Day Eighty-Eight: Lecture, Scouts and Kareoke

 

Well good news … I feel better today. Woke up and went to class this morning, my last personality class! All I’ve gotta do is the exam now. But class itself had some amusing events occur. I sit at the back each lecture, just do, it’s comfortable.

 

Well, today I was sat there, as usual … and 3 girls come in, look at me and say (put on a really girly “my daddy bought me this” sort of voice): “Oh … my … God, I can’t believe someone has sat at the back”. I look round, puzzled as to what could be the problem (there were still 5 seats to my right and 2 to my left, I’m not an elephant you know) and they sit in the three sits in front of me carrying on the shocking conversation that someone beat them to the back row: “How are we going to fit four people in this row of three?!” … well my first thought was that there’s still five chairs to my right! I just smiled at them and continued to sit in my seat … until my pen ran out.

 

Buggar. It was the only pen I brought to class today, typical. So, as nothing was of value in my bag I decided to go on a hunt for a pen. I left my bag and jacket in my seat and went to the library. No shops are open on campus at 8.30 in the morning unless you want coffee. But in the library they have vending machines full of stationery! Magical things. So I walk up to the second floor … and it was empty! I managed to borrow one from the front desk though and I even returned it after the class. (And for those who wondered, the girls in class didn’t take my seat, was so expecting them too).

 

Anyways after class I started on my reading and actually completed my Personality work today. All of it, completely up to date. Now I just have Forensics to do and then an exam to focus on.

 

At about quarter to six I went to grab some dinner because of Scouts this evening … didn’t want or have time to queue in lines so I grabbed a pizza and some pasta like noodles. Then I went up to Scouts, listening to a Chris Moyles Podcast on my mp3. Bad thing was that I got there early … 20 minutes early. Still not quite sure how though, so I just had a lie down on the stage listening to the end of the podcast before the Scouts arrived.

 

They were working on their Scout Trucks tonight ready to race in a few weeks, some are looking pretty good! Brent was in as well, working on the new lockers the Scouts have to move into, there’s a bunch of us meeting on Saturday to finish the task. The  Scouts even went outside to play football (well, soccer) for a little bit, but it turned into a bet for me and Stuart … how many times would he have to go down the hill to the road to fetch the ball back … answer? 5, Haha.

 

At the end of the night, I put my Scott Mills Podcast on to walk home (no more Chris Moyles until Friday unless I stay up to listen to the show … but he’s the breakfast show for Radio One and is on 6am till 10am at home, I’d rather not wait up until 1 in the morning just to hear it.

 

Before I walked home though the funniest/most awkward conversation occurred … now I hope he doesn’t read this, don’t think he knows about it to be honest, so I’ll be safe to share it. Just keep it secret, shhhh, haha.

 

Saying bye to Stuart he told me about a Scout Camp just before I go home, May 1st I think he said. I replied that it would be great, but that I have no camp equipment except a sleeping bag with me. So he kindly said that he has a tent. Now when someone says “I have a tent”, what do you assume? Maybe I was wrong, but I assumed that meant he had a whole separate tent to lend me, so got really happy saying that’d be great. That thought was broken when he then followed it with: “I’m sure it wouldn’t be against Scout Canada regulations.” He was greeted with a look of confusion from me about what the hell he was talking about … until it clicked … oooops! Welcome awkward silence.

 

Maybe it was a “had to be there” funny moment, but I was amused by it at the time.

 

Anyways, when I got back from Scouts, Katie and Heather were getting ready to go to Mike’s Place for a few drinks. So I changed my shirt and grabbed my purse … and then after ages of waiting (these girls are never ready on time) we finally headed out. It was karaoke in Mike’s this evening, so it was packed. It did start to empty out as the night went on though and I had a great time. I saw Brandon (from Kayaking) and he was asking me for date ideas to ask out the girl in the blue top on his left … she was talking to another guy at the time and had left him on his own.

 

It’s weird, I found it so easy to chat to Brandon, we had a laugh about kayaking and I tried to suggest a few places he could take her (apparently before he left he did think of something, but I’m still waiting to hear about what it was), yet when the night started I was told that I was quiet … I really do work better in small social groups. I went back over to the girls after one drink ad joined in with some singing, we even got up, all … seven of us, and sung ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ by Oasis. So funny!

 

Once Mike’s Place closed we all walked back to Leeds and Sian’s roommate Jamie made us all pancakes. How nice of her! They were tasty too. Finally Heather and I went back to Prescott at 2ish and so now I’m off to bed, night!

