So I was trying to be a good little blogger and I wrote up a post a few days ago, but I never got around to actually posting it. It's going to have to wait for yet another day now because today I have something else to write about.
I probably shouldn't. I'm sure it's not mature and it might even be a little petty considering the fact that the other person it involves probably won't read this. And if she does, well that's good too. Maybe it'll save me some trouble in the future. Anyway...
For anyone who doesn't know, I'm currently taking some courses at the local NSCC that I need as prerequisites for the BScN degree program that I want to go into next year. The courses are going well and my marks are excellent. The problem, you see, is some of my classmates in these courses. Actually, that's too general. It's more like just one person. The way these courses work is that the teachers don't really lecture or teach in front of the class, everyone learns mostly from the book and you work at your own pace independently, completing assignments and tests as you go.
I go to class to try to get as much work done as possible in that amount of time. This girl apparently goes to catch her friend up on everything that is going on in her life. Oh yeah, and it also appears to be her texting time, cause she does that basically non-stop. Everyone has to hear about her boyfriend, all the drama of her daily life, the program she's sure she's getting into next year (I really want to break it to her that she doesn't have a chance of getting in because her marks suck and the program takes a very small number of people... none of which she seems to realize), family stuff, tv shows, food, anything and everything that pops into her "typical eighteen year old" mind. Then we have to listen to her complain about how she needs to get more work done, and she doesn't like trying to do schoolwork at home, etc etc. One time she tried to tell me that she thought the boyfriend killed Amber Kirwan because she heard he has ADHD and people with ADHD don't feel guilt. She got a little lesson on the difference between people with ADHD and psychopaths from me that day.
I've been trying to be passive since September. I have tried changing seats to be further away from her. I even bring earphones and listen to music. Nothing drowns her out. It drives everyone nuts, but no one ever says anything. Well, today something inside of me must have snapped. I was sick and tired of her coming to class and distracting everyone with her pointless nonsense. So, at one point I ripped out my headphones and said something along the lines of "Why do you two even come to class? You talk way too much all the time. It's every fucking day."
She her response was "Ok...", and then they started passing the cell phone back and forth so I can only assume they were talking about me. But you know what? I don't care. It was so nice and quiet for the rest of class! It was great. We'll see how the rest of the week goes. I suspect old ways will creep back in and I'll have to say something again. I'm hoping I'm wrong though and that she'll actually be more considerate from now on.
Anyway, that is my story from today. What's the lesson everyone should take from this? Shut up or ship out!
Monday, January 16, 2012
Monday, December 19, 2011
A Child's Christmas
The Christmas season carries lots of fond childhood memories for me and once in a while I find it fun to think back and let the warm fuzzies take over.
One of the main things I love about December is that it is also egg nog season, and I love me some egg nog. I know very few other people who actually like it too, but to me egg nog always reminds me of my grandma's house as a kid. She had this black side by side door refrigerator and she always had egg nog during the holiday season. That and polish pudding but unfortunately my love of that has die out with age.
Something else that has died with age is getting up before dawn to open gifts. I can't believe how early I was up some years. I didn't even have siblings to encourage the excitement. Of course that also meant that every year I got lots of gifts from Santa and was totally spoiled, which is really a great benefit of being an only child.
One of my classic memories that I frequently think of still to this day was when mom, dad, and I were out (I think) getting our tree and I had my arms inside of my coat. Mom always told me not to do this and not to run because I'd slip and not be able to catch myself. Well little Jessica apparently didn't heed those warnings because on that fateful day I wiped out on the pavement and only had my face to break my fall. I learned the hard way, but it was a lesson well learned because I don't think I've ever made the same mistake since.
Another thing I liked to do during holidays growing up was decorate my room. Thinking back to amount of effort I would put into it I have to say, I was a pretty creative youngster. I remember one year I made a fireplace out of construction paper and put it on my bedroom wall. It seems like it must have taken quite a bit of time to do, but I guess time is not really a factor in a child's mind.
