These Boots Were Made For Walkin'... And That's Just What They'll Do.

I'm sure there's been a point in everybody's life where they've visted a city with an absolutely bustling neighbourhood or two. I'm talkin' about the kind where neat little shops and restaurants fill the streets, where there are patios set up haphazardly in front of mom and pop stores, and where street performers liven up even the most mundane stroll to the office. The sidewalks are filled with people; it feels like the very air itself could be alive. The classic Hollywood theme of "I met the love of my life here" could happen to you, in that feel-good place. Or you could bump into an old friend. Inspiration could kick you in the face, letting you paint the next Mona Lisa. The human energy is incredible, and the possibilities are nearly endless.

...Yep. So, that's a walkable neighbourhood, or a "pedestrian-friendly" neighbourhood - and part of the reason why they are awesome. And just so you know, those badboys are an absolute MUST for humans to survive in harmony with the rest of Earth's population both now, and in the future, so listen up.





Why Walkable Neighbourhoods Rock:

-They battle obesity

You're taking the initiative to take yourself - You're walking around, not sitting and letting a machine take you where you want to go.

According to a comprehensive community report called "Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids," obesity costs Canada an estimated $1.6 billion per year from medical bills and related expenses alone. There's another $2.7 billion in indirect losses, from productivity loss, disability insurance, and self-esteem problems resulting in mental issues. Hospitals are beginning to purchase more large-capacity beds and wheelchair equipment, and gastric bands ($$$). They have also invested in the invention of a higher weight capacity stretcher, capable of carring individuals up to 700lbs without breaking (how sad.) I vote the money starts going towards promoting a more active lifestyle, and making it possible to integrate activity into even the busiest schedule. Having a foot-friendly neigbourhood could assist in combatting the obeisity epidemic. A study done in Washington shows that people who live in walkable neighbourhoods on average weigh 7lbs less than people who live in sprawling neighbourhoods. Not to mention you'll get to show off those fantastic shoes you just bought.


-They battle social isolation.

You can't NOT be around people. They're everywhere! It's undeniable there's a certain feeling that comes from being in a lively area. These neighbourhoods can help us feel good! (And you can't deny that that helps in a lot of other life situations, too.)

Relationships aren't what they used to be. In a 2006 study, it was discovered that the number of Americans who had someone they could discuss important matters with dropped to nearly one third of its previous amount. It was also discovered that the number of people who said they had no one with whom to discuss difficult topics more than doubled, to nearly 25%. They also found out that both family and non-family confidants dropped. Shrinking social networks are a cause for concern, whether or not they seem to be - it means people are less likely to get involved with and volunteer in clubs and organizations, some of which are crucial to certain societal areas. It also means during bad times, more and more people are forced to suffer alone. And that's no fun.
The report places some blame on the shoulders of technology for reducing the need for face-to-face, real-time interaction. With walkable neighbourhoods, you're out there. In faces. Talking and interacting in real time. You could be inspired to volunteer, to get involved. Seeing is believing; sometimes all it takes is some in-person exposure to make things seem more achievable, and more "real."


-They battle urban sprawl
No need for fatty roads taking up space, people are using their feet. Oh, so THAT'S what those are for?! Siiiick.
This means you're saving valuable natural land, which is both gorgeous to look at, and necessary for our furry and feathered friends! And, you know, snails and stuff. Preventing unecessary urban sprawl can also prevent farmland loss, which means more food for us to eat.


-They reduce car crashes
It's simple. Less cars = less crashes. Woot. Less car usage also means you're saving money on fuel and repair costs, which we all know can cost a bundle.
According to the Toronto Star, 299 people died in the GTA alone in 2005, from car accidents. That's one place in all of Canada. The less you use cars, the less you're exposing yourself to the possibilty of an accident involving one. Alcohol is still a major cause of fatal accidents; it accounts for nearly 40% of fatally injured drivers. And guess what - in a walkable neighbourhood, you's walkin'. Not drivin'. That means it's much safer on the way home from the pub, for both yourself and any other people who may be in the area.


