Sore Hands

     Fear not, I did not die. At least not yet. I missed my post last Thursday because it was such a busy day. I had an early class, the first for that entire week. Then I was supposed to meet with my professor to prepare for a seminar the next day, but he never showed up. Then more class, studying, and a final for my education class. It was very easy but by the time I was finally back in my room with nothing left to do, it was past midnight. Suffice to say, I had no heart to write.

     And since then I have been up to so many things. Friday I did another open mic night, and read a poem I had written for the occasion. Easier than the first time, but still frightening. I hope to continue going out and participating in them so that one day I can read something and not have my voice shake so much. Also it is good practice for teaching. 

     Saturday was the Secret Santa exchange in my house and also winter formal. I received a book, Jodi Picoult's Lone Wolf. It looks promising, so I am going to enjoy that over winter break. Formal was really fun. It was a fancy dinner and then an all ages night at the Outpost, which is the campus pub. My house got all dressed up and went to dinner, where we learned that we won House of the Month for the second month in a row. It was amazing. I live in a quiet residence and they have the stereotype of having nerds who never go out and do events. So winning it for the second time is really good for us. The theme was Fairy Tales, and we were seated at the Aristocats table. All of the tables were themed from Disney movies. It looked really nice. I stole a pink bow from the table and wore it around my neck. Then, when a couple of the girls and myself went out to the Outpost to dance I wore it along with my "bow ties are cool" shirt.

     Today I wrote my first university exam, and I must say it was fairly easy. It was for my literature before 1750 course, and was comprised of five short answer questions and an essay. I ended up writing a nine page essay, and then using another nine pages for the questions. By the time I left my hand was so cramped up and sore. It wasn't as stressing or intimidating as I think it's supposed to be. We write them in the gymnasium just like I did in high school, just with a lot more people. I only have two exams for this term (the perks of being an English major) and my second one isn't until Tuesday, so I've got a lot of downtime. Then I get to go home.

     Congratulations Campion on being finished with high school! Let me tell you that you will not miss it. University and college are better in so many ways, the first being that there are a lot fewer stupid people. Since you have to pay to be there, most people are pretty serious about it. Another perk is that you can create your own schedule, to some degree. So, if you want to sleep in you just have to schedule it like that. Good luck on your job hunt!

     Kate, I would really like to know how you can balance school and NaNoWriMo, let alone finish it. I really wanted to do it this year, but it turned out that November was my busiest month, with a lot of assignments, tests, and presentations. I do want to write more often, and am thinking of setting aside a certain time during next semester to do it. Also, try not to hate English so much. It's not as bad as you think. 

     Try not to get too bogged down with work and studying, and take breaks to have some fun. Good luck to all with whatever end of the year things you are facing. Next time I post I will be home sweet home. Have a good weekend, don't forget to be awesome!
-Deidra

All the Little Fishies

     So sadly we did not get any comments. Boo. But whatever, we read it and that is what matters to me. Glad you are all doing well. I have had a pretty awesome week, mostly because I am actually doing things and mostly staying on top of reading and assignments. I have started going to the pool 2 or 3 times a week to get some well-needed exercise, and I really hope to be able to keep that up. Only downside is that I currently don't have a hat with me here, so it was pretty chilly on my walk home.

     The most exciting thing that happened this week was that I got fish! Yay fish! Mostly to keep me company and whatnot. A house-mate upgraded to a new tank, so I took his old one. I got two guppies, two neon tetras, and a snail. And of course I named them all. The guppies are Titan and Kavik, the tetras Brett and Iris, and the snail is Pierre. I have spent a good amount of time just staring into the tank and watching them. 

     You are very lucky Kayla. I have not been able to attend any meetings for the clubs I have joined, as they always happen during my evening classes. Hopefully I will get to one soon. I joined the English Students Association and a club for writing. You do not need any more television shows. Stop before you are totally overwhelmed with feels. 

     I am hopefully doing NaNoWriMo this year, Katie. The writing club has NaNo support, so I am hoping that it will push me towards doing something. Also I've been wanting to write every year since I learned about it, but haven't. I have an idea of what I would like to write about, I just have to flesh it out a bit more and hope for the best. Also, I hope to have enough time for it. 

     So clearly I vote for Canada for your exchange, Adam. Specifically, come to my school. I am pretty sure Lakehead has exchange programs with Ireland, and it would be cool if you did. Canada is cold, so I don't know if that is a plus or minus for you. Like, really cold. We also have beautiful nature and free health care, though I don't think you would get that. There are a lot of cool activities you could do here. And of course Canadian food. 

     Kate, I haven't watched an episode of Hank games in a long time, and I've only ever watched two episodes of Super Mario Brothers. I prefer to play games instead of watching them. Also haven't really been on YouTube in forever. As for posters, I have The Avengers, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and an Exploding TARDIS. I also have a map of the world and a map of Shakespeare's England, courtesy of Kayla. 

