Simple Splendor

2006-08-03T20:42:00.000-04:00

For just $130 you too can look like a professional wedding photographer!

I got my outfit for the wedding today. I must say, I look pretty damn good in it! It's sort of a cute, artsy ensemble that just screams "I should be offered a gallery exhibit any day now." Maybe it'll be just the thing to get me another wedding gig? I'm getting ahead of myself; let's just see how this one goes.

The least it'll do is boost my confidence. Maybe if I look the part, I'll feel the part... and wont be so damn nervous!

I've wasted the majority of this week. You know, I've always thought that maybe the lives of pretty, rich, blonde girls living in L.A. would be full of drama.

Preppy, Tough-Guy Boyfriend: Sometimes I can't stand you!
Stereotypically Stupid "Rich/Blonde Girl #3": If you can't stand me so much, why are you still with me?
(long, uncomfortable pause)
Stereotypically Stupid "Rich/Blonde Girl #3": Happy anniversary.

Thank God there's a show like MTV's The Hills to confirm my suspicions! That's right, I watched a whole mind-numbing hour of that crap last night. But I finished Douglas Coupland's JPod! For the love of God, please tell me that redeems me for watching complete trash. Does it?

2006-07-31T11:09:00.000-04:00

Well, it's Monday and I'm sitting in my living room - not sitting in a bus terminal in Huntsville, on my way to Algonquin.

Richard wasn't able to make it, I'm afraid. I considered going on my own, but my mother, quite understandably, put a halt on those plans. Seeing as the campsite was still booked (on my Visa, no less) I figured I'd at least make an attempt to use it. So I gave Nathan a call on Saturday and he seemed all for it! Matt decided he'd tag along and we went out and picked up some supplies. I spoke with Nathan Sunday morning and things still seemed to be a go - and then he called me back no more than 10 minutes later saying he'd rather do some work for his brother that week.

Fantastic.

I spent the rest of the evening trying to come up with an alternative. I settled on staying at home for my week off work, wallowing in my own self pity.

Dave has said, though, that we'll pitch the tent in my backyard and eat s'mores and watch Secret Window and Team America on his laptop!

2006-07-27T11:24:00.000-04:00

The wedding is in two weeks.

I'm still not sure how I feel about it - part of me is excited to be photographing it, the other is completely terrified. These are the pictures that Richard (my cousin) and Rhonda are going to have to remember their wedding day. That's a lot of pressure to put on someone who considers themselves an amature, at best.

I'm sure I'm just being too critical of myself. We'll have to wait and see how things go.

On the plus side, this wedding's given me an excuse to buy all kinds of equipment! On top of the new lens I got a few weeks back, I've also gotten a tripod and some more filters. I'll need some more memory, but I'm going to see if I can borrow some from Dave.

I can't wait for this weekend! Richard (not my cousin) and I are taking a trip up to Algonquin. We'll be busing it there and back (which I'm sure will be an adventure in itself) and then spending four days in the park. I can't wait! Hiking, canoeing, biking... it'll be lovely!

I bought some vegan marshmallows (rather aprehensively, might I add) the other day. They are suprisingly delicious! Even Matt, who makes no attempt to hide his dislike of all my veggie products, thought they tasted like real marshmallows. I used one bag to make some rice crispy squares, and the other I'm saving to roast at Algonquin. It's been almost 5 years since I've roasted a marshmallow!

2006-07-19T10:44:00.000-04:00

Sunday evening we all found ourselves in Tyler's living room, trying not to really think about the reason why we were all there.

It really hit me hard once I had left, realising that I wouldn't see him for quite some time. And then again the following day at work, when I had looked at the clock and realised that he would have already landed in Utah, where he'll spend the next few weeks getting trained in preparation for the rest of his mission.

Here's hoping that the next two years fly by. Fortunately, there will be an hour or so each week that he'll be able to e-mail and write home; I'll post some updates and any pictures that he sends.

2006-07-14T12:21:00.000-04:00

Not only am I going to see Red Hot Chili Peppers in September, but I just bought pre-sale tickets to see The Who in December!

The past few days have been pretty busy. I tend to jam pack my days off (so as to not waste them) which can lead to me burning myself out. Being sick didn't really help this, and I may have to go to the clinic this weekend... which I have also jam packed. Oops!

Wednesday I got my hair cut and coloured and, let me tell you, I have become one hot commodity! I had a CISV meeting that evening, where much planning was to be had.

As for Thursday, I met up with Dave to run some errands in Waterloo. We took a bit of time out to visit Richard at work; he gave us free juice. After that, I had plans made to meet up with Tim but I whatever it is that's kept me sick these past few weeks had gotten considerably worse. So we got coffee to go and chatted on the bus ride home.

I learned a lot that day! Dave taught me about mutual funds, Tim taught me the technique he uses to pick up women, and Richard taught me how to drive away customers.

I was talking to him at the counter when a group walked in.
Richard: "Ugghh. I have to work now."
They had to have heard him.

2006-07-08T23:03:00.000-04:00

I had all of these grandiose plans for this afternoon, with so much I was wanting to cross off of my To Do List... and then I fell asleep on the couch for two and a half hours. Needless to say, I will be using every moment I possibly can tomorrow. I can only hope to accomplish half of what I actually need to.

Marko and I found ourselves at Symposium this evening. We sat on the patio and discussed Marko's plans to live off of potatoes and weigh 3000 pounds. He'll be four Amy's wide.

I enjoyed my peach soda and marveled at the fact that the patio wasn't smoke free, and the fact that our waiter was not only odd and awkward, but also incompetent. I tipped him anyway.

2006-07-07T11:50:00.000-04:00

Yesterday at work

Mum: Do you feel like doing a coffee run?
Me: Yeah, I was going to head out and pick up some lunch anyway. Do you think if I work out as hard as I did last night, I can justify having the sandwich combo with a donut?
Mum: That all depends on whether you want to loose weight or maintain your current weight.
Me: Well then I'll only eat half of the donut.
Mum: What will you do with the other half?
Me: ... I'll eat it later.
Mum: You're an idiot.

I didn't get the donut. I got cookies instead. But I did work out, and it was intense. Needless to say, my abs hurt a lot today - especially when I sneeze. Unfortunately for me, I forgot to take my Reactin this morning.

2006-07-05T23:20:00.000-04:00

This weekend I:

- got the Super 8 camera I bought from a couple in Toronto
- went to a bridal shower
- assembled the new Ikea computer desk we got
- (finally!) bought a new lens for my camera*

* For those of you that are interested, it's a 55 - 200 mm Sigma with a hood, and it was on sale!

This picture wasn't taken with my new lens, but isn't she adorable?

2006-07-01T18:30:00.000-04:00

I went to a show at The Boathouse last night with Michelle, Steve and Tyler, and Andrew joined us later on.

Starting off the evening was Matt Lees, who I remembered from Cameron. If I'm not mistaken, he graduated the year I started. He played an acoustic set of original material with a couple of covers.

Up next was The Brown Hornets, a band from Toronto. They have some of the best stage presence I have ever seen. Ever. I'll certainly be making an effort to catch them again.

Then was the band we had come for - The Droops. Their funk-rock-blues set had everyone on their feet, myself included. They're one of the forerunners in K-Ws indie rock scene, which is really saying something! We have such an amazing community of musicians, fans and venues feeding the talent that's coming out of our little hub.

This was, by far, the best $5 show I've been to (and I've been to quite a few in my day). There's just something about the sweat, heat and stale air from having a hundred people crammed into a building built to hold fifty, feeling the bass in your chest and watching a band who has just played as if everything is on the line. It sends me to bed with a very euphoric feeling.

A feeling that was shattered after Portugal unjustly stole England's spot in the semi finals this morning. I don't want to talk about it.

I took a few pictures at the show. Some turned out better than others but, in hindsight, I should have changed my ISO.

2006-06-29T17:25:00.000-04:00

Flickr doesn't want to post my pictures today. It's making me rather unhappy.

I just got home from coffee with Richard (pictured above, unshaven and rather heathenish). I'm not to sure what I'd do right now if I didn't have him to talk to. It's nothing crazy or dramatic or life altering. It's just that no one else seems to "get it" quite like he does, and it's refreshing to get his take on things.

But he had to go to his girlfriend's prom, and I have to go to dinner with Marko. Why? Because I am dying to hear about his "best.date.ever."

2006-06-27T22:42:00.000-04:00

It was a good weekend. I went out for breakfast with Marko, went to the multicultural festival, saw one of my favorite local bands jam, and delivered pizza with Nathan. Well, I sat in the van while he delivered pizza.