-They battle climate change

Walking doesn't produce fossil fuels. Now there's something to feel good about.
There's no doubt that climate change is a huge driving force in today's world. The economy changes, the products we consume change... I guess you could say the way we live our lives as a whole changes. We are becoming more and more aware of the problems caused by the greenhouse effect, and are feeling more and more pressed to do something about it. So here's your chance. Save the polar bears, and the ozone. Help decrease the demand for oil (it'll save you money on your roadtrips, too.) Do something nice for your planet - There are a lot more people that live here besides just you.
Oh, and a busier area encourages more forms of public transportation - a bus can be up to ten times safer than a car. It can also encourage city planners to build bike lanes. All of this can seriously improve our air quality.

So, yes. I propose cities look into creating more pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods. They seem to have a lot going for them, and I know I personally would love to have one around. My city's downtown core has slowly been sapped of its life - The city planners thought it'd be cool to build a great big new mall to encourage expansion outward, then decided it'd be an even BETTER idea to build a fatass Wal-Mart even FURTHER AWAY. Traffic has increased. Pollution has increased. Forest areas around here have DEcreased.... in fact, one of the two last remaining (boreal? I forget) habitats in southern Ontario was destroyed for a suburb. Needless to say, I was bummed. I still glare at that neighbourhood when we DRIVE BY ON OUR WAY TO THE MALL, THE ONLY PLACE LEFT IN TOWN TO BUY CLOTHES.

So, encourage your city to foster public places where people can gather - without their gas guzzlers.

PS: I'm typing on a broken keyboard, you'd better appreciate me. That was a long thing, just there.

-Bee

Superhero Feelings

I am going to be writing a post shortly. A post that is actually useful to others. It is going to be about something people take for granted - Something called "walkable neighbourhoods." You might not know what I'm talking about, but you will once I write this post. And you will appreciate it. And maybe even use your newfound knowledge to go out there into that bright and shiny world and make some changes that could eventually help save the planet.

And now, my turn to feel.

I feel:

Like I want to go down to the bay and just quietly sit with somebody while the sun goes down.
Like I want to talk, and have things to talk about that others will enjoy listening to.
Like I want to get dressed up as though I have somewhere to go.
Like I want somewhere to go.
Like I want to have someone I can always rely on.
Like I want to be able to rely on myself.
Like I want others to be able to rely on me.
Like I need reassurance that I'm making the right decisions.
Like I want some guidance and direction to get me rolling.
Like I want a tall glass of water.
Like having Felix come home and take me out for popsicles - it would be the best thing.
Like I want to ride the train.
Like I want to be hugged.
Like I want to take pictures - There haven't been enough memories lately.
Like I want to go shopping with Devon, because she's willing to tell me if a shirt looks ugly as sin on me or not.
Like I need to be something I'm not in order to keep people happy, sometimes.



-Bee

Something's Different...

You may have noticed there is a new header. I, too, have noticed. If it grows on me, it stays. If it doesn't, well... let's just say it goes to that "special place" that all poorly done blog headers go. Feel free to submit ideas for a new blog name, and a new header design - I will love you forever. And possibly cook you dinner.

-Bee

The God of Post-Secondary Has Spoken (He says he hates me.)

Alright. I think I'm entitled to a rant now and again. No one says you have to read it, though... it will be long and arduous. This rant is to explain my situation, academically, for the last year and a bit, and how I'm about ready to just give up altogether.

For health reasons, I was pulled out of school in the second semester of my senior year (great timing, eh? :P) In order to graduate highschool and get my diploma, I had to take three extra courses to compensate for what I'd missed in being pulled from school. I was in the "U" steam, (university-bound) and eagerly anticipating my switch to post-secondary and all the new things that go with it.

WELL.

I did my courses at the ALC, also known to our town as the Adult Learning Center, or the Center For Alternative and Continuing Education. They allowed me to work from home, since I was incapable of getting to a regular institution on a daily basis to study. I did the courses, had them in on time, and was generally happy with myself. So when January rolled around, and it was time for me to apply to school, I thought I was golden. Had great marks (I am very... particular, with how I do at school) and was ready to go. I went to send my application in, and discovered something horrifying.