     Anyway, it's been a long week for me. Tried tea for the first time this evening, at an event in The Study (our university's coffee house), and it was not bad. Go forth and explore the world my friends! And don't forget to be awesome.
-Deidra

Please Don't Kill Me

     I totally almost forgot to post. If it wasn't for the Skype call I am about to make while I write I would not have posted. Despite the fact that two out of three of my classes for today were cancelled, it has been very busy.

     This weekend we had a floor hockey tournament between the houses. Surprisingly our team came in fourth place, which is awesome considering we are in a quiet house and those houses usually don't even participate. I quite like floor hockey, much better than actual hockey since I am terrible at skating. I like to play defence, since I am not afraid to be a bit rough. I ended up with a few nasty bruises, but it was all fun.

     We also went to the pool on Monday and also this evening. It's a really nice and big pool. I love to swim, and have decided to try to go at least twice a week. Great way to get exercise, spend time when I'm not in class, and have fun, since I love to swim.

     Katie, I think you need to get a hobby. All of that school work can't be good for you. I suggest learning a new skill that is independent from school. 

     Adam, I haven't watched Vlogbrothers in quite a few months, so I haven't gotten to see the 1000th video. I joined the English Students' Associated and also a club-type thing for writers. I am also half of the media representatives for our house. I will write and another student will photograph. Along with the swimming and actually going to school, I think I will be set for this year. 

     Kate, I think we are really glorifying the university experience. Personally I don't get too much homework, being a first year English major, but I know some people who have tons of work. Keeping up with it isn't too difficult, but I can tell you that you won't have a problem with having too much time on your hands. There is always prep work and reading and studying to do.

     Campion, I am not really a fan of the Halo games. I've not ever played them, but I have seen them be played and they just look terribly difficult. Also, I am not good at shooting and strategy games. And I LOVED Spyro: Year of the Dragon. I grew up with a Playstation and that was one of my favourite things to play. That and Crash Bandicoot. But I agree, Spyro was a good one. I liked the skateboarding mini-games. I was amazing at those. And of course, Pokemon always remains a number one. That about sums up my video gaming experience though. 

     Going home this weekend. Not that I want to, but I have an optometrist appointment. I really like being here, especially on weekends, since there is always something fun to be done. I am going to a hockey game tomorrow night before I leave. It is the first official game of the season. I am quite excited, even though I don't particularly like hockey. Anywho, I hope you all have good weeks. Don't cry too hard over the Ponds, especially since we get Oswin. Don't forget to be awesome!
-Deidra

I Like It Here.

     I find that the flexibility of a university timetable makes for a very long week. I like it, because I'm not in class for several hours a day, every day of the week. I have a pretty lax schedule, ranging from 1.5 hours a day (Monday and Friday) to 4.5 hours (Tuesdays and Thursdays). And then there is Wednesday, my happy medium of 3 hours. I like it because I start and end slowly and easily. 

    This weekend was the Terry Fox walk. It's a Canadian thing. Basically, there was this guy named Terry Fox who had cancer, and he decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. He only got as far as Thunder Bay, the city I am living in, before his cancer overtook him and he passed away. Anyway, it's become an annual event across Canada to do a run or walk and raise money for cancer research. My house (which is what I call my dorm and dorm-mates) did the walk together, and we dressed in bright and neon-coloured clothing to show our support. It was cool. 

     This weekend is going to be kind of busy for me. I am going to a university hockey game tomorrow night with my sister and niece. On Saturday I am playing floor hockey and participating in Fall Fest, which is something the university puts on. The main reason I am excited for that is because I will get to throw pie in my residence advisor's face to raise money. Then we will probably do something together on Sunday, or I will do some homework. My mother is kind of sad that I am staying here and not going home, but there is just so much to do here, so much fun to be had, and I don't want to miss it. Also, there isn't much to do if I go home other than see my family.

     I don't really have much to say. I have to get some reading done before class, so I will end here. Hope you all have good weekends, enjoy it! And don't forget to be awesome!
-Deidra

Darwin knows what marriage is all about.

Whew been a loooong week I tell yah. But over all not bad. I have a bunch of school stuff to do this upcoming week/weekend (that's to be expected though). There was a poster sale today so I ended up buying one that was a copy of Skull with Burning Cigarette by Van Gogh and a smaller Lord of the Rings one that's pretty sweet. Also today there were a bunch of guys raising money for their soccer team. They were wearing bibs and diapers and you could whip eggs at them for 2 bucks lol, gotta love university. 

