Fight to Entertain

good ol' pun to start us off

This is me eating my words and wishing I had brought my sewing stuff to Stratford. Only a week in and I'm rudely reminded of how boring it can get in Stratford. I have to make a real effort to entertain myself and not just waste my days away on social media. That being said, I did do lots of fun things this week. 
It was Marissa's birthday on Friday, so on Thursday we drove to Kitchener to go trampolining. Mara and I had been to this place before, where they have 6 olympic grade trampolines. It was great fun. I almost did a full front flip (I just can't quite stick the landing and end up on my butt). Michelle however did gymnastics when she was younger and so was doing front flips, back flips, you name it. Definitely got my exercise in that day and felt it for the following two days. I'd like to go back at some point and see if I can't finally land a front flip.
Later that day we had our first SSC event of the term at a local pub. Much to our enjoyment, Thursday is now 25cent wing night. I made a slight misjudgement in how hungry I was and ordered 5 wings and a burger. Way too much food. But the wings were great. And I couldn't get over that it cost $1.25 for 5 wings! I'm no wing fanatic but even I know that's got to be a great deal. I might start making regular trips to the pub for 5 wings every Thursday night.
Friday morning started off great listening to Ed Sheeran's two new singles. I've come to realize that I almost always don't like a song when I first hear it if it's a song I'm expecting to like (i.e. from an artist I'm familiar with). So I didn't form any opinions until later. And as expected, I really like both of them. I'm not sure which one I like better; it might have to be Castle On The Hill.

Last night I had some friends over to play Catan (I won). I also made my new meal of the week: spinach salad with dried cranberries, chicken, avocado, and poppyseed dressing. To be honest I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It might just make it on to my rotation of meals. I haven't decided what this week's recipe is going to be; it will depend on when I get to a grocery store next.

I also made rice krispie squares but they didn't turn out great. I think the marshmallows were past their prime.
Didn't do much today. Watched a sermon from The Meeting House online. I've started doing a daily doodle where I practice my lettering/doodling. It's not much but I'm trying out the concept that doing something everyday will help you get better at it. I'm patiently waiting for 9pm to roll around to watch the next Sherlock episode. I've had to stay off social media since this afternoon to avoid any spoilers, since Britain has already seen it and there are already things being posted about what happens.

219,000

This morning, my family went to Forest City Community Church. I don't think any of us had been before, but Alison had gone to the youth group there for a bit during high school. The one thing that really stood out to me from the service was when the pastor talked about 'sin counters'. Obviously these don't exist, but he made the following point: let's say that we sin 10 times a day. That's a generous number, but we'll be nice. That means 3650 sins a year. 36500 sins a decade. Now lets say you live to be 70. We'll take off the first 10 years of your life because you aren't really aware of things quite yet. That leaves you with 219,000. When you die, you'll be standing before Jesus and God with 219,000 sins. And that just hit me a bit. Thankfully, God doesn't keep record of that. But the idea of sinning so much (and 219,000 is a generous number) got me.

They're studying business, I study the floor

title taken from "A World Alone" by Lorde

Today I presented my mobile narrative about Knox Presbyterian Church in Stratford. It didn't go too well, because there was no one at the church and the doors were all locked, despite the fact that I told the church that we were going to be there and they had confirmed it with me. I heard back later from them and the lady said there was an emergency and she had to watch her grandson. So I understand; things happen, no biggie. But then she also said "I totally forgot". Which makes me a little less understanding. I'm a little disappointed that people couldn't experience the mobile narrative as it was supposed to be. But we still got compliments on it. I was really proud to have been chosen to be in the Student Showcase and have the opportunity to show it to a bunch of people. Hopefully it gets a good mark (it's worth 50% of my grade!).
And as of now, I'm basically coasting. I have three lectures left; one is a review session and one is just watching other groups present their projects. So not strenuous in any way. Three more days, then I'm headed home. Brief moment of true relaxation and then exams -_-  I got my stats midterm back: 95.2% baby! Highest mark in the class, and it's worth 30% of my final grade :)
I was complimented the other day on my writing. One of my group projects was to write up a case study report, so we were working in a google doc together. They said, "You have great vocabulary. It's like reading a real journal article!" It made me really happy :) I know my love language is acts of service, but more and more I feel like it's words of affirmation. I never thought I was a particularly great writer, but my university experience has taught me otherwise. Some of the things I read written by my classmates is appalling. I seriously wonder how they passed English in high school. I'm not saying I'm the best writer, but I'm definitely better than the apparent average of my program. I love it when you write a sentence, and you just want to bold it and underline it and read it out to everybody, because it's perfect - couldn't have been said better. That's my favourite :D

329. How do you vent your anger?
Through rants to people who are not involved in the cause of the anger and/or can relate to my anger.