The person who had been overseeing my course list at ALC had given me the wrong ones. He had given me C-level ones, or college courses. Now, you might be wondering why I didn't notice the difference in difficulty... I've never really struggled with U courses either. Always been able to manage high marks without an excess of stress (unless it was math. Boo math.) From the start, he had also assured me that in taking these courses, I'd be good to go.

Anyway. So I went in, had my rant, told Mr. Idiot that he'd provided me with the wrong stuff to complete, and that now I was unqualified to even apply to university. He told me to come back another day, and he'd have a solution. So I came back the next available day (seeing as he's only there for an hour window each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday - 11:00am-noon) and he wasn't there. Cool. So I came by the NEXT available day. He was there, but just leaving. Realizing his mistake, he threw the only available courses he had for me to take - Writer's Craft (a massive workload... the biggest they had on-site) math, and then told me he'd give me whatever other course they could order in from another place. Later, though; not right now. Sweet. I hated math, didn't have a lot of time to do WC, and dearly hoped they weren't going to order in some crazy-massive course from wherever they order things from.

So I started working on the Writer's Craft course, and slowly but surely began on the 26 000 essays required (okay, that's an exaggeration. But that's pretty well all the freaking course is, so.) I dropped the math because it wasn't my style. Couldn't do it in the state I was in (the health thing, which I will potentially address in another post, but not for right now.)

Around this same time, I decided that since I was qualified to apply to college, that maybe I could apply and go for a one-year program, as sort of a stepping stone to getting to university. Plus, as I soon discovered, Fanshawe (the college I was considering) had excellent support for my health needs. So, that didn't seem so bad, and it'd probably be good to keep my options open in case university didn't work out. I applied, and tried calling the ALC in order to get the transcript of my marks to send away to be reviewed with my application. They said they didn't have it, but could get it for me another day. Needless to say, it took a few more calls, and a few more fruitless visits before someone actually told Mr. Idiot what I had been calling about. Nothing came of it, though. He said he'd get to it when he could.

A month later, I recieved a letter saying that the college needed my transcript. An "official" copy, one issued from whatever school I had been attending prior. So, feeling frustrated because of the lack of response from the ALC, I went to go pick it up from my old highschool; Only, they wouldn't give it to me. Turns out, Mr. Idiot hadn't updated my transcript with my end marks on those college courses, so I didn't even have a highschool diploma yet. I was both angry and disappointed, and immediately called him at his office. He wasn't there.

I called again another day, finally getting through to him. "Oh. Right, well I'll do that later today. You can pick it up by tomorrow." Finally. I could breathe a sigh of relief. Called the school the next morning, and found out that the woman who was in charge of handing out transcripts was not there that day. You can imagine my mood, now :P It seemed EVERYTHING POSSIBLE was going wrong. I went back the next day to get it. She was away on lunch break (it was 1:30pm. Hm.) Waited around for a while, she came back and printed me off a copy. Excellent. I left, and mailed the transcript first chance I got.

Checking with http://www.ontariocolleges.com/, I realized that even a week later, my transcript hadn't arrived. That didn't make sense, it was priority mail - should've arrived the very next day. I re-checked the letter I'd recieved requesting my transcript - yeah, I'd sent it to the office of the registrar, the place that had sent me the letter. I called an academic counsellor I'd been working with, who then called the college itself - They said I had to send it to GUELPH, not to them directly. Lame. So, had to go back, get another copy of my transcript, and send it to Guelph. They got it three days later, and processed it two days after that. While all this was going on, I applied to residence.

I waited nearly two weeks before my acceptance showed up on the website. I didn't accept right away - I wanted to make sure I got residence, which was being sent out on the 20th of April (a week later.) And today, I went out to my mailbox, and there it was. My letter. With a great big smile and my brother in tow, I sprinted back inside, eagerly tore the letter open... and realized I didn't get residence. Even as a first-year, I didn't get it. I had been previously told by my parents that unless I got residence, they wouldn't be paying the money to have me go away to school. Hopes sinking yet again, I checked what my place was on the wait list.