I had my first Physics and Chemistry labs this week. It was all pretty simple stuff, they went well. And my lab partners seem to be quite nice. Actually it's kind of weird. Earlier this summer I met a girl at the orientation who was also named Kayla, and I was like woah okay cool, I know another Kayla here now lol. Then in my physics lab that same girl ends up being there which was nice cause then I know someone in our little group. Theeeen I randomly sit next to a girl and she ends up being my lab partner and guess what her name is? Kaila. And then I go to my chemistry lab and get randomly assigned another lab partner. And her name is McKayla. Maybe by the end of the month I'll know all the Kayla's in all my classes lmao.

Oh and I'm suuuuuper stoked for tomorrow. I think I mentioned this a way long time ago, but I'm going to see the Legend of Zelda Symphony in Toronto tomorrow. And since it's my first actual time being there I'm going to go to the CN Tower and the ROM and a bunch of other stuff hopefully (though I'm only there for like a day and a night). I will fit it all in somehow!

Katie, hang in there. I think we're all in the same "school is horrible" boat. Except maybe Adam who seemed pretty excited for his school lol. And don't worry about the locks, I started using a locker in grade 6 and it just takes a bit of practice to get it. But once you do it's so easy you just do it without thinking. I do wear pyjama pants outside sometimes, but not all that often. Pants are pants though so I don't really care if people see me in them. 

As for your question about university. I'll be 100% honest here and say that I still have no clue as to what I want to do in the future. Something that I like I hope, but I can't get more specific then that (forensics? vet? researcher???). I chose to go into biology because a) I always liked science, especially biology and b) I figure that it's general enough at the moment that it leaves a lot of job options open. The only other thing I might have considered to major in would have been art and to be honest I chose science because art is more of a hobby for me.

In terms of university choice... I wanted to get far but not that far from home for one so I stayed in the province. I had 3 schools to apply to so I chose Lakehead (Thunder Bay), UOttawa (Ottawa), and Guelph (Guelph). The Lakehead application was only for my mom's sake really, and as a back up. The main reason I tried Guelph was for their vet school, but I ended up changing my mind about that. So I went with Ottawa because they had Co-op (paid work program) for biology, my sister was also here, and I really liked Ottawa when I visited it. It's a nice city. 

So yeah that was long, but that was my thought process. Basically, go for something that you personally like because if you are passionate about something then you'll do good in it and you'll get farther than if you just try for something that you think will, for example, get you a really high paying job or something. 

On another note I joined the school's anime club. Our first meeting is next week. I really looking forward to it because to be honest I've never had friends that were really into anime or manga so I never had anyone to talk about that stuff if I ever wanted. I was chatting with an older member and I think I'll be having a good time. 

DFTBA
Kayla

PS - Did you know that Charles Darwin wrote down pros and cons for whether or not he should get married. It's pretty entertaining really. On the pro side he has "children" and "better than a dog" and for cons he has things like "less money for books."

Student Again

     So my school year has finally begun. I moved into my dorm on Saturday, and that went pretty well. I have a fairly big room, since my university went from double to single rooms. So basically I have a double room all to myself. I have more space and shelving than I can actually use. 

     It's been pretty good so far. My house mates are all really cool, and we are already pretty much a little family. Yesterday some of the guys toilet-papered our Residence Advisor's door. It was funny. I did have a little mishap the day that I moved in. We were in the lounge, and decided to go outside to play some ice breaker games. I had to go back to my room to grab shoes, and when I got outside I couldn't find anyone. I ended up going through a different residence building, joining a different house for stretching, and then being escorted back to my house. It was really embarrassing. But whatever, stuff happens.

     So far, my classes are all pretty good. It looks as though they won't be too difficult, but there will be a lot of reading (especially since I am an English major). I am taking an education class (that I am apparently not supposed to be in, but the prof is ignoring that), and at the start of every class he does magic tricks. It was a nice introduction to the course. 

     I am staying here this weekend instead of going home like my mother wanted. We are going to be doing the Terry Fox walk, which is a Canadian thing. Every year people walk and run for cancer research, like Terry Fox did years ago. An interesting fact is that his campaign to run across Canada stopped just outside this city. Anyway, apparently most of the residence houses wear their house colours and clothing, but we decided to do 'tight and bright', and we all bought bright neon clothing. So that should be fun.

     Katie, I had to take a bus to school when I was in high school, and I can tell you that it sucked. Generally the other people weren't too loud or rowdy, but occasionally they were really annoying. I mostly just slept or listened to music. Don't worry about your locker, if you use it every day you will become a pro in no time. In my final year, I didn't use my locker, opting instead to carry a backpack around. But on the few occasions that I did use it, I had to go into the office to be told my combination. 

     As for how I picked my major, English is just one of the only subjects that I was really good at. I liked reading and understanding texts, and have thought about being a writer before. I figured that it was the best option for me. As for the becoming a teacher portion, ever since I was young I wanted to be a teacher. There was never really any other options in my mind. So my advice is to pick something that you like. Don't torture yourself with math or science if it isn't something you like. If you hate English, then run far away from it. Don't let someone else make this decision for you, and don't choose to do something or go somewhere just because your friends are doing it. 