But the highlight would have to be going to Steve's place Saturday night. Tyler was there, which at first was no big deal seeing as he and I had been reduce to awkward small talk since the end of August - which is how things started off. But then I asked him a few questions about his mission trip (he leaves July 17th for San Jose, California) and we ended up having an hour long discussion about religion, our beliefs and... all sorts of things!

By the end of the night, it felt like we were back to where we were last summer, which is such a good thing. It's just a shame that it had to be this close to him leaving.

Anyway, I dragged Matt to the fabric store today. He hated every moment of it. Except for this moment.

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

2006-06-25T22:13:00.000-04:00

My brother talks music

"Did you hear what Tom Delonge was saying about Angels and Airwaves? He thinks he can accomplish more with them than he could with Blink 182. Yeah, not with a lame looking drummer he wont! At least people respected Travis. He could lay down a bad ass beat ... 'But now we're running through a field and flying through space!' ... Let's all listen to their repetitive guitar riffs!"

Podcast potential, anyone?

P.S. I'm baaaack!

2006-05-03T08:04:00.000-04:00

I think I'm love.

Tool, will you marry me?

I bought their new CD, as well as the new one by Pearl Jam, yesterday. They're both fantastic, but the case for '10,000 Days' (Tool) is amazing! You should have seen Nadia and I on the bus looking through the little goggle things. Everyone must have thought we were nuts.

Speaking of Nadia - she and I headed down to Cambridge, went for lunch, and spent the afternoon shopping. We bought some clothes, some CDs, some birthday presents, and some Reactin. I hate allergies.

Pictures later today when I'm actually home. Right now I'm in the office, waiting for 8:30 to roll around.

Nadia: "I think yours must be wrong. Mine says I'm fine to drive, and I got it at Zellers."
Nadia (pretending to be a police officer): "Well, I got mine at the National Alcohol Institue. Step out of the car, please."

2006-05-02T11:14:00.000-04:00

"... your chest is just whateva, I found the buried treasure... "

Oh Bubba Sparxx - you really know how to woo the ladies.

I can't, for the life of me, get this damn song out of my head.

2006-05-01T17:06:00.000-04:00

My god, was last week ever amazing! More about that later, though. I haven't got the time, nor the thinking capacity, to recall it all at the moment.

But I will say this - I am far better suited for office work than I was retail. Today was my first official day as the "Junior Office Clerk" for the company that currently employs both my mother and my aunt. Aside from the management, we're the only three in the office. And I quote,

Aunty Avril: "We can be pretty mean, you know. You're going to have to learn how to separate work and family now!"
My Mother: "And don't you dare go running to your grandmother, telling her what we've said."
Me: "But I'm her favorite..."
Aunty Avril: "She has no jurisdiction here."

When we got to the office this morning, there were balloons strung all throughout the building, as well as banners and containers of M&Ms. And later in the afternoon we had a little party in the back room (consisting of my mum, my aunt, the HSS, and myself) to celebrate my aunt's birthday, my mum's birthday and my first day of work.

Coffee, non-alcoholic wine, and two-bite brownies. Word.

2006-04-12T13:12:00.000-04:00

Who am I kidding? I'm not a photographer.

2006-04-11T22:12:00.001-04:00

Last night, Marko and I decided to stop at Sobey's to visit Kate, who can't wrap flowers even though she works in the flower department. And seems to spend 80% of her shift answering the phone, and the other 20% being told to get back to work. At least that's how it seemed while we were there.

Originally uploaded by mangophreek.

2006-04-11T22:12:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by mangophreek.

But then she actually had to do some work, so we roamed around the store a little.

2006-04-11T22:09:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by mangophreek.

And we took many a silly picture -- more of which can be found somewhere in Marko's photostream.

This rather juvenile, but enjoyable, behavior was followed by a delicious dinner at Symposium.

2006-04-10T19:07:00.000-04:00

Work was long. So very long.

There were, however, some pretty cool people that made my day bearable. Like the man that called me "darling" and the one who stopped to hold the dust-pan while I swept.

Oh. And that guy on the bus who yelled through an entire phone conversation. He was so loud that everyone on the bus knew that his girlfriend called to tell him that she knew he wasn't where he said he was going to be. But I assure you, he stuck to his story and insisted that he was on his way back from a buddy's place where they had been fixing a brake line. And he didn't care what she had heard from her friends because he was telling the truth. And then, after noticing everyone on the bus was looking at him, he put his cell on speaker phone. Not only could we hear him, but we could hear her too.

But now, the novelty of the bus ride home has worn off and my feet are throbbing. To reward myself for a hard day of work, I'm going out to dinner with Marko.

2006-04-09T19:25:00.000-04:00

Today was my grandma's birthday and we went up to spend the day with her and some family. It was a really nice day and she put on a fantastic spread of food (as usual).

When my cousin's fiance brought up the topic of hairdressers and her need to find a salon for the wedding, my grandad told us a story about his childhood. When he was a teenager, the price for a haircut went up from 6p to a shilling. His father, who was mostly bald, refused to pay an entire shilling for two minutes in the barber's chair. So, while in town one morning, my great-grandfather decided to buy a hair-clipper he had seen in a shop window. He brought it home and convinced my reluctant grandfather to trim his hair for him. He insisted that it wasn't difficult and that, with such little hair, there was no way to mess it up. That's when my grandad accidentally nicked his ear - a whole chunk of flesh! As one would assume, there was plenty of blood and even more foul language. After that, my great-grandfather never once complained about the price of a haircut.

With 80 years worth of experiences, what memories has he kept and which ones has he just let go of? I know I'll never be able to recall everything, but what will I be telling my grandchildren?

2006-04-08T11:43:00.000-04:00

I just got home from the market. The nicer the weather gets, the earlier we should go. It was so crowded and my mother had some old, foreign woman poke her and yell at her in, what my brother and I could only assume was, another language. My mother still swears she was saying "Will someone move for me? Someone move for me!!"

Either way, we saved a bundle and everything is nice and fresh and delicious.

Last night I went to see The Benchwarmers with Abbie and Dave. It was, to my surprise, a pretty funny movie. Mind you, I'm not sure what was funnier - the movie, Abbie's giggling, or the reaction of everyone sitting around us to Abbie's giggling.

My mother: "What night were you there? Decent Guy night? I think I must have been there Slutty Hoe and Creepy Old Guy night!"

2006-04-07T14:41:00.000-04:00

That 250 year old tortoise was an inspiration to us all.

2006-04-07T13:19:00.000-04:00

I went out with The Chief (aka Marko) last night. We stopped at Sobeys, picked up some Ben and Jerry's, and headed over to the park. I'm so glad we had a chance to sit down and really talk. Lately it's been a lot of the "So how's school?" kind of chats. But last night we got the chance to really talk!

In the hour and a half we spent together we covered philosophy, insecurity (not just our own), the simplicity of things that we complicate so easily, old friends, new ones... you name it! Oh - and the hotness of domesticating the office.

And he told me to rejuvenate my blog. I'm not sure why I didn't do it sooner. I always seem to be happier when I'm writing regularly.

Marko, darling, I miss you to bits. Whenever you're in town, you need to come see me.

Originally uploaded by mangophreek.

2006-01-30T20:50:00.000-05:00

Many of you might recall the various conversations I've posted demonstrating the randomness experienced on a daily basis in my house (see here, here and here... oh! and we can't forget this one). Granted, this sort of conversation occurs so often that I barely notice anymore, but today one stood out. I'm not sure why, to be honest with you, but I was laughing for quite a while. Perhaps it was the sincere bitterness of my brother that brought about the giggling.

Me: I'm sure you're just dying to know that Lindsay Lohan got a new tattoo.
Matt: What?
Me: MSN has done some story about Lindsay's new tattoo. She got the word "Breathe" on her wrist.
Matt: (glares for a moment) Why didn't she just get "Slit" and then do it all ready?! (walks out of the room to play with the puppy)

Anyway, I found myself at Casa Blanca Books today. As usual, I spent far too much - especially seeing as I still have books from Christmas I haven't had chance to open yet, let a lone start. What can I say... I'm a literature whore.

2006-01-28T17:24:00.000-05:00

Our dog died this summer from the disease that had kept him quite ill for nearly a year. It was tough for us to sit back and watch him suffer at such a young age and my brother, who was the closest to him and his main caregiver, especially had a difficult time with his death. So when my brother started checking humane society websites on a daily basis and looking up breeders online, we knew he was ready for another dog.

So we lied to him. We told him we were driving out to some farmer's market in the middle of nowhere. But in actuality, I had called and made arrangements for us to visit a Mennonite farm who sold a ton of different breeds (she referred to their farm as being a "country pet store"). And, believe it or not, he was completely oblivious to the plan until we pulled up their drive way and he saw the "puppies for sale" sign. You should have seen the look on his face!