... 971 out of 980 people. One of the LAST people they'd choose if an opening came up. The letter tried to be encouraging, saying that it wasn't uncommon for people in the range of number 400-500 to get in before the semester began, but I mean, come on. I was number nine-hundred and seventy-one. There were 970 people AHEAD of me. Fat chance of me getting residence.

So feeling sad, I started apartment hunting online. I am determined to not stick around here for another year, this town is a little bit smothering. I'm sure I'll miss it once I'm gone, but I need a few years to make sure I can really appreciate it here, should I ever choose to move back.

Also. To add insult to injury, tonight at dinner mum let us break a wishbone. "Make a wish!! :D " So, I wished for some smoother sailing here on in, post-secondary wise. Ben made his wish. And we pulled... - THE WISHBONE SHATTERED INTO THREE PIECES AND NO ONE GOT THEIR WISH.

For serious, someone up there must really not want me to go away to school.
Ever.



-Bee


PS: I never did send away applications to university. I was bluntly told I could not send my transcript away as a "work in progress" to universities. Only highschool students were allowed -midterm marks would be sent away, and acceptances based on those marks, plus final marks. But they wouldn't allow me to, since I wasn't attending highschool. And considering I'm now ten days away from Fanshawe retracting their offer if I don't accept, I'd rather be safe. If I tried for university and they didn't accept me, I would be left with nowhere to go.

The Great Debate

It's been a while since I've written anything, and I suppose it's about time I hopped back on the horse, here. I'm in the market for a new computer. Laptop, specifically; one that I can carry with me class to class at university, one that has all the regular office functions while still having decent gaming and media-creating applications. One that will last. Gotta be easy to navigate, fast (especially for internet load times - this thing's a piece of shit) and be capable of surviving a while on just battery power.

...Yeah, I sound kind of picky. But why shouldn't I be, if I'm going to be paying THAT much money, let alone for a gadget I'm going to use frequently - probably every single day of the time I own it. I think it's justified, and crucial to know what you want out of a product.

So anyway, the main dilemma at the moment is this: Should I go Mac, or Windows?

Before you rush off on your parade of "OMFG <3 Mac = LOVE!!!1 FTW" please note: I loved this computer. It is a Toshiba. I still do love it, though now in a sorrowful way instead of a joyful one (WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DIE?!) I'm not personally against PCs in any way; I can say I've had quite a few good experiences with them. (So if you're gunna say something, give me valid arguments, please.)

.... In my online research adventures (cue the Indiana Jones theme song) I've been somewhat disappointed in the amount of resources that are available to me. So far, the useful information I've been able to discover is as follows:


Mac: Sleek, asthetically-pleasing and modern design. Is for "fun" people. Specifically, "young" and "hip" people. Useful in "creative" applications, like music and video editing, though Microsoft office programs may be bought for it. Costs a lot more money. Gadgets and addons cost a lot more money. No viruses. Layout is weird for those switching from PC. Can't use webcam across from a Mac to a PC (webcam is something I use a lot for visiting with long-distance friends and family, and many have PCs.) Not all games and programs are compatible. Decent battery life. Decent support from Apple, should something go wrong. Yay Apple.



PC: Gets viruses. Has a wider variety of user-specific solutions (ie. computer suited to gaming, computer suited to business, computer suited to media editing, etc.) Will slow down and break over time. Will suffer "crashes." Vista sucks balls. Don't buy Vista. Is more affordable. Gadgets and addons are more affordable. Most programs are compatible. Decent battery life. DON'T BUY VISTA.