     Thursdays happen to be one of my busiest days of the week (along with Tuesday, which has the identical schedule) so I am hoping to get into the routine of writing my post around this time. Hopefully I don't get too busy or forget. So I hope you are all doing good and having fun and not going insane. Don't forget to be awesome.
-Deidra
P.S- HAPPY (belated) BIRTHDAY ADAM!

I'm trying not to be overwhelmed by things right now.

Ah crap I totally forgot to post yesterday. Dang. Well whatever it happens I guess. 

Basically a bunch of stuff has been happening this past week. I did get my bed, and my room is all sorted out minus all the stuff that I'm going to hang on my walls. I'm waiting a bit to do that because I might buy some more posters so I want everything to fit nicely. 

All last week I attended a Science Prep Workshop. A lot of it was boring stuff that I already knew, but there were some interesting bits and I did manage to talk with some people that I'll probably have classes with so that's good. 

I got my bus pass, but now I need to get all my text books, my 101 week kit, my lab manuals, and a locker. I plan to try to do most of that today, but we'll have to see because today is the first move in day for those people in residence so campus is going to get super busy from here on out.

My sister and I were planning a trip to Montreal today, but unfortunately that's been postponed to some later date as she has been sick all week and we need to sort out some uni stuff still. But on the plus side this means I'll probably be able to watch the new Doctor Who episode today if I can find it online.

I started watching this TV show called Misfits and man has that been throwing me for a loop. It's a really funny show, and I love the characters in it. Seriously though, it just gets all dramatic and sad so suddenly at times and then sometimes it'll just get fixed right away because of reasons I won't reveal in case you want to watch the show. It's an emotional roller coaster I tell yah. It's definitely become one of my new favourite shows.

Katie, good to hear that you had an interesting trip, good luck on finishing those books, try not to get stressed out. 

Adam, the only place I've really been in the States is Minneapolis, it's a really nice place in my opinion, but I'd rather go to New York probably. Also Lays Ketchup chips are gross (again, in my opinion) so if you ever get the chance I'd recommend Old Dutch instead. They're really good though, my favourite as a kid, and I still enjoy them now. And since Kira didn't really explain a coffee crisp is like a layered wafer chocolate bar, that tastes a little like coffee. It's super delicious, probably in my top 3 chocolate bars.

Kate, I hope your allergies go away if they haven't already. 

Kira, I know exactly how you feel about french class. I felt the same for french and for math classes in high school. It's like a love-hate relationship. 

DFTBA

Kayla

P.S. Classes start on the 5th for me, so wish me luck!

It's (almost) Avengers Time!

     I have to be honest. I am kind of getting tired of summer. There is nothing to do, no one to do it with, and it's getting kind of boring. I just keep doing the same boring things over and over. I have been watching a lot more movies lately. I have watched Thor and Captain America in preparation of The Avengers. I just have the Iron Man movies left, and then I think I will be good to watch it with a better understanding. 

     Yay Adam! You are finally reading The Fault in Our Stars! It's really good, I loved it. I hope you haven't been able to figure out what happens in the end, at least not too much. It would be terrible if it were spoiled. 

     Kira, I am jealous at your ability to learn so many instruments. I think it's really cool. I took piano lessons for a year, and never went on after that. I can play a little bit now, but I've mostly forgotten. I will be taking a lot of English classes this coming year, since English is my major. I am also taking an introductory History, Education, Social Work, and Anthropology. I decided to make History my minor. I can't wait for first year to be over so that I can move on from stupid introductory classes and dig deeper into more specifics fields and time periods. I have an interest in mythology.

     Happy Belated Birthday, Campion! I hope it was good. I remember last year you said you didn't do much, so I really hope it was exciting this year. 

     Kayla, you need to stop mentioning packing and leaving for university. I don't get to do that until the beginning of September. My move in date is the week before classes start. I am getting really anxious for it. I just want to pack up my room, and move into the dorm. I don't know why. I guess it's just a more permanent show that I am not going back to high school in the fall. 

     I hope the first week of August was good to you guys. Don't forget to be awesome!
-Deidra

An Explosion of British Things

     I can't believe it's only August! I mean, I guess most of my super fun vacation stuff happened at the beginning of the summer, and now it just feels like it's dragging on. Honestly, it feels more like it should be the beginning of September already. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm grateful that there is still a month left of relaxation for me. I just kind of want to start school again, jump right into that experience.


     Speaking of which, I learned that I can only start moving in to my dorm on September 6th. Which is a lot later than I was thinking. I thought I would be able to move in during the final week of August, and be able to settle in and get to know the place. Apparently not so. And to make matters a little worse, my mum says we can't go up with my stuff until the 8th. This would give me two days to settle in and find classes and whatnot, as everything starts on the 10th for me.