I'm grateful to have had a loving, easy childhood because now that I'm older it's nice to look back on. I know that not everyone is so lucky, and I find that so unfair because every kid deserves to live a happy, care-free life. Christmas can be such an exciting time when there's no school, Santa, treats, and presents to look forward to. I wish I could make sure that more kids out there would get to have the same fortune that I did/do.
One of the main things I love about December is that it is also egg nog season, and I love me some egg nog. I know very few other people who actually like it too, but to me egg nog always reminds me of my grandma's house as a kid. She had this black side by side door refrigerator and she always had egg nog during the holiday season. That and polish pudding but unfortunately my love of that has die out with age.
Something else that has died with age is getting up before dawn to open gifts. I can't believe how early I was up some years. I didn't even have siblings to encourage the excitement. Of course that also meant that every year I got lots of gifts from Santa and was totally spoiled, which is really a great benefit of being an only child.
One of my classic memories that I frequently think of still to this day was when mom, dad, and I were out (I think) getting our tree and I had my arms inside of my coat. Mom always told me not to do this and not to run because I'd slip and not be able to catch myself. Well little Jessica apparently didn't heed those warnings because on that fateful day I wiped out on the pavement and only had my face to break my fall. I learned the hard way, but it was a lesson well learned because I don't think I've ever made the same mistake since.
Another thing I liked to do during holidays growing up was decorate my room. Thinking back to amount of effort I would put into it I have to say, I was a pretty creative youngster. I remember one year I made a fireplace out of construction paper and put it on my bedroom wall. It seems like it must have taken quite a bit of time to do, but I guess time is not really a factor in a child's mind.
I'm grateful to have had a loving, easy childhood because now that I'm older it's nice to look back on. I know that not everyone is so lucky, and I find that so unfair because every kid deserves to live a happy, care-free life. Christmas can be such an exciting time when there's no school, Santa, treats, and presents to look forward to. I wish I could make sure that more kids out there would get to have the same fortune that I did/do.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Oh the difference a couple of years can make...
So this past week I've been doing contract work for the Women's Centre. I've been going to different schools/grades around the county holding focus groups with young women to try to figure out what programs they feel they would most like to see in Pictou County. So far I've done three out of six focus groups: one with grade 6's, one with grade 8's, and one with grade 11's.
I basically asked all the girls four basic questions after bribing them all by giving everyone a lifesaver sucker:
1) Where do you hang out outside of school?
2) What do you do when you're not in school?
3) What do you think is going on with girls these days?
4) What programs would you like to see for girls in Pictou County?
The first day was the grade 6's. I was a bit nervous because I had no idea what to expect or how it would turn out. I was pleasently surprised at how fun it was sitting around talking to grade 6 girls, plus they gave up some great general info and some specific ideas. They also seemed to really enjoy the session and asked me if I'd be back... great kids, very friendly.
The next day was the grade 8 girls. Oh. My. God. That age group is such a pain in the ass. The principal told us that the group we were going to be talking to was pretty vocal so it should be okay. Yeah, right. I felt like I was some evil dentist trying to yank teeth out of these girls. They would barely even tell me where they like to hang out or what they usually do when they're not in school. Good god. These are not trick questions, kids. We got some info by the end of it, but I felt that it was no where near as successful as the first focus group. All I really found out was that they mainly like to eat, sleep, and text. Not joking, that is actually what they said to me.
So yesterday was the grade 11 focus group, and I have to say that it might have been my favorite so far. Maybe it's just because the girls are older and have more of a concept of what is going on with girls these days, I don't really know. The group I talked to was just very open and willing to tell us what's up. We probably could have stayed for even longer than our allotted hour if the girls didn't have another class to go to. Another interesting tidbit that came from the grade 11's was that they mentioned trends among young women that they have noticed, such as high pregnancy rates and hyper sexuality at younger ages, which matches quite well with the stats that we have at the Women's Centre from a professional point of view. Lots of great stuff from that group, and it boosted my morale after the grade 8 zombies.
Next week I have three more groups to do, and I'm interested in seeing the response from the same age groups in different schools. I'll keep you posted :)
I basically asked all the girls four basic questions after bribing them all by giving everyone a lifesaver sucker:
1) Where do you hang out outside of school?