People are super possessive about their computers, eh? Some love to just bash - some prefer to quietly revel is self-glory. Some are nice and attempt to make an accurate comparison, but end up showing slight inconsistencies. I have found maybe one or two articles that proved helpful to me, in attempting to decide which will be my product of choice. Where are all the comparisons? ...Done by professionals that actually know what they're talking about? (Though, without getting too crazy with the geek-speak... I'm an ordinary person, you see. Not familiar with that language :P ) You'd think it would be a common issue, considering Mac's rise in popularity over the last few years - What about us PC users? Should we make the switch, or no? This computer has to last me through school, so I'm not afraid to put some money towards the thing. But I also don't want to go bankrupt just for the sake of a particular brand name. Maybe I would for good technology, though. What constitutes "top of the line" anyway? Pff. This is too much stress just for buying a computer. Why are we all so dependent on them? What ever happened to a good ol' piece of paper, and a nice pen?! I like pens. *sob*

-deep breath- Anyway. It's kind of sad, but I get hand cramps from handwriting now, because I do it so infrequently. And I'm not talking cramping up after writing a three-hour exam, but cramping up after ten minutes then chucking the pencil at somebody's head because even after all my crampy effort, my writing looks like shit. My younger brother, who is fifteen, didn't even know how cursive writing worked until his teacher made the class learn it for fun. Pathetic.

Someone, save me from the horrors that is computer-buying. Maybe later I'll post a picture of my poor Toshiba, and everyone can point and laugh. I'll tell you this: the screen is broken (hardware) so there's a nice fat stripe, maybe two inches wide, that runs from top to bottom. Completely impedes my view, WOO. The "i" key on the keyboard is missing. The silver paint is worn off where my hands sit, leaving large black splotches that look like burn marks. The hinges to open and close the thing are cracked and split. And it will only stay turned on for seven minutes once it's unplugged - battery is TOASTED. Yep, this is my baby. My horrifically destroyed, scarred, and mostly non-functional baby. You're just jealous.




REPRESENT.




-Bee

Hey Now, Don't Look At Me That Way...

There's something about myself that I generally enjoy, but can also be somewhat embarrassed by at times - I cannot see something cute and not react. And when I say I consistently react when presented with adorable things, I mean I usually:

a) Squeak and try to hide from it (??? Why, I will never be able to say. Just happens.)

b) Burst out with "AWWW" and "LOOK AT IT?!" and many combinations of these phrases while wringing my hands and wanting too badly to just hold whatever it is ("It NEEDS me...")

c) Completely lose my abiliy to speak and form words

d) Fall over

e) Feel like crying because of its sheer adorableness.

f) Actually start crying because of its sheer adorableness.

It's something that's always been a facet of my personality. I mean, how does everybody else react when they see cute things? Obviously not as outwardly as I do. Sure, they feel all warm and fuzzy too, but the ball pretty well stops there. They don't need to hold somebody's hand just to keep themselves from imploding at the site of a cute robot traversing Central Park (It must be the music, I swear.)

Something I can always count on to cheer me up is Youtube, with its countless videos of cute things - this time, specifically, laughing babies. I think I can honestly say that if you're having a bad day, you could just watch a video of a little baby laughing, and you'll feel, at the very least, a bit better. I personally enjoy the ones with hearty laughs that sound too full for their little bodies. Like this guy. But fail babies are also pretty great, like this kid. Or how about ones that appreciate music? (LOOK AT HIS SOCKS; HOW CUTE IS THAT? :D ) Then there's the buhlud kid. It doesn't even have to be baby humans to make people smile. See? Everyone loves them. I could go on about them ALL DAY. But I won't, because there's more I should be doing today besides blabbing on about cute things. Even though that'd be the best day ever.

Happiness needs to go around and make it into more people's lives. Mass happiness... can you imagine what the world would be like?

I'm stalling, aren't I? Schoolwork, here I come... What makes you happy?

-Bee

Easter, and Being Artsy Fartsy

Hoping everybody had a happy Easter :) If that's your holiday to celebrate.

My Easter celebration consisted of two giant turkey dinners, one brunch, one luncheon, and enough chocolate to make me both horribly facially-disfigured (acne and rotted teeth, anyone?) and obese by the time the month is out. But I'm pretty pumped regardless; I am a chocolate fiend. By which I mean I just like to eat chocolate, like most other people.