     I watched the opening ceremonies for the Olympics online, streamed, which meant no commercials or news cast interruptions. I thought they were brilliant. I am a big fan of the British, and I think they did themselves proud with everything. I am still sad that there wasn't much Doctor Who inclusion, but I guess there is still the closing ceremonies for hope. But come on, a forty foot tall blow-up Voldemort? That will be tough to beat. As for the sports, I find that I watch them a bit more than I used to. I don't find many them to be particularly interesting, but there are a few I like. Diving, swimming, and beach volleyball are among my favourites. I never really watch any track and field sports. Shame I missed archery, that would have been interesting. As for cheering, I like to spread it around. Canada first, and then Great Britain, Ireland, France, New Zealand, Australia, Russia. Although I don't really care who wins in the end. 


     This past week hasn't been entirely without interesting news. I finally completed all of my driving lessons, and passed both of the tests that needed to be done. I must say, the first one (including the skills and 'habits' learned in the lessons) proved to be more difficult than the second (a mock test for the next class of driving license). I am so thankful those are done with. They were getting to be quite bothersome.


     I've thought about doing a foreign exchange as well, Adam. I might do one, also in my third year, though I was thinking of doing mine somewhere in the UK. I will be studying literature, and I think it would be cool to do a focus on Shakespeare in the country it was written in. I've also considered Australia.  
     Kira, I can't really say that I am keeping up with any series or books meant for younger people. I still buy books from a historical series called Dear Canada, which are fictional diaries depicting historical events in Canada. I haven't read any of them in a long time, but I still feel that I should buy them and keep the collection. Who knows, maybe they will be worth something someday. 


     Before I go, I have a question for you all. Do any of you do anything artistic? Paint, draw, write, compose, anything along those lines? I've been doing painting for some time now, and have finally finished my first painting I did for myself. 

     Anyway, enjoy your weekends! Don't forget to be awesome!
-Deidra

Spontaneous

     It's Thursday! And I'm watching The Big Bang Theory! And Sheldon has a glaring of cats! It's the Manhattan Project! AND ZAZZY! (that's a lot of exclamations) I thought I'd start off my post with some excitement, since the rest probably won't be.

     My weekend and week have been pretty tame. I've gotten a lot of work done, too. I finally started my Independent Learning Course (ILC), Studies of Literature. I've had everything since about January, but as I've said before I'm a terrible procrastinator. Anyway, I finally got the kick in the butt that I needed and started it. I got the first unit finished on Tuesday, and got the mark back pretty quickly. So now I've got 94% in that class, which is really good. It's my highest mark, and since I am going into English in university this mark will be really good for me. 

     Speaking of university, I got my dorm room assignment this week. I am in the quiet hall (or nerd-hall, as my mum likes to call it). It's kind of a relief to know that I'll have somewhere to live in the fall. Next I need to register for classes. I'm really hoping that it won't be too difficult. 

     I had to look up The Omnivore's Dilemma, since I didn't quite understand the point of your blog. It seems pretty interesting, something that would make you really question human life. From what I read on Wikipedia, it sounds like it'll be something interesting to study.

     I'm glad that you enjoyed Paper Towns, Adam. I also felt a little disheartened over the ending. It was good, don't get me wrong, but it felt kind of lacking. Sort of like there were things still left unresolved. 

     I've never really had troubles thinking of titles for my posts, Campion. I like to think of them once I've finished my post, something that is witty or clever or at least has something remotely to do with my post. When it comes to nostalgia, I've been experiencing it a lot this past year. It's probably because I'm facing the reality of leaving home and growing up (which is overrated). This year, I've gone in and out with playing Pokemon on my Game Boy Colour, reread some Dr. Seuss books, and played lots and lots of Tetris. And of course Death Note, which I find to be an homage to my childhood cartoon watching days.

     That's really all I have to say. Five more weeks to prom, six more weeks until I graduate, and seven more weeks until I write my final exams. *sigh* This is moving too fast. I just want to pause time, curl up with some original Doctor Who, and hide from the world for a little while. Well, don't forget to be awesome!!

-Deidra

P.S- While writing a note for Chemistry today, I wrote the word spontaneous about 14 times. Woo Equilibrium.  -_-

P.S.S- Hey look, inspiration for my title. Even though it has nothing to do with my actual post. 

Stealing the Rainbow (or at least one colour)

     So Spring Break is nearing its end, and I feel like I haven't accomplished anything. I meant to get some work done so that the next two weeks won't be as full, but I procrastinated a lot, so it seems that they will be. I have a lot to say, mostly in reply to you guys, so I will going with that instead of rambling on about nothing.