The barn the puppies were kept in was very clean and very well kept. Each litter was separated into pens, there was no smell, and no filth. All puppies came vet checked and with their first shots, some even with their second. So if you're looking for a dog, I recommend them highly.

We let him sort of wander around, pet them, play with them and what not to get a feel for the kind of dog he was looking for. And then he saw her! As soon as he picked her up we all knew that she'd be the one he'd pick.

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

Here's Matt upon first meeting Lucille, a 7 week old Lab - Collie - Labradoodle cross. She is such a sweetie!

2006-01-28T17:22:00.000-05:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

Here she is in Petcetera with her new frog toy. Boy was she ever the center of attention there! Matt's going to be so popular with the ladies... :P

2006-01-24T23:21:00.000-05:00

I realise that I have allowed quite the lapse in time since my last post. I've been meaning to post - believe me, I have! But, in all honesty, I needed to take a step back from everything. It's helped tremendously and I'm back in action.

So after taking a bit of "me time", making a commitment to revert back to a regular posting manner, and actually sitting down at the computer to start, all that was left was to decide what my "comeback post" should be about.

I settled on last night's election (which only 60% of eligible Canadians turned out for, might I add). Granted, I'm a newbie in regards to the voting world. It was the first election I was able to take part in and I took pride in placing my ballot in the box.

But here's what gets me: It's almost as though election time is when all of the naive and uninformed members of society crawl out of the woodwork. No, no. Election time is when I notice all of the naive and uniformed members of society.

I'm not the type of person to criticise someone on their political positions or who they happened to vote for. I believe that exercising your right is an important and honorable act, especially for Canada's young people. However, if for your own reasons you choose not to vote, I can respect that too. But it seems that there are some very noticeable differences between myself and some of the other young voters I've spoken to over the past couple of weeks.

First of all, a difference in political opinion in no way calls for personal attacks. I am so tired of hearing rude remarks brought about because someone is voting differently than someone else. You're vote is an individual choice rooted in your beliefs, upbringing, priorities, and morals and no one can judge you based on that.

I took the time to look into this year's campaigns so that, when I went to the polls, I could feel confident in knowing that I had made an informed decision. I know that not everyone is as interested in politics as I am, and I'm sure that many would find that kind of research tedious. But you would assume that those who hadn't got themselves caught up would then avoid discussions where such information is needed. What I have found, in fact, is that not everyone thinks that way.

Now, I'm not going to name names or point any fingers, but I will use the details to warn the rest of you. If you insist on starting a discussion about politics (not only with myself, but with anyone really) do not, by any means, make things up. And if you must, for whatever reason, try to not to make your points ludicrous. But let's say you are caught expressing your feelings on a made-up platform; don't continue to claim that it's true. The worst thing you can do is argue logic and truth with nonsense. It just doesn't work.

Normally, I can put up with that. I'll let the other person speak, hear what they have to say, and then end the conversation politely. But if you have the audacity to not only tell me I've voted for the wrong party, but then to tell me that I've been deceived - the conversation is over, buddy (sans politeness)!

2005-11-28T09:36:00.000-05:00

These were a long time coming, I know. Thanks to Dave and Nadia for sending me some shots of our commencement celebrations. My blasted camera didn't have any batteries that night.

Mandippal spoiling a nice picture

2005-11-28T09:35:00.001-05:00

Dave being Dave, and Nadia having the misfortune of sitting beside him at the restaurant

2005-11-28T09:35:00.000-05:00

Nadia - as gorgeous as ever

2005-11-28T09:34:00.000-05:00

Qasir, myself, and Mandippal (don't bother, all the oreo jokes have already been made....)

*Note our terribly rude waitress in the back*

2005-11-15T23:22:00.000-05:00

+ Good News: Two of the three pieces I entered for Gala were chosen to be part of the exhibit this coming weekend.

- Bad News: Henry's e-mailed me to let me know that the enlarger I ordered from their site will not be shipped to me, as it has been bought by someone else. They also don't have any other used ones that they can sell me.

+ Good News: I hung out with "the group" this weekend for the first time in a long time. We went to see Jarhead and had a good night.

- Bad News: Steve decided to go out for Halloween as The Rock. To complete his look, he not only shaved his head but he also shaved one of his eyebrows (and drew one on mimicking the trademark Rock expression). It has yet to grow back in and I can't take him seriously.

+ Good News: I fully intend to go to the gym first thing in the morning before school - a bit of treadmill, elliptical and maybe even a few laps in the pool.

- Bad News: This trip to the gym was brought about by the many, many times I broke my "I'm going to eat healthy" regime this past week. (Note: It is not a diet, it's a regime. Big difference!)

+ Good News: I just finished the online application form for a Visa. Not only will I build up my credit and increase my chances of a bank loan for university, but I'll also be able to order all the kick ass tees I've been finding online.

- Bad News: I'm not sure if the huge Threadless.com holiday sale will be over before I recieve my card (or letter of decline for that matter) in the mail within 5-7 business days.

2005-11-10T15:49:00.000-05:00

I'm giddy - giddy like a school girl. I'm sure you're asking yourself why. Why else?

Boys of course! A boy to be exact. How lame am I, eh? Oh well, this mood will make work tonight that much more bearable!

I have great news everyone! I ordered my darkroom enlarger from Henrys.com last week. Which means I'm one step closer to completing my darkroom and developing my pictures at home!

Things are good, really good!

2005-11-05T23:57:00.000-05:00

I meant to blog about this awhile ago but, as usual, it completely slipped my mind.

A few weeks ago, Jeopardy had one of it's student weeks - you had the typical cute kids that everyone loves, with the occasional snotty one that you hope doesn't win. It was a day or two after watching an episode of the kid's week that my brother and I had the following conversation:

Matt: How do you get diplomatic immunity?
Amy: You become a diplomat.
Matt: No, no ... how do you become a diplomat?
Amy: It really all depends - there's a few different ways. Why do you need it exactly?
Matt: Do you remember that girl on Jeopardy last night? I figured if I got diplomatic immunity I could assassinate her...
Amy: Matt! She was like, twelve!
Matt: Yeah, but she was stuck up and the cute kid should have won. Besides, she'll be older when I do it - it'll take me awhile to get my immunity.
Amy: Okay. So how do you plan on getting diplomatic immunity?
Matt: I'm going to become a diplomat.
Amy: No, no ... What kind of diplomat?
Matt: I don't know, a senator or something. I can figure all that out later.

He's a funny kid, I tell ya! Although, I think very few people see that side of him. He seems quiet around his friends. I could be wrong, but it's a shame if he is. He's a riot!

On second thought, we may just both be idiots! :P

2005-11-04T23:15:00.000-05:00

If all goes as planned, I'll start work on converting our fruit cellar into a darkroom this weekend. It's exciting stuff! But there is so much to be done. First, I'll need to empty it out and pack away all of the old tools that are currently residing in there. Then I'll have to paint the room black and light proof around the door way, which in itself is a weekend's worth of work. After that it's a matter of plumbing in a sink, installing a light socket, replacing the door and building a shelf or two.

I sure have taken on a rather large task, but I've wanted this for oh so long! I'm going to go on a hunt for a second hand enlarger this weekend and I'll use my German contest winnings to cover the cost. I'm thinking that I'll ask for the sink, paint and door to be my Christmas gift from my dad. All that'll be left is the developing supplies which can be bought with my next paycheck.

Oh, and my brother has offered manual labor at the small cost of $20 and a lesson or two in developing film.

I'm getting all antsy and giddy!

2005-11-02T23:37:00.000-05:00

Great news everyone, all that's left to do on my film is the credits! It's looking pretty good and things just kind of fell into place this morning - such a huge relief. The class will be viewing it either tomorrow or Friday. Here's hoping it's well received!

I'm just glad that everything has managed to wrap itself up before the weekend. Over the course of last weekend I worked a total of nine and a half hours. This weekend? I'll work twenty-one and a half. Mind you, it will be a nice paycheck to go Christmas shopping with!

2005-11-01T23:28:00.000-05:00

Ha! You thought I had forgotten, didn't you? Well, I'm sorry to disappoint but I'm keeping with my goal: One a day, every day with 12 days to go.

So back in July, Drawn! (a great website, check it out) posted a link to FLIPBOOK! - the coolest thing to keep me amused for hours since...

I really have no idea. But either way, it's great and you should check it out. I'll post a few of mine tomorrow. Feel free to comment with links to yours too (especially Qasir and Richard).