330. Do you have a collection of anything?
Oh, do I ever.
- stamps
- coins
- mini books
- objects that are not their normal size (particularly in the stationary / office department)
- Lego Minifigures
I used to have a lot of other collections as well:
- small little rubber lizards that were in the goodie jar at the dentist
- mini keychain board games
- Kinder Egg surprise toys
- mini erasers
But in fits of rage about having too much junk, those ones have been disposed of. I used to pride myself on my collection of collections.

A Day in the Life?

I was going to go to church this morning, but then I missed the bus because I decided not to cross the street at the red flashing hand -_- So I came back and watched a sermon online. It was good, it discussed the question, "If God knows the future, how can we have free will?" I made some cookie dough, which I'll bake later tonight or tomorrow. Then my friend and I went to the mall, where we bumped into another one of our friends. We bought yoga mats and ankle weights because we are determined to do a mini work out each night. I figured, the only way I'm going to really get into the work out is if I know that I've invested money, cause then I have to make it worth it. Hopefully it works out (no pun intended). Then we all went to Dollarama, which we walked back from. I'm very tired. And now I'm going over to a friend's house tonight. This is too much for me to handle. And I haven't even got my school stuff together. There is not enough hours in the day. I'll just be happy to get into a routine.

250. Description of crush.
Don't have one

251. Fears?
Oblivion. Just kidding. I don't know that I really have a big fear. Sometimes I'm a little paranoid about forgetting things and needing to double check things, but I don't know if that's a fear. Sometimes, when I'm feeling philosophical, I fear the future.

My Life: A Summary

- minimum of 5 hours of studying each day

    - 2.5 hrs each for econ and business (I'm doing a chapter a day; I thought it would take me 45mins to an hour for each chapter, since I'm just reviewing what I've already read, but it's been taking me at least two hours)

- doing an image for my bookwork assignment for my art class

- which never turns out how I imagine in my brain

- so that just depresses me

- cause my hands are not the artist my brain is

- lack of sleep

- second and third winds, preventing sleep when I can actually have it

- drowning my sorrows in tea and baked goods (Timmies has these really good red velvet muffins right now)

- I like tea better with sugar, I've discovered

- which, you would think, wouldn't be a big deal

- but it is because the caf has sugar

- and I don't. So now if I want tea with sugar, it has to be when the caf is open

- which is never when I feel like tea

- going on an awkward outing with a boy that likes me

- drinking bubble tea on said outing

- which, quite frankly, was disgusting

- the bubble tea, that is

- there's this kind of middle aged man that works at Renison, doing maintenance stuff and odd jobs and whenever I see him, I just smile. Cause he seems like one of those guys that would just be really great to hang out with, like he would always be happy

- tea/sugar update: I've stolen some sugar packages from the caf

- but they're sugar alternatives, so I'm sure it will not be as good

- listening to Coldplay's "Fix You"

- avoiding my 5 hours of studying by writing this post

-  oh I also forgot to mention the hour of photoshop tutorials I need to watch

- because heaven forbid I don't know how to use the eraser tool and I need to watch a 5 minute video on it

- complaining to the void (you guys) about my problems

- which are nothing compared to the problems in Africa, which were mentioned in this morning's service

- I'm sitting by a window and these two squirrels keep running back and forth

- two mid-terms, a presentation, three chapter readings, and an assignment all (due) on Friday

- residence weekend brunches are my fav meals of the week because they have baked beans and pastries

- eating said pastries despite the fact that I already had a muffin

- I forgot to mention earlier that the muffin I got from Timmies was fresh baked; that's the pro of being up early, they've just opened and so everything was still warm and soft and gooey on the inside

- listening to Coldplay's "The Scientist"

- this post is taking longer to write that I originally thought

- apparently my time judgement is just completely off these days

- I went to the bank

- but forgot it was Sunday and the morning

- so it was closed

- so I couldn't get the loonies I need for laundry

- so that will be interesting when laundry day comes around (Wednesdays)

- I read on the bus

- because that's the only time I can find to read

- and I've really missed reading

- my tea has gone cold because I've been too busy typing to drink it 

- strawberry danish and red velvet muffin down, bread pudding to go

- I was going to try and stop eating to much in the pathetic hopes that I would look half decent in my bathing suit next week