     On Monday I went with my mum to tour the Lakehead University campus, which is the university that I have applied to. The campus is relatively small, but I still think that I am going to get lost a lot in the beginning. The residences look pretty good, though. The rooms are pretty spacious, which is good as I like my space and privacy. The campus is pretty, with a lake and river running through it, and lots of trees around. They also have a pool in the rec centre, which is a major plus for me. I love to swim, and having a pool nearby will be really fun. 

     I have been waiting for a reply to my applications for a long time (I sent them in November), and I have finally heard something from the admissions office. Unfortunately it was not an acceptance, but a letter telling me that I didn't have all of the requisites for being considered. Turns out that a course wasn't put onto my application. So now I have to get more paperwork and stuff done, and wait even longer. I am pretty upset about it, but at least now I know what's been taking so long.

     I am probably just as bad as you when it comes to procrastination, Katie. I have discovered that I am a believer in the pleasure now, work later philosophy, as opposed to work now, pleasure later. I think I work well under the pressure of a looming deadline, which doesn't help the procrastination at all. I looked up Zipped, and it sounds like a really intense book. It probably has a major plot twist right at the end or something. I also love Shakespeare; his plays are a reason why I have chosen to major in English. I have never been to a music concert, which sucks, but I have been to a ballet. It was amazing, and I'd love to see one again. As for e-mailing teachers, I have only done it for e-learning (my online courses) and for an e-mail assignment I had to do for co-op. 

     Kira, I think the pop/soda thing stems from the Canadian/American differentiation. I have always said pop, everyone I know here says it, but I know that Americans say soda. I've always found that one a bit strange. Your explanation of robotics sounds insane. Do you make or assemble parts? I think that making parts could be pretty difficult. I don't think I've ever had a migraine, but I used to get really terrible headaches. Turned out that I had a condition called Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension, which isn't as bad as it sounds (I don't know if I've told you all about it before). Basically, pressure in my head with no apparent cause. I hope you start feeling better soon!

     Campion, your strange obsession with bad movies confuses me a bit. I can't stand bad movies, or movies when things don't make sense, or movies that are just bad rip-offs of other (better) movies. I can be pretty picky about what movies I like. 

     While I was writing this, I was thinking about my thought and writing process. Most times, I write pretty coherently, with things separated and all English-like. On the rare occasion, I just let my mind spew out and ramble, which I don't think makes for very interesting posts. I'm not a big fan of random thoughts, as I am an organization freak.Also, like you Katie, I tend to kind of read everyone's posts twice. I read them on the day they are posted, and then go back and reread them on Thursdays, looking for things that I want to say or reply to. It helps me with remembering if you guys asked a question. I usually open up notepad so that I don't forget something that I want to say. Ends up looking like this by the time I'm actually ready to write:

     I hope you all had good, relaxing breaks. Don't forget to be awesome!

- Deidra

(P.S- I think I am going to choose a colour and have all of my posts be like that. I really like the way it looks when Katie does it.)

Now to Hibernate Until School Starts Again

Well not much has really happened since last week. Spring break (I usually just call it March break) started so that's going to be nice. I haven't officially accepted yet, but I think I'm pretty set on going to Ottawa U next year. I've been looking at apartments and things there. I might even get a two bedroom one with my sister.

Adam I can't really think of any expressions that I say that aren't fairly common everywhere, but I suppose I wouldn't know unless someone told me. Good luck with the 50 book challenge, if you haven't read it already I'd recommend The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I recently got Deidra to read it and she enjoyed it, its really good in my opinion.

Kate have fun with the musical, and I second Deidra, if you make that song I would love to hear it.

Kira, like Deidra, I was also a bit obsessed with MLIA for a while, it's a pretty entertaining site. After a while it started getting kind of repetitive though so I got bored with it and moved on.

DFTBA
Kayla

My Life Seems to Revolve Around Movies

Oh my gosh, was my week ever boring. Two of my second semester classes don't start until next week so I've had these spares that I have nothing to do in. I can't even work on stuff from my other classes because it's the beginning of the semester and we haven't really had any homework assignments yet, besides a bit of reading.

Hmmm don't really have much to talk about since not much has been happening lately. Oh yeah, I got accepted to Guelph university so that means I got accepted to all three of my choices. Now I'm just going to have to figure out where I actually want to end up going.

I really want to see that Kung Fu Cyborg movie now, just to see how ridiculous it really is. I like watching random super corny looking movies. I tend to lean more towards the horror genre, but this just seems like one I'm going to have to watch. Maybe this weekend if I can find it online.

Any of you guys see the Fright Night remake that came out in August 2011? I just saw it by chance this week and it was pretty good. David Tennant is in it, I didn't even realize it at first. Also the main character is played by Anton Yelchin, the guy who played Chekov in the latest Star Trek movie. And it was nice to see the whole classic vampire thing it had going on, much better than the Twilight vamps in my opinion.

