I've had a few realizations.

First, a king-sized bed is just ridiculous. It's huge and I can sleep diagonally, lengthwise or widthwise in it, and not hang off the bed. Granted, that's kinda fun, but seriously -- it's huge! Mind you, the hotel only seems to have rooms with king-sized beds, or with two double beds, so I guess it's not like they weren't listening to me when I said I only needed a double. :)

Hell, I remember when OFK and I went to Toronto, and we had queen-sized beds. I thought that was huge, as I travelled across it in the course of the night. It's true, I would -- I'd wake up, move over a little, and fall back asleep. Most nights, I fell asleep at one side of the bed and woke up at the other. Who says I hog the bed?! :) (I don't, actually -- the smooshy does. I have to fight to have space in my own damn bed. :P)

Anyhow, second, I think somewhere when I wasn't paying attention, I became a grown-up. I was walking back to my hotel room, and I realized that as far as everyone else is concerned, I'm an adult. I'm here on merits, I'm here as a representative of my organization, and no one else realizes that in my head, I'm still some child or student who doesn't know what the hell is going on. It's... weird.

I think it's also the first time I've stayed in a hotel room alone. At least, I can't really remember another time when I've stayed in one on my own.

Ah well... I slept in a bit today (well, I woke up around 8:30 local time) and awoke to window cleaners or construction people outside my window. Fortunately, I didn't sleep naked, as is often my habit. After spending some time on the computer and the phone with the smooshy, I headed over to check in to the conference. They basically told me to come back at 2:00 p.m., so I found some breakfast, wandered around a bit and did some gift shopping and grabbed some lunch. I came back to the hotel to get rid of my purchases and relax a bit, then went back to the conference to set up.

I made some friends out of the people there, people who are much older than me and therefore probably see me either as very young or as an adult of sorts (I didn't say I had to make sense), and never saw my coworker. I still haven't heard from him yet -- for all I know, he never even came! -- and so I had to set up my whole display on my own. Well, on my own but with the help of the volunteers and a few of the other booth folks. Apparently we have much more swag than some of the other tables, which is impressive, since we figured we were arriving with nothing.

It didn't take too long to set up, so once I was done, I came back to the hotel to change into jeans and comfy shoes. My feet were killing me, 'cause I haven't worn my shoes in forever. :( At least tomorrow I'll be sitting a fair bit. I chatted with my sister for awhile, then decided to go out to see a movie. It was either that or wander to the nearby Rogers/Blockbuster to rent a movie (the laptop is equipped with a DVD-ROM, lucky me!).

I ended up seeing Just Like Heaven, which I've been wanting to see. It reminded me of a book I read years ago, but it doesn't seem to be the same one.

I wish I could be interesting enough for tonnes of people to come and read. I spent awhile updating my chequebook today -- that was thrilling. :) I've been having lots of thoughts lately about wanting to write, and ideas on things to write. Nothing is really connecting, which is frustrating. I know that the first version doesn't have to be perfect, and the story can change a dozen different ways before it's final, but... I keep feeling like I should have *some* idea of what to have happen, or how to have the story move.

Maybe I should just do like Moose does, and have one story that I continuously rewrite until ultimately, it's something completely different from what I originally conceived, but I like the evolution it's undertaken.

Maybe I just don't have deep thoughts. :P