Anyway. I've been a busy bee lately. Besides getting hauled all over town all weekend, I've been attempting to design blog headers for other people, and it's FUN. I mean, I really like it. I was glad to oblige when Shane asked for one, so you can go check that out here. It's simple, yeah. But he likes it, and I like it too. I'd like to maybe do more, for my other friends. We'll see what happens.

I'm looking to make a new one for my own blog too - maybe I'll do that tonight. Suggestions?

-Bee

Camouflage!

I'm the type of person that frequently ends up with a lot of saved photos on their computer. Usually, of random things: art, funny pictures (LOLcats!) and normally, a lot of great conversation starters. Like this:

Is that not the greatest sleeping bag you've ever seen? You could wake up and hop after people in the middle of the night, "ROAR!!" or better yet, just stick your head out of the bushes with the top zipped up and stare until some unsuspecting camper notices your presence. Brilliance. Here are some more photos of "The Sleeping Bear:"

Kind of gruesome in an awesome way, those last ones. Almost like it's eaten a child or something. Anyway, regardless - I want one. Not entirely sure when it goes on sale, or how much it would be; It was made by artist Eiko Ishizawa for an exhibition, so as of right now it's one-of-a-kind. But someday... Sigh.

Moving on - Today, a friend sent me a link to urban camouflage, which is another really neat idea. Just like the Sleeping Bear is a kind of camouflage, ("ROAR!!!") this stuff can also be completely terrifying as well. Imagine walking up beside a quiet looking bus stop, only to find the posters have a face. A face that can talk back and roll its eyes at you. Spooky. I'm not sure if some of these photos are Photoshopped or not, but regardless. Cool stuff.

Know what's also cool? ...Time for food.


-Bee

Crispy Rabbits and The Stink Eye

You know, the experience of being able to go to bars and order drinks without worrying about the wrath of a bouncer is a strange feeling. Especially for someone who isn't horribly excited about drinking, or partying. So, like me. Yeah, I do enjoy going out now and again, but I do think it's gunna take a bit of getting used to, now that I'm actually able to legally. This past weekend was a good start to that. And a good start to some other crazy things, too.

I took the Friday night train to London to see m'boyfriend. Or, more specifically, use his house as home base while I went to the Saturday open house for the college there. I met up with my friend Mimi and her friend (whosenameItotallyforgetandamhorribleforitbecauseshe'sawesome,) and she came around the school with me while I did tours, talked to professors, etc. There were two vague areas I had signed up for, each with it's own specific option towards my future:

Option A) Horticulture Tech. This means working outdoors a lot. Plants and trees, both of which I love. Nature in general, really. Careers in greenhouses, plant production, landscaping, etc.
GREAT THINGS:
-I get to play in the dirt outside with pretty flowers all day, which is a love of mine.
-Last year, the 34 students who graduated the two-year program got work immediately; there were 155 job offers for them to choose from.
-The job market is fairly recession-proof. These jobs are always needed within cities.
-Pay starts at 20$ an hour.
-There is an opportunity for furthering education: Two years at an Alberta university to get a full-out degree.
DOWNSIDES:
-Seasonal work, until you're hired by a company and move up in the ranks.
-Some companies turn to general city maintainance during the winter months, ie. snow removal (I can NOT picture myself driving a snowplow around at 3 in the morning. No thanks.)
-It's very job-specific training; if somewhere down the line I discover it's not for me, there's not a whole lot else I can do with the education.
Option B) One year of the Liberal Studies program.
GREAT THINGS:
-I don't know what I want to do as a career yet, so being exposed to many different subjects, options, and themes as I would in this program MIGHT be a good thing to happen for me.
-It's university preparation. The college has an agreement with the University of Western Ontario to accept a certain number of students each year into the Arts and Humanities faculty.
-There's a focus on language. I'm good at language.
- Tons of options. Certain credits within the program can also go towards both alternate college, and university educations.
DOWNSIDES:
-It's very generic. I'll be all over the place, less focus.
- The electives/compulsory I can take aren't always going to have anything to do with things I'm interested in. At all. For example, I have to take a social-somethingy credit. And this means I have to take WOMEN'S STUDIES. And I am in no way a feminist. The extremes some of these people go to are insane, and I get pissy just listening to them go at it, sometimes. I can't fairly go off and say they're all crazy, but I've met some that definately missed the boat. I'll just throw in a lot of words like "oppressed" and "conform to male ideals" and stuff in my essays. Should make 'em happy.
- Essays. There will be lots, and lots, and lots of essays. Not that I'm LAZY OR ANYTHING.