Day Eighty-Seven: ill meh

 

After a rough night I also had a rough day. Today I felt so drained and exhausted, just generally ill and I don’t like being ill. Every time I ate I just felt worse, but if I didn’t eat, then I felt worse anyway … no winning! So even though I had a pile of work to do, I took a day to relax. I slept for most of it, in between short games on the DS and I also watched Juno (love that film!). Anyways there’s not much to write about for obvious reasons … I was in my PJs, in my bed, in my room … all day. Suppose it saves on washing!

Day Eighty-Six: money, money, money

 

Had a lovely lay in today and went for brunch I the canteen, omelette and salad, mmmm. I then started to do some reading (good intentions to finish it later too), but I had planned to go to the Currency Museum today. So I stopped my work, put on my coat (as it was raining lots!) and walked over to the bus stop. I was going to walk to town, but considering how soaked I got just walking to the bus stop I decided against it.

 

The museum was really interesting and free, which is always a bonus. I learnt that coins and notes were not always a form of currency and in some cultures they traded shells, glass beads, teeth, cacao beans, tools and fur.

 

 

A part I found interesting was the playing card money. The French (in New France) were the first in North America to issue paper money. With the temporary currency shortage and still a need to pay the troops, Intendant de Meulles wrote IOUs or promises to pay on the back of playing cards in 1685.

 

 

Other things I saw included a string of money (used before paper notes were invented), shinplaster (a term for paper notes worth less than a dollar e.g. a 25cent note), the Wampum legend (where a bird’s plumage was used for money until it was shot down), and all about how to spot if your money is counterfeit. For a free museum there was a lot there.

 

Unfortunately though, when I got back from the museum I started to feel a little ill. I suddenly had no energy and just wanted to sleep. So I put my work aside and had a lay down. I slept for 2 hours until Alex woke me up at 7pm as I had to have some dinner. I managed to have a light dinner of chicken nuggets with a salad, this made me feel better for a while, but then I was just drained again. I went back to bed just before 9pm, but had a pretty rough night where I couldn’t settle.

Day Eighty-Five: suuuuuun!

 

Good start today … I slept for 12 hours and feel great for it! But I didn’t have a long lie in either as I just went to bed ultra early last night! 9pm and I was shattered, so 9am this morning I was awake and ready to go. With the sun shining through the gap at the edges of the curtain and a nice cool breeze blowing throw the pathetic excuse of an open window (better than nothing though).

 

As I worked so well yesterday, I planned to do the same today and carry on with my psychology work (mainly the reading from when Alex was here). It went really well and I got all that I planned to have to have done by 5pm. I even spent two hours out in the sun, soaking up a load of vitamin D to make me feel happy. And it worked! I even got a fresh line of freckles under my shirt sleeve … and a burnt ankle, but that always happens when I first go out in the sun. Every year without fail I burn my ankle. Why just my ankle?! I’m glad it is just my ankle, but still, it doesn’t make sense.

 

Today I read two whole chapters of personality and made notes on them as well as writing up the lecture notes for Tuesday’s and Thursday’s class the week just gone. It was very productive. At home I like to get the picnic blanket out and lay out in the garden revising for my exams with my music …  very peaceful … unfortunately my peacefulness was disturbed by an impromptu match of football (well soccer as they call it over here), it was still nice to sit out in the sun. According to my iGoogle page the temperature here hit 19degrees! It only reached 7degrees at home … hahahahahahaha. Ahem … sorry.

 

I then had about an hour to relax, look about on Facebook, chat to Alex and generally potter about before Brent called. It’s Jonas’ birthday today and it was his choice of where to have dinner tonight. Do you remember the first place I went to over at Dow’s Lake pavilion with Brent and Heather back in January? Well, we went there. And it was lovely. I had the largest Chicken Caesar Salad I have ever seen, tasty.

 

After dinner we went back to Brent’s and we all made a cake (well me and Brent were the helpers under Jonas’ direction). While it was cooling we watched a film called Dead Like Me (made after the TV series was cancelled). It was a really good film, why do they cancel all the good stuff? We had got so into it that we had forgotten about the cake for a little bit. So when Brent remembered about it, we put the film on pause and went out to ice the cake and have a lil birthday singsong for Jonas.

 

It was a good night in all. I got back about midnight, enough time to see the boys from next door at our front door seeing what we’re all doing tonight. And *shock horror* … they were having a night in to sleep. Night!

Day Eighty-Four: not much going on here today

 

Well I got a good sleep. I didn’t hear Heather come in until 8.15 this morning, yays! Then I was awake, so no huge lay in unfortunately. Never mind, I had work to do. But before that, I went to Residence Commons with Emily so she could get a coffee and I went to get a hot chocolate. I couldn’t be bothered to get dressed for this epic adventure though … so I walked in my PJs. We went outside too and it feels quite warm out there. I felt like I was at camp already; put me in a good mood.