2) What do you do when you're not in school?
3) What do you think is going on with girls these days?
4) What programs would you like to see for girls in Pictou County?
The first day was the grade 6's. I was a bit nervous because I had no idea what to expect or how it would turn out. I was pleasently surprised at how fun it was sitting around talking to grade 6 girls, plus they gave up some great general info and some specific ideas. They also seemed to really enjoy the session and asked me if I'd be back... great kids, very friendly.
The next day was the grade 8 girls. Oh. My. God. That age group is such a pain in the ass. The principal told us that the group we were going to be talking to was pretty vocal so it should be okay. Yeah, right. I felt like I was some evil dentist trying to yank teeth out of these girls. They would barely even tell me where they like to hang out or what they usually do when they're not in school. Good god. These are not trick questions, kids. We got some info by the end of it, but I felt that it was no where near as successful as the first focus group. All I really found out was that they mainly like to eat, sleep, and text. Not joking, that is actually what they said to me.
So yesterday was the grade 11 focus group, and I have to say that it might have been my favorite so far. Maybe it's just because the girls are older and have more of a concept of what is going on with girls these days, I don't really know. The group I talked to was just very open and willing to tell us what's up. We probably could have stayed for even longer than our allotted hour if the girls didn't have another class to go to. Another interesting tidbit that came from the grade 11's was that they mentioned trends among young women that they have noticed, such as high pregnancy rates and hyper sexuality at younger ages, which matches quite well with the stats that we have at the Women's Centre from a professional point of view. Lots of great stuff from that group, and it boosted my morale after the grade 8 zombies.
Next week I have three more groups to do, and I'm interested in seeing the response from the same age groups in different schools. I'll keep you posted :)
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Must... not... give... up....
I have like 10 other things I should be doing instead of blogging, but here I am. Just thought I'd share a little tale with you all tonight.
So one of my buds who is taking biology with me is doing a portfolio project which requires volunteers (enter me) to do 30 minutes of physical activity that gets the heart rate up to at least 70%. I must do this for at least 2 weeks (I think... memory is a bit foggy on this detail... could be longer). I tried to start doing this last Saturday. Then I was in so much pain for the rest of Sunday and Monday that I fell out of it and must now start again. So I did, tonight. I did something like 80 jumping jacks and a 20 minute run. The problem is that I'm terribly out of shape for this kind of activity. My yoga practices give me good breaths but don't really condition me for endurance in running. Meaning I basically die after jogging for 5 minutes straight. Needed a new strategy. Started doing run one minute, walk a minute. Much more achieveable this way, but not sure if I'm still meeting the requirements for the study. Will have to clarify at the next meeting. I also don't think my heart rate is getting all the way up to 70%. I'm getting up to somewhere like 130 beats per minute, but I need to be at 159. This poses a problem for me because my heart is already beating out of my chest at 130ish and my breath is pretty much maxed out. This makes me wonder if I'm just counting wrong and missing some beats or something. If anyone out there has any suggestions for improvements, I will gladly accept them!
So one of my buds who is taking biology with me is doing a portfolio project which requires volunteers (enter me) to do 30 minutes of physical activity that gets the heart rate up to at least 70%. I must do this for at least 2 weeks (I think... memory is a bit foggy on this detail... could be longer). I tried to start doing this last Saturday. Then I was in so much pain for the rest of Sunday and Monday that I fell out of it and must now start again. So I did, tonight. I did something like 80 jumping jacks and a 20 minute run. The problem is that I'm terribly out of shape for this kind of activity. My yoga practices give me good breaths but don't really condition me for endurance in running. Meaning I basically die after jogging for 5 minutes straight. Needed a new strategy. Started doing run one minute, walk a minute. Much more achieveable this way, but not sure if I'm still meeting the requirements for the study. Will have to clarify at the next meeting. I also don't think my heart rate is getting all the way up to 70%. I'm getting up to somewhere like 130 beats per minute, but I need to be at 159. This poses a problem for me because my heart is already beating out of my chest at 130ish and my breath is pretty much maxed out. This makes me wonder if I'm just counting wrong and missing some beats or something. If anyone out there has any suggestions for improvements, I will gladly accept them!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
What have I been up to?