What are you waiting for?

2005-10-31T20:12:00.000-05:00

As much as I love our local transit system, I do have one qualm with it.

Yesterday, on my bus trip up to work, a man sat down beside me. He smelled so strongly of alcohol and dirty that it nearly gave me a headache. Fortunately, he got on only shortly before we reached my stop and I didn't have to deal with it for long.

This morning, however, was terrible! I got on the bus at the terminal and ended up sitting beside a man who smelled, no word of a lie, like beef jerky. It wasn't a "he just ate beef jerky and the scent is still lingering" kind of a smell, but more like a "instead of bathing, he'd much rather rub himself with rotting jerky on a daily basis" smell. My morning bus ride is long - especially when sitting by a man that seemed as though he had been slaughtered, salted and hung to dry, then left out in a jar by any given convenience store cash register.

So what was my solution to the problem? I realised that the less time I spent breathing, the less I could smell him. So my breaths became slower and farther between. The only problem was that not only did I think I was going to hurl, I was also on the verge of passing out.

All in all, bus patrons should be screened and approved to ride. Twice in two days? We clearly have a problem here...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2005-10-30T23:32:00.000-05:00

I've made a promise to myself: I'm going to blog at least one entry every day for the next two weeks - even if that entry is a link, or a picture, etc., etc.

Why? Because I figured it's about time I made an effort again. And, if I follow through with this promise, it might manage to get me into a routine where I'm blogging regularly.

So, despite my foul mood and apparent goal to ruin a perfectly good weekend for myself, it managed to be pretty alright. I'm really not sure what's wrong with me - I think my fun spirit's taken a vacation, leaving me a mopey bitch. It wont be long, I'm sure, until it's all fine and dandy.

There should be some pictures from commencement up soon, assuming that Dave gets them to me. I stole his camera for the majority of the night and got a few good shots.

Speaking of which, I'm going to head off and flip through my photo albums. I need to see if I have any pictures that I have enough confidence in to submit for Gala. There's a gallery there every year and it'd be nice to contribute a few pieces. My teacher is submitting one of my assignments for me so I should, if all goes my way, have at least one there.

2005-10-26T22:37:00.000-04:00

I've had to take a minute to just breathe.

My film deadline is fast approaching - Monday's the viewing day. We filmed nearly all of it this past weekend and, by the end of Sunday's shoot, there was this huge weight lifted off my shoulders. But now that I realize our only editing day is tomorrow, it's starting to seem like we have more than a day's worth of work ahead of us.

(Cue weight piling back on shoulders)

We'll have to just truck on ahead and stay positive I guess. I know it sounds lame, but maybe it'll help if we're not feeling bogged down and defeated before tomorrow has even started.

This weekend should be a nice break from everything though. I've got commencement Friday night and I'll get to see everyone again! I work Saturday, but I'll be heading off to a concert after that. I work Sunday as well, but my weekend will be concluded with shopping!

Then comes Monday... the day of doom.

2005-10-20T09:35:00.000-04:00

Qasir: "I demand more posts!"

Well, aren't we a little rude? I'll have you know that there has been a very good reason for my absence. As some of you know, I've been really sick since about the end of July. So I finally went in to get checked out, after my mother spent days pleading with me to get my blood work done. Let's face it, I'm a very lazy vegetarian when it comes to my diet. I knew the answer to my constant ill state would be found by blood work and that it would ultimately lead back to my terrible, terrible food choices.

I went in for the tests on the Tuesday and knew what was wrong by the Friday. Turns out I'm iron deficient - not enough to make me anemic, but just enough for me to be sick all the time! Long story short, I'm on a supplement and need to be tested again in 3 months. But I was told that I should see a drastic improvement in my energy levels soon.

But not soon enough, apparently. I could do with some added energy today. I had awesome night out last night. A friend of mine, Irena, is in a band and they had a gig last night. It was an awesome show! I got there with Chantelle about an hour before any of the guys showed up. We had a really good time. Played a bit of free pool, listened to some good music, had some beer and, above all, gossiped. It was the first time the two of us had really talked. It was good, really good.

Steve showed up followed by Jake, Tyler, and Andrew. They got there just in time to catch the end of Reenie's set. Everyone was blown away by the band - myself included! I had only heard them on their website. Let me tell you, nothing compared to them live!

Chantelle drove me home and we sat outside my house talking for a good 40 minutes. I'm glad we got the chance; I feel like I know her so much better now. I had an amazing night but, sadly, I'm paying for it this morning. It's 9:34 and I need a nap already! :(

2005-10-07T13:23:00.000-04:00

Halloween is just around the corner, which means that I have begun my search for a jack-o-lantern design cool enough to top last year's.

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

Yeah, it's Animal from The Muppets all right! He was done from a pattern I found online, but I'm thinking of making my own this year. We'll have to see if I can find the time to, but either way I'll be carving a pumpkin for sure. If you have any suggestions for a good design, leave me a comment!

Well, I'm in another one of my baking moods (it happens periodically and I bake like mad. Last time I made a coffee cake, muffins and mini chocolate eclairs... all completely from scratch!) so I think I'm going to stop of at a Bulk Barn or grocery store before work. And then tomorrow evening, the baking begins! I'll let you know how it turns out, possibly with pictures.

2005-10-04T09:28:00.000-04:00

It's going to be one of those days...

I woke up this morning with half of my earring lost inside my earlobe! When I looked in the mirror I saw that it wasn't there so I figured it feel out in my sleep or something. Actually, no. it migrated through the hole and into the lobe. And then it bled and crusted over. Lovely, huh?

I bet your wondering how something so bizarre could happen. Well I only just got around to having them re-pierced. Amanda and I were at the mall and figured "What the hell!". The problem is that I have ridiculously fat earlobes and the posts on the back of the earrings weren't nearly long enough. So the earring was just slowly, I dunno, sucked in!

Hopefully the day will improve. I'm heading down to get a gym membership this afternoon. All of my excuses not to have run out and it just seems to be about time.

Ooo! I can totally have one of those pretentious blogs where I only write about how I got up early to go to the gym where someone was on my machine, then I headed to work where I'm so important and things wouldn't run smoothly without me. Nadia and I met for a power lunch at the new bistro that opened downtown. The food was fabulous, but the waiter knew nothing about wines. I got everything finished in the office and pushed my meeting with ICP to tomorrow so that I could make it to my daughter's soccer game. To finish off the day, I took her and her friends from the team out for ice cream!

Or not. Mind you, maybe I will find muse in the form of gross, sweaty men and the woman who wont get off her cell phone long enough to let everyone else enjoy their workout (note: you can read an excerpt from her blog above! :P )

2005-09-27T14:34:00.000-04:00

You want to talk about ridiculous? I'll tell you what's ridiculous!

Yesterday I was feeling quite ill - sore throat, terrible headache, nauseous. I was able to grin and bare it through two periods, but I knew I wasn't going to be able to sit through my last class. Not to mention the fact that it's my computing class and it has to be at least 30° in that damn room because of the server thingy that's in there. Not quite a nice place to be when you feel like you just might throw up.

So I went home. I slept, I had soup, and by morning I was feeling a bit better.

Here's the kicker:

At Cameron when I was sick I'd head home and have my mum deal with it the next morning, or I'd head into the office before class and sort things out. It was never a problem. My attendance secretary was super understanding (she was adorable and knew everyone by name! And she'd talk to you about anything and everything... including how much she liked my coat!). So I didn't think anything of it when I left school yesterday without signing out.

I went into the office today to sort it all out. Turns out that this school has very different policies than Cameron. The secretary, who happens to be equally as adorable as my old one, told me that since I didn't sign out yesterday and despite the fact that my mum would verify the absence no problem, what I did was considered truant. Okay, I was truant. So what, right?

Turns out truancy qualifies for detention. That's right, I'm 18 and I've got detention tomorrow morning.

2005-09-22T17:30:00.000-04:00

Happy International Car Free Day

2005-09-22T14:13:00.000-04:00

My photography teacher: "Yeaaaaah... I think you're cursed."

Encouraging words, wouldn't you agree?

"I don't understand why you aren't getting a shot. I mean, we've tried all different exposure times, lighting conditions, and you've used four different cameras - three of which have already produced good shots. After 20 seconds of exposure, this one should show something in the developer."

It didn't.

Me: "Well, you've seen me take pictures. I've done exactly what you've told me to, so clearly it's not a technical error on my part. (with a hint of sarcasm) Maybe I just wasn't meant to take a pinhole picture! Can't I just hand in 3 photograms instead of two to make up the marks?"

My teacher: "No, I want you to keep at this. I think we're getting close!"