Ciao,
Kayla

Nine Days Till Christmas

Well my week has been pretty relaxed, probably since Chirstmas break starts soon. Today has been pretty epic though. I just got early acceptance to both the University of Ottawa and Lakehead University! I'm really excited about it. I'm not sure where I'll go in the end (I also have yet to hear from the University of Guelph), but I have like almost half a year to decide, so that's good.

The second sunflower plant finally bloomed yesterday and guess what? It's orange! I'm so glad that it made a flower. It actually grew a lot too and now the flower is too heavy for the stem, so I have to figure out a way to hold it up straight.

Tomorrow Deidra and I are going to go see the Nutcracker ballet. I'm really happy that we're going to see it because I've never actually been to a ballet before and I'm sure it's going to be amazing.

Adam, hope your finals are going/went well. Also, I haven't really been on youtube for a while so I completely forgot about P4A. I'll have to make sure to check it out tomorrow to show some support.

Wow, Katie. 7 hours of sorting is super intense, I would definitely not be able to do that. Also intensives sound pretty interesting and I think I played that game before, but I'm not very good with doing math games like that.

Kate, that's good that you get to see your brother again. Hopefully you'll be able to make a P4A video, too.

Kira, it's been a pretty mild winter so far to be honest, but we have had a bunch of snow so I took your advice and I was able to make a snowman a couple days ago, carrot nose and all. As for Christmas plans, just the usual relaxing and visiting with family with the potential for some fun stuff like skiing with my sister.

Campion, that sucks that the weather has been so bad, mother nature just likes to do that to spite everyone, eh?

DFTBA

Kayla

PS- I just found out that the sequel to this book I really love finally came out. I've been waiting for it for over a year so this is really exciting. I'll have to try and get it ASAP. Today has been amazing, hope your days are going as well as mine!

I Can't Think of Titles

I'm not really in the mood to write today so I think this will be shorter than usual. I've been losing precious hours of sleep this week to the horrible monster that is homework. Hopefully I'll catch up on some this weekend, but then again, I say that every week.

Like Deidra I did my university application this week. I applied for a biology major and hopefully I'll be heading into zoology, but who knows, I change my mind so often.

This weekend Deidra's going to be coming over for a sleepover so she can help sell poinsettias as a grad fundraiser the next day. We're going to be watching a movie of some sort as well, but we're not sure what yet. I've been trying to get her to watch The Lord of the Rings for a while now, but that's a long trilogy so we might not have time for it. Maybe just the first one. Or Edward Scissorhands, I'm supposed to get her to see that as well.

Hope your guys' weeks went well and you aren't as busy as I am.

DFTBA
Kayla

A Recipe for Writing

   Instead of concentrating on homework, or focusing on writing my post, I decided to bake chocolate chip cookies with my sister while watching The Big Bang Theory. Of course, when baking with my sister, I mean that I measure all ingredients, she stirs everything, and then I do the actual baking part while she waits for the cookies. It's alright in the end. I don't mind it too much, but I do wish that she would help a bit more sometimes, especially when I have a lot of work to do.

   I haven't really done all that much this week. I have been working on my university applications, and I think I am just about ready to send them off. I just want to double/triple check my choices, and make sure that it is what I want to do. I am kind of worried that I will not be accepted into my first choice program, which is also really my only choice. There is only one school that I want to attend, and one program that I really want to do, which is English/Education. I do have a fallback choice, which is just studying English, and a second fallback of Northern and Polar Studies. Both of them are very interesting, and the Northern studies program seems very interesting, but I've had my heart set on teaching since I was little. It's what I've always wanted to do.

   Campion, I do hope that your exams are going well. I know exactly what you mean by hand cramps during English. I wrote a test in English this week, and pretty much every 5 minutes I had to stop and stretch the muscles in my hand. I wish I really was ambidextrous, it would help so much in situations like that. The holidays are coming soon though, so hang in there and good luck.
   Looking at your post, Kayla, I cannot believe it has only been a week since Remembrance Day. I guess last week was just too hectic and chaotic that my mind has pushed it away. As for the movie, it is probably another that I will never see. Though it did sound alright. Just not the type of thing I am into watching.
   I hope your protest went well, Adam. Hopefully it does some good. College and university fees are getting outrageously high these days. It's nuts. No one ever seems to listen to the students, to the people that matter. Also, it's good to see that I am not the only one who looks at the blog statistics. I think it's cool that 'Cupcake Birthday' is one of our linking searchwords. It makes what I have done for birthdays a little more special.
   It was funny that you mentioned David Tennant in the Harry Potter movie, Katie, as I had just watched that movie a few days before. And I was specifically looking for Tennant. He looks completely crazy as Barty Crouch Jr. It was a stark contrast to him as the Doctor.
   I am jealous of you, Kate, that you are reading The Catcher in the Rye. I have wanted to read it for a while now. I have been to busy this year so far with English class and all of its required reading that I haven't been able to do any pleasure reading. It is very annoying, especially since I recently bought The Scorpio Races, which I have been waiting forever to read.