My lovely aunt reminded me today that I need to update my blog! Thanks for the reminder... easy to update now that I have a day off to sit for a while and think about what I want to write.
So last weekend I did two main things that I'll write about: The Ten Thousand Villages sale and my overnighter to Cape Breton.
All I can say about the Ten Thousand Villages sale is... AWESOME! I was so excited to be there I think I may have peed a little. Okay, not really, but I was still really thrilled to attend. I was surprised by how busy it was there. I didn't realize how many people would be interested in such a thing. As you may have seen on my autocorrect blooper pic on facebook yesterday, I got a Christmas gift for my dad at the sale, but it wasn't a thong as my text message to my mother may have suggested! Next year I think I will get some gifts for other people as well. It's a great place to find some unique items, and I always love giving a unique gift! Other than what I bought for faja, I also bought myself a woven market basket which I plan on using when I go to the grocery store instead of having to take one of those nasty plastic baskets they provide for you there. Guess what, I see the range of people who touch those, and I would prefer not to have to handle the baskets after them. Chris told me I'm going to look like a weird hippie chick but I am A-O-K with that! Hippie chick is actually a pretty good word to describe me in general, I think...
So, after my Ten Thousand Villages adventure I hit the road to CB. A solid three hours later and I met up with my girlfriend Rebecca at her CBU dorm. After I presented her with my gifts of homemade chocolate chip cookies and a box of Halloween cheesies, we headed over to the mall for a little shopping (and by little I do mean I only bought three things... must manage self when self has no money...). After that we went to Don Cherry's for supper (thanks cuz for the directions!) and it was SO GOOD. Mmm... will be going there again for sure. Fast forward to the next day... Rebecca and I go to Mickey D's for breakfast and who do I see at the gas station next door? My mudder and fadder! Three hours from home and I still run into those nuts. A little while later I take off for home, and thus complete my long weekend.
So what else have I been up to this week? Well Chris and I checked out some new apartments being renovated approximately 30 seconds from where we currently live. Very nice and new but lacking a living room and enough space for all of our furniture so no go on those. Thursday night I went to an advanced screening of Twilight with my friend Katie, and tonight I'm going again with my other friend Lesley. Twilightttttt <3 Such a nerd, but I just enjoy it so damn much.
Speaking of books turned movies, Yvonne (linked ya twice in one post, practically famous?) got me thinking about the book, and soon to be movie, The Hunger Games. I've seen the movie previews on TV lately and it looks interesting, so I downloaded the ebook last night and will probably start reading it today. I'll let ya know how it is. Now if you'll excuse me, there is a little kitty snuggled in next to me and I think she looks like she needs some cuddles. Enjoy the weekend!
So last weekend I did two main things that I'll write about: The Ten Thousand Villages sale and my overnighter to Cape Breton.
All I can say about the Ten Thousand Villages sale is... AWESOME! I was so excited to be there I think I may have peed a little. Okay, not really, but I was still really thrilled to attend. I was surprised by how busy it was there. I didn't realize how many people would be interested in such a thing. As you may have seen on my autocorrect blooper pic on facebook yesterday, I got a Christmas gift for my dad at the sale, but it wasn't a thong as my text message to my mother may have suggested! Next year I think I will get some gifts for other people as well. It's a great place to find some unique items, and I always love giving a unique gift! Other than what I bought for faja, I also bought myself a woven market basket which I plan on using when I go to the grocery store instead of having to take one of those nasty plastic baskets they provide for you there. Guess what, I see the range of people who touch those, and I would prefer not to have to handle the baskets after them. Chris told me I'm going to look like a weird hippie chick but I am A-O-K with that! Hippie chick is actually a pretty good word to describe me in general, I think...
 |
| My market basket. If you wet it you can re-shape it however you want. Neat! |
So, after my Ten Thousand Villages adventure I hit the road to CB. A solid three hours later and I met up with my girlfriend Rebecca at her CBU dorm. After I presented her with my gifts of homemade chocolate chip cookies and a box of Halloween cheesies, we headed over to the mall for a little shopping (and by little I do mean I only bought three things... must manage self when self has no money...). After that we went to Don Cherry's for supper (thanks cuz for the directions!) and it was SO GOOD. Mmm... will be going there again for sure. Fast forward to the next day... Rebecca and I go to Mickey D's for breakfast and who do I see at the gas station next door? My mudder and fadder! Three hours from home and I still run into those nuts. A little while later I take off for home, and thus complete my long weekend.