I never thought a damn cardboard box would get the better of me. It's just a pinhole picture - maybe not even 2% of my final mark. Why he insists on me carrying on with it is beyond me. It's actually become quite entertaining though, for me anyway. He and I have gotten it down to a routine:

First, we review our shots from the day before in an attempt to find where we went wrong. Then, we ask someone in the class to lend me their camera after seeing their fabulous results. He tells me where to shoot, what to shoot and how long to shoot it for - I follow these directions to a tee in an attempt to reproduce these fabulous results. We take the camera to the darkroom, unload the paper into the developer and wait for something fabulous to appear. As we've come to expect, it never does. He shakes his head in disappointment and I let out a giggle before we start the process all over again.

One week until he lets us start with proper cameras. One week until I finally get to show that I know what I'm doing!

2005-09-18T22:32:00.000-04:00

Sadly, the last weekend of summer is drawing to a close. I was in one of those sappy, nostalgic moods and it got me thinking of just what an amazing summer it has been! I've met some fantastic people (some of my closest friends I met only a few short months ago) and have some fantastic memories. What I also have is a ton of pictures showcasing our adventures! They've all been compiled into a neat little slide show and I urge you to take a look.... so go now!

Speaking of summer, take a look at this:

Do you remember that song from Sesame Street, "One of these things is not like the others..." Well, here's a picture of a few of the trees on my block.

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

A nice summer-y scene with full, green trees. Now take a look at my neighbor's tree.

Yeah. Very October-ish, no? They actually had to rake yesterday - crazy!

Have you checked out that slide show yet?

2005-09-16T14:21:00.000-04:00

I would give anything to be at home right now, curled up in my lovely new(ish) Ikea chair, listening to the sound of the rain against the window while reading a book. Oh, and throw some hot chocolate in there too - I could really go for a cup of that right now.

But, sadly, I am stuck in class with a substitute teacher and little to no motivation what so ever.

School has been fairly decent. It's amazing just how different this school is from my old one though. It's so random and open and... I don't know... fresh. Don't get me wrong, I love Cameron and I had four wonderful years there. But I needed something new and I really feel like I fit in here. I've had a couple of people, who I don't have a class with, just start conversation with me or introduce themselves or, even better, just ask me who I am! You don't feel awkward because you don't know anyone. Instead you feel appreciated because someone's willing to take the time to find out about you.

My classes are awesome. I have film, photography and communication technologies (graphic design, conceptual planning, broadcast, animation... a bit of everything). Film is going well. I've come up with a concept that I think has real potential. Right now I just have work on better defining the theme and purpose. It was mentioned by a group member of mine today and referred to, by no fault of his own, as something I don't want it to be seen as. I guess I just need to work harder at making sure that people see the concept the way I see it... hence the re-defining. I realise I'm being vague but, until I have a few of the kinks worked out, I'd rather not try and describe it.

...

I'm not liking the road this blog is going down - too diaryish. But on the same token, I'll want to use this in the future as a reminder of everything that went on. Maybe I'll try and find a happen medium. There's also not enough pictures! Yeah, it definitely needs more pictures... I'll make this blog good. Just you wait and see!

2005-09-05T22:29:00.000-04:00

I haven't bloged in a while. I've been busy working and when I haven't been working, I've been sleeping away my sickness.

We didn't get up to a whole lot this week - just your typical hanging out. I did get a very special visit on Friday! Nini came to see me before he caught his flight to BC! It was really good seeing him one last time before he starts university. We got all caught up and I got a couple of pictures.

Saturday after work Jess, Jake, Michelle and I went to the Paris Fair. It was pretty decent. I hadn't been before and wasn't sure what to expect. Holy crap! There were quite a few hillbilly, redneck types. And at one point some country song called "It's Okay To Be A Redneck" came on! I was laughing so hard and Michelle and I had to have spent a good 10 minutes doing our redneck impressions. And I quote, "No Billy, you can not have a 'coon for a pet! I told you before - wait until Christmas and we'll see what Santa can do!" It was wicked fun. And we sat around and watched the destruction derby and motorcross events. Very cool, despite the cold, wet ground we were stuck sitting on. I also pet some goats and a little baby chick, and I had the shit scared out of me by a very tricky duck.

We decided that it would have been so much fun if Qasir had come. But, sadly, he is off living the high life at U of T. Awww! I'm going to miss you hun. You are such a great friend who I could always count on no matter what! The number of times you saved my ass, or listened to me ramble on when none of the girls were available for advice. Qasir, believe it or not, is very good at the whole girl talk thing! We were a pint of Ben & Jerry's, a two for one movie rental and a pedicure kit away from any given pre-pubescent girl Friday night sleep over.

Anyway, you have to come back and visit - especially Christmas break! I talked to my mum about it and she says that you are more than welcome to come and stay with us. And she mentioned it to my grandma who said that you are more than welcome to come to our big family get together on Boxing Day! So I guess it's settled then.

2005-08-31T18:43:00.000-04:00

Wow...

The cottage was amazing!! The weather was brilliant, the water warm, the beer cold, and the friends as great as ever! Sure there was drama, but when isn't there when it comes to our group? And to be completely honest with you, there is no one else I would rather experience all the craziness with than you guys. You've made this summer the best yet (by far) and I appreciate it big time!

Oh, the Ode to Qasir has been put off till Friday - just as his moving day was.

I took quite a few pictures at the cottage, but I can't be bothered to post them all right now. So I'll leave you with a taste and post the rest later. Here are pictures of everyone who was there except for Nathan, because the only good picture I took of him is hilarious and deserves a post of it's own later. Enjoy!

2005-08-31T18:11:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

This was was the hammock of hilarity! Holy crap, Andrew and Alex were amazingly funny!Weird and gross at times, but mostly funny.

2005-08-31T18:10:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

Jake all serious on the deck.

Note: this is not his model pose :P

2005-08-31T18:09:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

Tyler on the boat. This was when Jake's Grandpa took us all tubing... fun times!

2005-08-31T18:08:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

Jess was so fed up of me taking pictures of her that by the end of the weekend she'd just glare at the camera!

2005-08-26T16:22:00.000-04:00

Cottage, Cottage, Cottage!! A bunch of us are heading up to Jake's cottage for the weekend. I've been looking forward to this for ages and I'm so happy it's finally here! I've stocked up on film and my digital camera is all set to go - so I should have plenty of great pictures come Monday.

Last night we threw a surprise Going Away party for Qasir. I'm going to miss that kid! Pfft... like starting med school is reason enough to leave all your friends! But he doesn't move until Wednesday, so expect an "Ode to Qasir" then.

Well boys and girls, I'm off for a weekend full of sun, canoeing, good food, great friends and, most importantly, bug repellent. I'll leave you with a picture of the Q-Dawg himself, apparently in Japanime form....

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

2005-08-26T16:18:00.000-04:00

Nathan, Jake, and Steve playing Ninja Turtles. We left them alone with streamers for five minutes and this is what they got up to. Very... creative? :P

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

2005-08-24T10:30:00.000-04:00

I've been working quite a bit lately - not a lot, but certainly more than I was expecting! When I was hired, they told me that I'd be getting around 10 hours a week. I'm schedualed to work 27.5 next week. The increase in hours is mostly because of back to school shopping and the fact that we just had one of the full time staff leave.

I leave for work in about half an hour. I should really be... oh I don't know... getting dressed or something. I'm only going through the actions - my mind is somewhere else completely. It's in the same place it's been for a solid week or two, which had made work interesting. Here's hoping our weekend trip to Jake's cottage will put an end to all this thinking. But utill then, I'm off to brush my teeth. I'll leave you with a blurb from a conversation I had with Richard. This kid is awesome to talk to. You need a laugh? He can do it! You need serious, heart to heart advice? Surprisingly enough, he can do that too... except for when he's too busy calling his girlfriend retarded.

"I know how to charm the ladies: pretzels, sexy faces, and getting naked. How do you think I've had so many girlfriends? Looks? pfft. I'm like a dragon. Dragons are not attractive. But I bet you'd like a pet dragon anyway. It's all about power - mystical abilities. Though sexual attraction doesnt really play a part with dragons. Unless there was a giant dragon (ie: you) who wanted a smaller pet dragon. Maybe grow it into a proper mate? But then, being such a big dragon, you could forcefully take it without getting naked. [pauses] Or was it the small dragon that gets naked?"

I have no idea what half of that was supposed to mean. So, as I did, draw your own conclusions. I think that somewhere along the way, I was also refered to as a dragon... So not cool, Richard. So not cool.

2005-08-16T10:58:00.000-04:00

Oh deary, deary me... this will never do. It's about time I got all you lovely people caught up!