   I found it strange for a moment that you had to copy and past an accent for your French, Kira, but then I remembered that I have a weird bilingual keyboard, and can put aççents on my lètters with just à kéystroke. It made my two years of French classes much easier, but it can be annoying when typing now.

  

   Keep writing those NaNo novels, guys. I know that you will succeed, and that your stories will be amazing. Even if you don't end up writing the entire 50K, at least you tried. So keep calm, and don't forget to be awesome!

-Deidra

Whatever happened to vampires burning in the sun?

Seems like most of us are stressed about school at the moment. I myself have a couple of things piling up in the homework department along with the fact that in about a month I have to apply to universities, which means that I have to choose where I want to go. I'm thinking University of Guelph will be my top choice since it has a good vet program and it seems nice overall. It will be pretty far from home though.

I ended up watching New Moon and Eclipse this week. Yes, I'm talking about the Twilight series. No, I don't actually like Twilight. I just watched them because they happened to be playing and I wanted to see for myself if the movies were any good or not. And at the risk of offending anyone here who likes Twilight let me just say, wow, how did this series become so popular? I already ranted most of my annoyances with Twilight to Deidra as I was watching the movies, but I just want to say one thing. How come when someone's talking on a phone in the same room as a vampire the vampire can't hear the person on the other end. It makes no sense.

Anyway, enough of that. If you share my feelings about Twilight and want a good laugh you should definitely check out Vampires Suck. I've seen it a couple times already and it still makes me chuckle.

Adam, Thanks Giving to my family is when we get together and have a delicious turkey meal with all the trimmings. We just enjoy each other's company really. I'm pretty sure traditionally it's supposed to be more related to it's name as in you're supposed to think of the things you are thankful for in your life and give thanks for them.

Katie, I think a genius is someone who thinks or sees things differently than the majority of people. It's like they think on a whole different level. They can see things and connect things better as well. As for classics, I don't really tend to read them, but I'm trying to change that. If only I had more time. I started Journey to the Centre of the Earth at the end of summer, but it's sitting on my desk half finished right now. It's not even that long and I was really enjoying it. Darn school.

Kate, hang in there. I'm sure you'll do fine in school. Remember to take some time off for yourself too even if you have homework and stuff. It's not good to overwork yourself.

Kira, don't feel too sad. Here's some pictures from near my house and from Thunder Bay too, hopefully they'll help. :)

DFTBA

Kayla

I wasn't sure what to write, but it ended up being pretty long anyways.

Well, the day has finally come. Deidra and I are going to see the very last Harry Potter movie today at 7 p.m. because we don't get a midnight premiere in Thunder Bay. I am so excited to finally see the second half of the Deathly Hallows (and figure out why the heck Harry is falling off a cliff with Voldemort in the movie trailer). At the same time though, I really really don't want to see it because I know there won't be any more movies coming after this one. I'm not sure how many of you are Harry Potter fans, but if you are, you're probably feeling the same as me. I have no doubt that I'm going to end up bawling in the theatre (unashamedly) seeing as I did during part one. Movies and books make me emotional sometimes, especially if they're as good as the Harry Potter series is. Don't judge.

Adam, you asked me what I wanted to go to university for and, honestly, I'm still not sure. I'm thinking something in the field of biology maybe to do with animals or bugs. I need to decide by November at the latest though because that's when I have to apply to the universities I want to go to. It's just so hard to decide what I want to do because I like so many things.

As for Youtube recommendations... I haven't been regularly watching Youtube for a couple months so I'll just list a couple channels I like.
rodders153 - already has over 12000 subscribers, but he's really funny and slightly offensive (just writing that as a warning) you should still check him out though
bloodrunsclear - has 5000 subscribers, mainly makes fake movie trailers that I think are wonderful, interesting fact: this channel made a video that got me into the Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld
1KidsEntertainment - 11000 subscribers, the makers of the Pokemon Abridged Series which I think is hilarious, but you can decide that for yourself
I guess that's all, looking through my subsciptions I realized that I'm not actually subscribed to anyone that doesn't already have quite a few subscribers. Well, minus a few people who make AMVs, but I'm not sure of you're interested in that kind of thing.

Deidra was right about the book recommendation thing, it all depends on what type of books you like to read. I like mostly fantasy and fairytale type books (and manga). However some authors I would recommend are Christopher Pike (he writes awesome horror/thriller/sci-fi stuff), Scott Westerfeld, and Kelly Armstrong.

DFTBA
Kayla