So what else have I been up to this week? Well Chris and I checked out some new apartments being renovated approximately 30 seconds from where we currently live. Very nice and new but lacking a living room and enough space for all of our furniture so no go on those. Thursday night I went to an advanced screening of Twilight with my friend Katie, and tonight I'm going again with my other friend Lesley. Twilightttttt <3 Such a nerd, but I just enjoy it so damn much.
Speaking of books turned movies, Yvonne (linked ya twice in one post, practically famous?) got me thinking about the book, and soon to be movie, The Hunger Games. I've seen the movie previews on TV lately and it looks interesting, so I downloaded the ebook last night and will probably start reading it today. I'll let ya know how it is. Now if you'll excuse me, there is a little kitty snuggled in next to me and I think she looks like she needs some cuddles. Enjoy the weekend!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Let's talk about something else...
So today I'm getting pretty pissed off with people and their ignorant rumours. In case you haven't heard, the remains of the missing girl I had posted about before were found, and it is now being investigated as a homicide. I could rant about this forever, but I decided to do myself a favour and write about something positive on here today instead. Pictou County has been filled with enough negativity lately as it is.
So, what am I going to write about instead? Things I am actually looking forward to in the next while:
1) The Ten Thousand Villages sale happening at a local church this Saturday. In case you don't know what Ten Thousand Villages is, I've been gracious enough to include a link here for you! Twice in fact ;)Definitely check it out... it's right up my alley. I better bring a wad of cash with me because I suspect I'll want to buy everything. My only challenge is figuring out where the church is...
2) Going to Cape Breton after I stop by the sale on Saturday to spend some quality time with my friend Rebecca. Maybe some shopping, Don Cherry's, and who knows what else yet. What I do know is that it should be a good time.
3) The advanced screening of Twilight that my friend Katie and I are going to next Thursday. Loved the books, enjoyed all the movies thus far, and the tickets for the screening were an amazing deal because we got them through the college. Eight bucks for the movie ticket, which also includes a popcorn and drink. What a steal, I tell ya.
4) Finishing up some of my courses. I've already gotten the university application out of the way, now I just have to push through and finish these pre-req courses. One is almost done... two are about half way... then two more full ones to go... I will be glad to see the end... marks are fantabulous so far though! They'd be crazy not to want me to be a nurse :)
5) Being almost done of my Christmas shopping, and then it being Christmas. I have almost all of my shopping done already. I'm on fire this year... I started very early and was very successful in all of my purchases. My biggest task ahead of me is finishing a scrapbook all about Sadie, which I'm giving to Chris's sister, Rachel. So far it's lookin' some good if I do say so myself!
6) My little kitty Willow getting settled and becoming more fond of us. She's getting there now, and I love it. I adore kitty snuggles!
Those are the main things on my mind lately. We'll see what comes after that! Enjoy the long weekend and try avoid all the negative vibes floating around!
So, what am I going to write about instead? Things I am actually looking forward to in the next while:
1) The Ten Thousand Villages sale happening at a local church this Saturday. In case you don't know what Ten Thousand Villages is, I've been gracious enough to include a link here for you! Twice in fact ;)Definitely check it out... it's right up my alley. I better bring a wad of cash with me because I suspect I'll want to buy everything. My only challenge is figuring out where the church is...
2) Going to Cape Breton after I stop by the sale on Saturday to spend some quality time with my friend Rebecca. Maybe some shopping, Don Cherry's, and who knows what else yet. What I do know is that it should be a good time.