I started work and it was great - I love it there! The people I work with are wicked, the kids that come in are great and I seem to be picking everything up fairly quickly. So all is good regarding my employment.

Umm... we redecorated the living room (full of IKEA), did our typical (near daily) hanging out, and went to the market on Thursday with Jess and Jake.

This weekend wasn't so great, despite the fact that I had the house to myself. Long story short: panic attack. But to the three of you that stuck by me that night (you know who you are) I can't thank you enough!

I'm sorry if the floors were uncomfortable, I'm sorry if the cat hair irritated your allergies, and I'm sorry if all that crying was too much (good news is I don't think I am physically capable of crying for a very, very long time :P ). But it means the world to me that you stayed through all of that. I loved you all to death before, but the your importance in my life managed to shoot up by like, a billion after that night. Seriously.

The only thing I wish is that I could figure out some way to explain it to you. If you have any questions at all please ask! I don't want you guys feeling in the dark if it happens again (but here's hoping it doesn't!) , especially after everything you did for me.

Anyway, enough about that. I had a great night last night... but I'll post about it later. I'm all blogged out!

2005-08-09T14:31:00.000-04:00

Summer To Do List
~~4. Ride on the back of a motorcycle~~

Yesterday was good. It was so good that I managed to cross a second task off my list!

Jake's bike is awesome. He took me from William's to his house (where he picked up his pool cue), and then from his house to Steve's. Holding that pool cue was... quite the challenge! He's lucky I didn't drop it.

I'm glad to inform you that my first motorcycle ride provided everyone with a solid minute or two of entertainment. Yeah. They all laughed at me because I apparently looked funny. It was my first time on a bike... What did they expect? Oh well. We get it guys - I'm lame :P

So I went to Embassy with everyone last night. It's a youth group thing and Qasir and I decided to go out of curiosity. I enjoyed it, but I think Qasir might have zoned out a little. I went because despite what I believe, I'm really interested in the history and philosophy behind religion (all religions really). So yeah, overall it was interesting. It was funny though, because a few of the things that were said Jess and I had talked about before we went. And I got to see Cheryl again! I haven't seen her since school's been out and it was awesome getting all caught up! She even came to William's with the group of us afterwards. And, like typical girls, we gossiped!

After that, some of us went to Steve's house. We played a bit of pool, reminisced about Anamaniacs, and listened to Jake and Steve jam. We also decided that Friday night we're going to celebrate my employment... but not too late because I work Saturday morning! :P

2005-08-08T00:16:00.000-04:00

Summer To Do List
~~9. Doing something (anything) that gives me a sense of accomplishment~~

Consider it done folks! That's right - I got the job at Bonnie Togs! My first shift is Friday and I'm looking forward to it. It seems like a really laid back atmosphere and the kids are just so damn cute!

Anyway, I'm off to meet Nadia and Jess. Nadia's been away on vacation and we need to get her all caught up!

I have loads of pictures to post as soon as I get a chance to sort through them all. Let's aim for tomorrow afternoon.

2005-08-06T09:29:00.000-04:00

Sorry guys. It's been a crazy, crazy week and I couldn't really find the time or motivation to blog!

And, sadly, I don't have the time to make this a detailed entry outlining everything that's happened since my last post. Perhaps tomorrow...

I have to dash. "Why?" you ask...

I have a job interview! Yes, that's right - this unemployed bum has lined up an interview and could, potentially, be working as early as next week. Craziness. I bet you never thought you'd see the day!

That being said, I have probably jinxed myself and can look forward to total failure. I had better not of... Jess will kill me! She rummaged through her closet to find me the perfect interview outfit. And oh what an outfit it is! Thanks hun!! <3

Well, wish me luck guys!!

2005-07-28T23:20:00.000-04:00

This week has been good. Monday was Qasir's birthday (yay 18! :P ) so a bunch of us got together at Nathan's. After a trip to Starbucks, we went and picked up his birthday cake. Nadia and I chose a lovely "Under the Sea" design - complete with octopus and starfish. We got the girl in the bakery to write on it "Happy Brithday to our favorite Tubanator!" and we then proceeded to ask her to put pink icing on the octopus' head making it look like a turban (Qasir wore a pink turban for Halloween). It was the greatest cake ever made. Ever. Oo! And some time over the course of the weekend (possibly Monday, possibly not) we took Qasir's trampoline virginity! Can you believe he had never been on a trampoline before?

Tuesday night we all met at Starbucks (I'm definitely getting addicted) and then we headed off to Jake's to watch Donnie Darko. Such a wicked movie - I can't believe I hadn't seen it before then! It was a good night, despite the fact that I got caught in a storm (But Jess, Michelle, Beth and Beth's sister to the rescue!)

Wednesday Jake, Nathan, Jess, Michelle and I went for coffee and things were good. No Starbucks though, which is probably for the best. I can't afford this habit.

Today I had my exam. 100 multiple choice. I got too bored and just picked random answers towards the end. Oh well. A 92% going into the exam... I can circle which ever letter I like. I'm still going to get a damn fine mark.

Jake has just informed me that soon I'll be able to cross off two (yes two!) of my summer to do things. Tres Exciting!!

2005-07-24T23:14:00.000-04:00

My dad was visiting with some old friends of his this week and he met their daughter for the first time. She's seven and her name's Emma.

My dad's friend: "Emma, this is Mr. _______ - an old friend of mine."
My dad: "Oh no! Mr. _______ seems weird. Just call me Jeff!"

... some time later that night ...

Emma: "My parents have told me to call you Uncle Jeff. But I was thinking - if I'm not going to call you Jeff, I don't want you to call me Emma."
my dad: "Okay, then what do you want me to call you?"
Emma: "Sugar Snaps."
my dad: "Ummmm.... only if that's alright with your parents."

I nearly peed my pants laughing when my mum told me this. Holy crap. I mean, where the hell did she get "Sugar Snaps" from?! "Only if it's alright with your parents" ... classic.

2005-07-23T23:56:00.000-04:00

The past two days have been pretty damn wicked!

Today my dad came down from Toronto to celebrate my brother's birthday with us (he turned 15 on Thursday!). He took Matt for some good ol' paint balling while my mum and I went to IKEA. We looked at lots of lovely furniture and she told me that I can re-decorate my room the last week of August! She's planning on taking the whole week off to decorate the majority of the house... starting with my room!! :D Which means I'll have everyone over all of the time. It's geared all around the idea of it being functional for me and my friends to hang out in. I'll see if I can scan in some of the design sketches I've done.

It's quite exciting...

I picked up some dishes for when I move out (I'm getting things now so that I'm not in a mad dash to get everything when I leave in like, I dunno, a year or so). They were insanely cheap! Seriously. Four plates, four big bowls and four little bowls for $6. Can you believe that?! Not $6 each.... $6 total! Damn, I love IKEA.

After that we played a bit of pool, had some dinner and played a few arcade games all at Dave & Buster's. It's an arcade /bar /restaurant /pool hall... it's a wicked place and the food is quite good!

Ooo! Yesterday was amazingly good fun! After school I met up with Jess, Beth, Michelle, Nathan, Conner and Qasir. We decided to take a road trip to Nathan's brother's place for firewood. He lives out in the middle of no where surrounded by farms. The drive up was hilarious! I sat in the back seat with Qasir and Jess and listened to them exchange swan and goat stories. They are so weird!

Once we got the firewood we took a drive up to Woodstock - naively thinking there was actually something to do there! There most certainly was not. So we made a stop of at the liquor store and Shopper's Drugmart. Then we headed back to Nathan's for a fire. Tyler showed up, as did Hannah and Jess T. It was such an awesome night! But I do need to warn you... alcohol and trampolines do not mix well. I had very, very little to drink and it wasn't until I got on that trampoline that I felt it. But it was so much fun!

So many funny, great, wicked things happened... but it's getting far too late for me to remember any of them! So instead, just enjoy a few pictures.

2005-07-23T23:41:00.001-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

We were told we weren't allowed to go into the field. Apparently, the farmer who owns it is a very angry man. So instead, Beth and Conner stood infront of it and pretended to be in the middle.

2005-07-23T23:41:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

Nathan's brother has all these cats. Michelle took quite the liking to this one, but he didn't really like her. The whole time she was holding him he kept trying to squirm out of her arms. Immediately after taking this picture, he jumped out and ran into the middle of the field.

2005-07-23T23:33:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

Awww... Michelle, Beth, Jess and yours truly!

Michelle got the four of us these really cute bracelets. There are all matching, but each of them is a little different. So cute! I'm going to keep mine on always. :P

I love you all!