 

Next it was down to work for me though … psychology and as much as I could do, as last week of classes is next week. I worked until lunch with only a break for a shower (thanks to Mum and the toiletries she sent … we had a funny chat on Facebook about those and the word slashloo … long story!).

 

After lunch I continued to mix work and Facebooking mum until 4.30pm … as by then I was shattered. I did a lot of work today, but it made me all sleepy. So I made myself a hot orange squash and sat back to watch Biodome (Alex brought me over some DVDs to watch).

 

Now the film has finished and I’m considering going for dinner … need to eat at some point I suppose.

 

Fact for you … It was hotter here in Ottawa than in Grays today, by a whole 3 degrees most of the day and then by a lot in the evening, yays! That is only the second time that has happened since I’ve been here.

 

I did go to eat dinner, had a fajhita and rice, wasn’t too bad. But from all the work I suddenly felt so tired and got really down. I ended up going to bed just after 9! But I’m sure it’ll do me the world of good.

update!

New header picture: taken by Alex Norton at Overneath cottage overlooking the lake. Beautiful view!

Day Eighty-Three: stop the press!!

 

What a day and all on top of my trouble sleeping again last night. Katie had a friend over … and they sat talking for ages, I could practically hear their conversation. I kept dozing on and off but at 3am they were still chatting away. So … and this is most unlike me, honest, I kinda made a little bit more noise than usual when I had to get up at 7am this morning for my class. And karma came when I saw the guy leave just before me … he looked like death!

 

TV class today was our first experience of a newsroom on newsday … busy! I was the technical team for the arts/business/sports section, which involved filming and editing the piece for the show. We did a sports segment as that had the most stories that day and had a great time. We were finished by noon (deadlines were at 2.30pm) so I helped others with their editing and was a general dogsbody for the rest of the day.

 

Half hour before we were due to go live we really did have a stop the press moment as one of our stories was updated .. but it was already packaged and recorded, so we made sure the anchor said about the developments after the piece in the show. Then at 3.30pm we went live! Harmeet and Alexandra were our anchors and they did a fantastic job, making our show look amazing. The PSAs we filmed back in January were even used in the commercial breaks, brilliant.

 

Unfortunately though, with the practice and then the real show and selecting roles for next week … we didn’t get out of class until 5pm … considering we was there at 8.30 this morning, that’s a long day. I then went to grab some dinner before my next class started at 6pm.

 

I was tempted to skip the class, being so tired and all, but I’m glad I didn’t. We had a guest speaker in talking about deception. And in the second half of the lecture he even set up a crime scenario where 3 students were given an envelope and then questioned on a lie detector. It was fascinating.

 

Now I really am shattered though … although trying to get an early night on a Thursday I know is impossible, as that’s the night everyone on campus goes out. So I’ll potter about online, see what fun stuff I can dig up and chill out before my day of work begins tomorrow. Night!

Day Eighty-Two: yeah … another sad day

 

Today I just moped mainly … I’m not gonna lie, I felt really down and lost. I did at about 5pm go for a walk to Hog’s Back Falls, which did cheer me up … if only for a little while. So I had an early night as I have a long day in TV class tomorrow. Night!

 

 

Day Eighty-One: sadness

 

I’d rather this day had not have arrived … as it means saying goodbye (or see you soon) again. But before that ….

 

We distracted ourselves today by going to the Science Museum and had a lot of fun, we did most of the kids stuff and even went down a slide! Which Alex did get a little stuck in, being short rules!

 

 

The museum was huge and took us ages to complete. By the end we were definitely tired and in need of a rest. So we went back to uni. We had packed all of Alex’s gear up this morning, so luckily we didn’t have that to worry about. Instead we went for dinner where Alex ate as much of the café food as he could … he didn’t like plane food. And then we played on CSI to distract ourselves before Brent came to pick us up just after 8pm.

 

I’m going to glaze over the leaving part … it’s sad. But basically Alex is on his way home now. And although my room is back to its tidy way … I liked his mess being here. Only 44 days until I’m back with him and everyone.

 

I’m going to bed now.

Day Eighty: not much going on

 

Another relaxing day, after such a full day in the fresh air yesterday we both needed it. So not much to say really … we walked up to Bank Street and wandered along, stopping off for lunch and a few games of pool (the pool balls, cues and tables are bigger here) in a place called Irene’s and then for a hot chocolate for dessert in Truffle Treasures. I found hot chocolate better than Tim Hortons … it was heaven in a cup, so thick and creamy and chocolaty, perfect!

 

Then we came back to my room, watched a film called Stand By Me had a few drinks and got a bit upset that it would be our last night together until I’m back. Alex goes tomorrow.