3) The advanced screening of Twilight that my friend Katie and I are going to next Thursday. Loved the books, enjoyed all the movies thus far, and the tickets for the screening were an amazing deal because we got them through the college. Eight bucks for the movie ticket, which also includes a popcorn and drink. What a steal, I tell ya.
4) Finishing up some of my courses. I've already gotten the university application out of the way, now I just have to push through and finish these pre-req courses. One is almost done... two are about half way... then two more full ones to go... I will be glad to see the end... marks are fantabulous so far though! They'd be crazy not to want me to be a nurse :)
5) Being almost done of my Christmas shopping, and then it being Christmas. I have almost all of my shopping done already. I'm on fire this year... I started very early and was very successful in all of my purchases. My biggest task ahead of me is finishing a scrapbook all about Sadie, which I'm giving to Chris's sister, Rachel. So far it's lookin' some good if I do say so myself!
6) My little kitty Willow getting settled and becoming more fond of us. She's getting there now, and I love it. I adore kitty snuggles!
Those are the main things on my mind lately. We'll see what comes after that! Enjoy the long weekend and try avoid all the negative vibes floating around!
Friday, November 4, 2011
Practically a profit
So today had the potential to be a very expensive day, but it turns out I ended up with more money than I started with!
To start off, Chris and I have adopted a little 18 month old kitty who we named Willow. She was under Brian&Lesley's deck crying for a week, so they felt really bad for her and took her in. They couldn't keep her though, and she seems like such a nice little kitty, so Chris and I finally said we would adopt her.
Today was Willow's appointment to go get spayed, since we all thought she wasn't. I got up bright and early to take her in to the vet, where I said my temporary goodbyes and leave her with the professionals. Back to home I go, and to my surprise a little while later I get a phone call from the vet. Turns out Willow is already spayed. Score! No charge for a fixed kitty. It did make me worried that she actually does belong to someone though, so once I got back from picking miss Willow up, I called the local spca. No one had reported a cat missing fitting Willow's description, and the woman on the phone seemed to think it sounded like maybe Willow was a "drop off". What a sin... not sure how anyone could do that to an animal.
On a side note... there was an article in the paper today about two puppies that were found with their throats cut, left on the side of the road. The woman who found them rushed them to the vet and it looks like they're going to make it! That is good news indeed... but it is disturbing that people do such things to helpless little animals...
Back to my original topic - After all my shenanigans with Willow were over for the day, I got ready to go to class for the afternoon. I put on a coat I haven't worn much lately, and when I got down to the car I put my hand in my pocket and found $10! I love finding money I didn't know I had!
Just to remind you of the math in case you haven't been keeping up, I:
Didn't spend $100's
Found an extra $10
Which is practically a profit in my mind! Good day.
To start off, Chris and I have adopted a little 18 month old kitty who we named Willow. She was under Brian&Lesley's deck crying for a week, so they felt really bad for her and took her in. They couldn't keep her though, and she seems like such a nice little kitty, so Chris and I finally said we would adopt her.
Today was Willow's appointment to go get spayed, since we all thought she wasn't. I got up bright and early to take her in to the vet, where I said my temporary goodbyes and leave her with the professionals. Back to home I go, and to my surprise a little while later I get a phone call from the vet. Turns out Willow is already spayed. Score! No charge for a fixed kitty. It did make me worried that she actually does belong to someone though, so once I got back from picking miss Willow up, I called the local spca. No one had reported a cat missing fitting Willow's description, and the woman on the phone seemed to think it sounded like maybe Willow was a "drop off". What a sin... not sure how anyone could do that to an animal.
On a side note... there was an article in the paper today about two puppies that were found with their throats cut, left on the side of the road. The woman who found them rushed them to the vet and it looks like they're going to make it! That is good news indeed... but it is disturbing that people do such things to helpless little animals...
Back to my original topic - After all my shenanigans with Willow were over for the day, I got ready to go to class for the afternoon. I put on a coat I haven't worn much lately, and when I got down to the car I put my hand in my pocket and found $10! I love finding money I didn't know I had!
Just to remind you of the math in case you haven't been keeping up, I:
Didn't spend $100's
Found an extra $10
Which is practically a profit in my mind! Good day.
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