2005-07-22T11:14:00.000-04:00

I wish things were simpler. I honestly can't think of one simple aspect of my life right now. Which is so weird, because I've just come out of a period (maybe two months or so) where I had little to worry about and maybe only one or two complicated things to deal with.

Not so much right now.

Don't take this as a bitch post or a whine fest. Admittedly, the majority of my troubles have been self induced. This is merely just a personal reflection - me trying to internalize everything and try and sort it all out.

I should add that to my summer to do list. :P

2005-07-20T10:38:00.000-04:00

I finally got around to finishing my summer "To Do" list. I know July is almost over and I know that I'm leaving myself with only August to complete the list. But when you're in class for 6 hours a day, 5 days a week for the better part of July, you don't really consider it summer until August anyway.

So here's a taste of what I hope to accomplish. Most of them are self explanatory. A few are just things I always wanted to do but never got around to. Others, however, are inside things that only a few of you will get.

Summer To Do List
1. Fix the C.K. problem
2. Re-upholster a chair
3. Finish what I start for once
4. Ride on the back of a motorcycle
5. Complete a piece of public graffiti
6. Stop biting my nails
7. Get around to making a few tees
8. Badger my mum into finally buying me that camera
9. Doing something (anything) that gives me a sense of accomplishment

Anyway. Like I said, it's only a taste. There's more on the list, but these are the ones I'm going to work on first.

2005-07-18T22:59:00.000-04:00

Not a lot happened Sunday - which was a pleasant change. My mum and I went birthday shopping for my brother. And, as usual, I spent money on myself instead. After hearing the new Sweatshop Union single I had contemplated buying the album, but the ride to Guelph on Friday night is what did it for me! It's a wicked c.d. but I have a feeling that the massive enthusiasm the boys put into jamming along with the kick ass percussion in one of the songs played a role in my decision! Hanging out with them is so wicked and always so random... I love it.

Anyway, I promised Adam that I'd blog about today before I went to bed. I even gave him my "Scout's honor" which he didn't except. So I had to swear on the greatness of my blog. As a result, I'm here blogging.

Him and Andrew had another one of their random fights in the hall again today. But this time there was some serious damage done! I'm supposed to emphasize the fact that Andrew went down like a "sack of potatoes" after taking a shot to the kidney!

After school Nadia and I walked to Jess L.'s place and met up with Jess, Beth and Michelle. The group of us went to Tim Hortons and met up with Qasir and then we all went to Nathan's. Much fun.

I spent the rest of the night MSN-ing it up. I was going to post IKEA pictures. But it can wait another day - simply on the grounds that I want to piss off Kate! lol... I love you hun! (k)

2005-07-17T22:27:00.000-04:00

Matt: "Did you know Shakespeare died from eating too much pickled herring?"
Mum: "No he didn't! He died from syphilis."
Matt: "Grandad, did Shakespeare die from eating too much pickled herring or was it syphilis?"
Grandad: "Yeah, probably. It was pretty common."
Mum: "What was common - syphilis or herrings?"
Grandad: "No. Crabs."
Me: "Grandad!!!"

Yeah. Reading that you'd assume that my grandfather was crazy or had alzhiemers or something.

There's nothing wrong with him at all. He's just rude.

2005-07-16T12:59:00.000-04:00

Today's been pretty alright. I'm in a nice, relaxed mood right now. I'm just sitting in my living room blogging and listening to the Guns and Roses "Best Of" album while the rain beats against the living room window. Things couldn't be better.

For those of you who don't know - I love the rain. The sound of it against the house is the only thing that can put me straight to sleep.

Anyway, I went to see Wedding Crashers last night. I liked it. Afterwards Nathan, Jake, Steve, Tyler, myself and a few people I didn't know went to RJ's Bar and Grill. Looking back, I feel like such a bitch. It had just been such a long week and I was feeling kind of shitty. So I pretty much just sat on my own. Talk about anti-social! I can only imagine what everyone thought...

Oh well. I'm feeling a hell of a lot better now. And as promised, pictures of Batman (IKEA pictures later).

2005-07-16T12:57:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

Among other places, Batman went to the coffee shop downtown.

2005-07-16T12:53:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

He also went to the park. He tried to make friends with this duck, but the duck wanted nothing to do with him.

Well, that's not true. The duck came out of the water towards Batman - out of curiosity I assume. But once he got a good look of him, he ran away. Damn duck! Batman can't help his disfigured appearance!

2005-07-16T12:52:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

I think Matt hates Batman...

2005-07-14T16:35:00.000-04:00

Oh wow! A whole week without blogging! hmmm...

Well, Friday night sucked. Saturday started out really great... but then it sucked. Sunday also sucked.

Monday, on the other hand, was fucking awesome! Nadia, Adam (the guy who sits infront of me, he's my new germ buddy) and I missed our busses. Since Adam was mad he said, and I quote, "This is fucking horse shit! Son of a bitch!" And I can assure you that this is exactly what he said. How do I know this? Because he wrote it down so I wouldn't mis-quote him. Apparently he only swears when he's really angry and he didn't want me saying he said things that he didn't.

Anyway, Nadia and I waited around until her mum was off work and could come and pick us up. I was home for literally 15 minutes when I get a call from Dave and Marko. They invited me along to IKEA. We ended up having a big reunion trip - Marko, Dave, Qasir, Kate and I. It was sooooo much fun! We had dinner in the IKEA restaurant. It was incredibly yummy and incredibly cheap! Then we roamed around the whole store. I bought some candle holders, Marko bought a couch, and Kate bought some tins and a picture frame. Ooo! Kate and I also made a formal complaint. It was fun. And the highlight of the night was seeing the guys we complained about getting told off. I got home and went straight to bed.

I have lots of IKEA pictures, but they'll have to wait.

School's been pretty alright this week. Fortunately Adam, Nathan and Coté have been keeping me entertained. We had a police officer come into our class today to give a presentation. He arrested Nathan.

Well, I'm going to head out for coffee... lots of pictures later. Plus some of Batman out and about the town!

2005-07-07T22:11:00.000-04:00

Well, the extra class I'm taking this summer started on Tuesday. It's a law class and it's proving to be fairly alright. I walked in on the first day- tired, head low - and when I looked up Nathan Wilke was sitting there! And there was an empty desk beside him!! Which is super wicked because now we're law buddies.

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

Here he is on our lunch break. It looks like he has a pointy cheek - like in those Toblerone commercials. But I assure you there is just something behind him that is flesh colour.

Funny quotations from summer school:

Mr. Lee (A teacher of mine from first semester): "Hi! I didn't know you were here. How have you been?"
Me: "Pretty good. You?"
Mr. Lee: "Good..... Have you lost weight?"
*keep in mind that there a lot of people around, none of which I know*
Me: (looooong pause) "Um.... Yeah. Yeah I have."
Mr. Lee: "I could tell. Well, that's good."
Me: "Ummm... yeah."
Mr. Lee: "No really. Have you been dieting?"
Me: "No. It just kind of happened.... I should go to class."

Soooo awkward!!

"That's cage time!" - Rick, he sits behind me and to the right

"I'll apologize in advance for my mushy cherries." - Nathan

Not sure who said this: "Well, I suggest you don't snack before the meal. It'll ruin your appetite." (referring, of course, to having sex before marriage)
Brian: "No. If you snack, you'll know how to eat it."
Maria: "But if you have a little snack here, next thing you know you'll be snacking here and here. By the time dinner's ready, you're favorite food will have no flavor!"

2005-07-05T22:34:00.000-04:00

...The Pros and Cons of Being Single...

Pro: You are free to check out as many guys as you like without feeling any guilt.
Pro: You can bitch with your other single friends about your friends who are taken and how absurd their behavior is. And you'll have the time to do it!
Pro: You can get dressed up and feel pretty and know that it's for you. Or, if you feel like grubbing it up - you can do that too!
Pro: Being single is way cheaper. No movie tickets, no dinners, and no mushy Valentine's Day cards.

Con: YOU'RE SINGLE! No matter how you try and look at it, it fucking sucks.

2005-07-04T22:41:00.000-04:00

Today was quite the adventure. Qasir met up and went to the Library. I got a few CDs and a couple of books, including one that I've been dying to read! After that we went for lunch at the new Muses, you know, for old time's sake. It was quite yummy and we had a good talk.

As we were heading back to my house, Qasir decided he wanted to stop at a comic book store. I don't do comics. I just don't like them, and I rarely understand them. They're usually too... fantasy. I can, however, appreciate the art when they are well done. So I figured I'd go in with him - but I grumbled about it the whole time. Fortunately, the store owner has a cat and so I played with him.