- but to hell with that

- speaking of next week

- I can't even get excited because I have so much stuff to do

- including packing for next week

- which I'm stressing out about

- cause I'll probably forget something important

- like my bathing suit

- and I'm going to have to haul it all to Stratford

- don't even get me started on Stratford right now

- I am just about done with that place

- more specifically the campus/courses/professors

- damn this is taking a long time; listening to Hunter Hayes' "Invisible"

- I just dropped a piece of my bread pudding -_-
- my skind is really dry
- like, never before in my life has my skin been this dry
- the skin over my knuckles is cracking and splitting
- it's not like I needed that skin anyways

- the LEGO Movie got 97% on Rotten Tomatoes

- which makes me really happy

- cause I want to see it

- but now I really want to see it

- just watched The LEGO Movie trailer

- here, you can too:

- yeah and now I'm basically just stalling to avoid work

- oh hey I can do my daily things

- (the squirrels just ran by again)

91. Best room for a fireplace?

a cold one?

Sherlock: Character everyone likes but you don't.

Probably Anderson. Everyone hated him up until season three, where he was the only one who believed in Sherlock. And I really liked learning more about him in this season. But I'm still not a huge fan though.

I'm sitting pretty on the throne / There's nothing more I want / Except to be alone

- The Love Club, Lorde

QOTD #66

66. Cheetos or Fritos?
I feel like this isn't even a fair comparison. It's like comparing cookies to cupcakes. While in a similar range of each other, not comparable. But despite this unfairness, I choose Cheetos all the way.

Speaking of food, I went to the mall today. I went first for church. Then I sat in the food court and read a bit while I waited for the stores to open. I got some lunch from ManchuWOK and then went shopping. It was my little treat for myself. I went to the grocery store and guess what. I got two single servings of Kraft Dinner, a raman noodle bowl and a package of donut holes for $3.84. Three eighty-four! If that doesn't make you the happiest person, I don't know what will. I also bought Paper Towns by John Green because I've been wanting to read that for awhile and 500 Days of Summer. It was on sale for $5 and I thought, how far wrong can I go? Basically, I got a lot for very little today, and that makes me happy.

I've been in the process of going through and listening to every song in my iTunes library in alphabetical order. That sounds really OCD, but it was just a way to listen to the songs in a seemingly random order. Anyways, I've been paying attention to the lyrics more and I've found some lyrics that I really like. So every so often I might just tag some lyrics on the bottom of my posts.
I was listening to Weight of Living, Pt II by Bastille and I really liked the first verse and was going to add it to my list of lyrics. But then I just really liked the entire song, so here it is.

Weight of Living, Pt II 

by Bastille

The weight of living [x4]

All that you desired, when you were a child
Was to be old, was to be old
Now that you are here, suddenly you fear
You've lost control (You've lost control)
Do you like the person you've become? Oh

[Chorus]
Under the weight of living
You're under the weight of living
Under the weight of living
You are under the weight of living
The weight of living, the weight of living

It all crept up on you, in the night it got you
And plagued your mind, it plagues your mind
Every day that passes, faster than the last did
And you'll be old soon, you'll be old
Do you like the person you've become? Oh

[Chorus]
Under the weight of living
You're under the weight of living
Under the weight of living
You are under the weight of living
The weight of living, the weight of living

(Tell yourself this is how it's going to be)
(Tell yourself this is how it's going to be)

Oh, tell yourself this is how it's going to be.
Oh, tell yourself this is how it's going to be, oh.

[Chorus]
Under the weight of living
You're under the weight of living
Under the weight of living
You are under the weight of living
The weight of living, the weight of living
The weight of living, the weight of living

Aeropostale

Last weekend Aeropostale was having a 50% off sale so I decided to look at their website. There were some things I was interested in getting. If you spent $75, then you got free shipping. So I added some of those little thing that you don't really want, but you get anyways just to get yourself the free shipping. I go to put my order through and what appears but A $25 INTERNATIONAL HANDLING FEE. I couldn't believe it. I gave up on the order because it was all just so stupid. Free shipping means free shipping as in no additional money required. Then my parents were in an Aeropostale store and were able to get one of the things I had wanted. Unfortunately, the thing I wanted the most wasn't at the store. Yesterday I told myself that if I wanted to get people presents, I'm going to have to stop spending money on myself, because I've been spending money like there's no tomorrow recently. But when I went to church this morning and was walking through the mall, there it was. The thing I wanted, a neon coloured infinity scarf, hanging there, just waiting for me. And when I had been looking at it online, it was 50% off, but it was 60% off in the store, so that made it even harder to resist. So despite the fact that I don't have a lot of money and I told myself I wasn't buying anything else and everybody's gift budget just went down a smudge, I bought the scarf :)