Qasir found a box of "bargain comics" and so we picked out three really bad, really funny looking ones. They were fifty cents each - well worth it, considering the chuckles we got from them.

We made our way up to Nathan's. He was working, but we hung out with Jordan until he got home. On the walk up to their place, Qasir and I walked through a sort of park thing. The grass was covered in firework remnants and, sitting on a teeter-totter, was a very decrepit Batman. His face, both of his hands and one of his feet had been completely melted away! Seriously, just gone. I felt bad for him, so I picked him up and took him with us. Besides, Qasir and I have this thing where whenever we find something interesting we take it home (wrenches, base balls, etc.). So I really had no choice.

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

Here Batman is enjoying the ride home. I'm debating painting some eyes on him.

I'm sure some other things happened, but I can't really remember them. This post is getting a little lengthy anyway.

Qasir: "Amy, there's something I've been meaning to tell you - I've finally found the holy avenger!"

2005-07-04T00:24:00.000-04:00

I spent Friday at my Aunt's house with family. We were celebrating both my cousin and uncle's birthdays. And I guess Canada day as well. After that I went to a classic car show with my mum, dad and brother. All of downtown was closed off and it was lined with so many wicked cars! There was also a Marilyn Monroe and a Lucille Ball impersonator. I'm not positive, but I think that they were both men.

After that I went to see War of the Worlds with Nathan, Jake, Tyler and... Nick... maybe. It was really good - until the end. It seemed to just finish without a proper ending. But that's just me.

Last night I hung out with Nathan, Jake and Qasir. It was a pretty good night. I got a call from my mum during one of Qasir's fabulous jokes (note the sarcastic undertone) and, as it turned out, the battery to my dad's van had died. With no one around to give him a boost, we all ventured off with jumper cables in tow - with the exception of Jake, who decided to stick around Nathan's. As a reward, my dad gave us $20. We went to Tim Horton's and bought a whole lotta doughnuts.

Here's Jake filling his face.

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

2005-07-04T00:10:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

This was the expression on Qasir's face when I told him that I would pay him to wear a training bra and a pair of shorts into town when we go on our camping trip. If you ask me, he looks a little too excited!

What's even worse is that Nathan offered to wear the matching thong. I assume he was kidding.

But looking back, last night was such a dumb night. Especially as it started to get late. Qasir and Nathan laughed incredibly hard for a good 3 or 4 minutes about a comment I made about shopping at a drugstore. Mind you, I thought it was funny too... but now when I think about it, it's not funny at all.

The only truly funny thing said all night:
"That's it! I'm calling Geneva!"

Oh. And maybe the crack about marrying rich.

2005-07-04T00:01:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

"Whoopieeeee!"

Don't even ask. Qasir's dumb :P

2005-07-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

Qasir was holding my camera. I asked him to pass it to me and he accidently took a picture. What I don't understand is why he was sticking out his tongue. The flash killed his eyes and I laughed.

2005-06-29T20:37:00.000-04:00

Random factoid that would only every come in handy if you were stranded in the depths of Asia or if you were a contestant on Jeopardy:

Bamboo pith contains cyanide. The golden bamboo lemur eats around 500g of bamboo a day... which is 12 times the amount of cyanide lethal to most animals.

The things you learn while watching TVO.

2005-06-28T13:28:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a good day. I started it off by baking cupcakes! I was heading up to Courtland to say good bye to "my kids" before school finished for them.

They were such a great bunch to work with and they've given me some fantastic memories! I'm going to miss them, but I'll go back and visit next year.

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

Qasir met me there and after our little good bye party and the official Sacred 8 Ceremony, we headed out.

2005-06-28T13:22:00.000-04:00

Qasir and I walked from Courtland to my house for lunch, and then from my house to Nathan's house.

We stopped to play in a park. Qasir said that this was his serious face.

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

I've walked for at least an hour everyday for the past five days. I figure that if we keep up at the rate we have been, we'll waste away to nothing by the end of the summer.

2005-06-28T13:19:00.000-04:00

We sat around Nathan's house for... ages! It was nice and air conditioned.

Qasir went to get his hair cut and Nathan took the dog to vet, so I hung out with Nathan's brother Jordan. I saw all of his amazing pictures from all the places he's been. He works on a cruise ship and leaves again on Saturday. Must be nice....

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

It's Newton the cat!!! (a.k.a Lynx :P )

2005-06-28T13:17:00.000-04:00

Qasir and I (and recently Nathan) have been planning a camping trip. And by planning I mean talking about it feverishly with little to no advancement as far as planning is concerned.

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

So Nathan busted out the "Camping Map of Ontario" and tried to help us pick a camp ground. That would have been a notable step forward to getting this trip rolling.

We did not, however, pick anywhere.

We're still at square one but I'm determined to go.

2005-06-28T13:09:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

This was Qasir's attempt to be the next Shreddies poster boy.

I told him he failed.

2005-06-26T16:50:00.000-04:00

If yesterday was any indication of how the rest of my summer will be, I can expect to have one hell of time!

My mum, brother and I went to the city's multicultural festival. We saw a few acts, browsed around the booths and had some amazing food. After that my mum mentioned how she had been considering getting the cuff of her ear pierced. I convinced her to get it done at a place down town.

We all came home pierced.

She got her cuff done, my brother got his lip pierced, and I got my left vertical trag. I also ended up coming home with a new pair of shoes.

After that I came home, took a nap (naturally, it had been a long day :P ), and got ready to head out again. Nathan's brother's were throwing a massive party - complete with rented hot tub. I had the most amazing time. Drunk people are great; drunk people ropeboarding are even better!

I even went star spinning ;)

But I can't talk about last night (well, early morning at this point) without mentioning the walk home! It's got to be a good 20 - 30 minute walk from Nathan's house to mine - if you cut through the woods. Steve, Tyler, Nathan and I ventured off and walked it at 2:00 am. Holy crap it was wicked. I'm surprised we made it though. Come to think of it, I never really checked that the boys made it back in one piece. Not only did I get piggy-back rides, but I also got about a million hugs and high fives.

Steve: "Andrew said he wanted us to bring back Big Turks."
Me: "The only place that'll be open is Big Bear, but it's out of our way."
Tyler: (in a quiet, tiny voice) "Ummm... Guys. I don't think we should go. I'm scared of bears!"

We were outside of my house when this was said. It took everything we had not to burst out laughing (which would have woken my mum).

2005-06-23T21:48:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

I was talking to Qasir online and he really needed to pee. I waited and waited and Qasir wasn't coming back. So I got bored and drew him a picture. The line below it reads "A flaming stereo isn't enough to stop a closet monster from dancing."

20 minutes passed and Qasir still hadn't come back. When he finally did, he informed me that he started watching tv and forgot all about me. But then he said that my picture was very creative... so I forgive him.

2005-06-22T23:17:00.000-04:00

Well, that concludes the highlight reel boys and girls.

I hope that it made up for the lack of posting as of late. There are so many more pictures, but I'm saving them for a rainy day ;)

Completed 2 of my 3 exams today. All that's left is German on Friday. Should be easy.

I'm tired and my ear has been driving me nuts all day. It's time for bed I believe.

Looking like some crazy times are ahead - lots of plans for the next few days.Hopefully there will be some pictures and stories to come.

2005-06-22T23:15:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

Victoria and yours truly.

Hun, you're absolutely adorable and I'm so glad you could make it. Thanks for your card... it honestly ment so much to me :)

2005-06-22T23:10:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

Dave, Nathan M. and I.

Congrats to you both. I love you guys!

2005-06-22T23:04:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

This is a sick picture I took of Dave F. at my party! There's a work lamp behind him.

I (heart) it.

2005-06-22T23:02:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

Speaking of Dave...

Here he is giggling fireside.

Yes, we had another one. Yes, it was very, very difficult to get rid of the smell.

2005-06-22T22:59:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

Had my birthday party at Nathan's on Saturday.

I'm finally 18. Word.

I bought these candle stick things that I got to try and keep the bugs away. We left them unattended and, when I looked over, they had set a patch of grass on fire.

Here's Nathan M. playing with them.

2005-06-22T22:55:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

Michelle at the random fire on Friday!!

I got home late and went right to bed. When I woke up the next morning my brother said "What smells like smoked bacon?" Saddly, it was me. I still haven't managed to get the fire smell off of my phone.

2005-06-22T22:54:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by Amy Cow.

Friday night we had a random fire in Nathan's fire pit and a bunch of people randomly showed up. It was a good night. Between us we ate (and threw) half a bag of chocolate chips and a can of cashews.

This is Steve and Beth at the random fire.