Anyway. So when we got to the college, we wandered around. Mimi gave a quick tour as to what there was to see. Caf, res, store... whatevs. We found the main horitculture classroom (it's a very small program) as well as the landscape design area of the building (considerably more packed.) Only one other prospective student showed up, which was kind of saddening. The poor professor was just talking away, being completely technologically illiterate ("Can someone turn the volume down for the slideshow??") and scatterbrained, and otherwise just being a sweet older gentleman who was very passionate about his work. I liked him right away. We visited the greenhouse, which wowed myself and the other girl who was curious about the program, while those who weren't there out of interest/didn't "get it" stood nearby, bored and nose-picking, sometimes idly poking at a nearby cactus or something. We said our goodbyes, but when it was time to find the Liberal Studies program... no one was there. There wasn't even a place dedicated to for the professors to talk to prospective students or anything. In fact, the entire floor that was supposed to be occupied was completely empty. Pff. So that was a flop. I kind of needed to talk to someone about it, too.

Regardless. I loved the facilities, felt decently at home in the place. Though, I still love the feeling of a great big university campus, rather than the almost high-school-like atmosphere of Fanshawe. Green spaces, old buildings... all very inspiring to me. The college is amost industrial in design.

Anyway. So that was SATURDAY. Let's go back in time a bit. Friday night was spent went Shane and his friends Nic, Muffin, and Paul at a pub. Which was really fun. I got a couple of drinks bought for me (to make up for a lack of the birthday variety last month) and just generally hung out. Being the noob I am, I just told the bartender to, "Make me something good, because I'm clueless." Cosmopolitans? Not bad at all. I can see where they'd be dangerous, though. Overall, an enjoyable night. And at the end of it, an action sequence. Shane almost got into a fight with four crazy guys with Spanish-like accents. Because they thought he said something that he did not. The crowd at the hotdog stand was on our side, though. Plus, when the ringleader decided to jog out of the group after us, I turned around and gave him a look of pure venom. He stopped, turned around, and went back to his group. For serious. I must be scarier than I thought! /flex :D




After I got back from Fanshawe on Saturday, we went to the farmer's market (LOVE IT) and had lunch with his mum and her... boyfriend? His semi-step dad. Whatever. His Bob. Yeah! Bob's a nice guy.

So anyway. I sang Radiohead songs with a lonely girl performing in the space between the bakery and the deli. But I was shy, so I mostly just hovered around singing to the cupcakes while letting her hear me, although barely - I was quiet. She seemed pleased; plenty of smiles to show someone was actually listening to her.

Sunday was excellent. Spent it scrubbing tubs, washing floors, doing laundry... and watching horror movies. And walking around a really pretty park, by a river. Perfect afternoon, considering a) I love cleaning and organizing OTHER peoples' houses. [Just not my bedroom.] But for other people? YEAH! and b) Horror movies are the shit. But only when I'm in the mood for them. ... c) Going for walks on warm sunny days? Pretty much gorgeous. I saw a fat groundhog pigging out on grass, too. Squealed, chased it and failed. But at least I didn't fall into the ditch that was there, too.

By the way. I love bunnies. We all know this. But, Charlie convinced Paul to buy a rabbit at the market this weekend. A dead one. In order to cook it. And I had the wonderful time of seeing this dead carcass crisping away on the barbeque before I left. Coming from a game-hunting family, dead things are not news to me, but the fact that he insists on still calling it a rabbit (almost as though it is alive D: ) is disheartening. Poor bunny, you were doomed from the start. I heard you tasted good, though. If that's any form of consolation whatsoever.

Now, to sleep. I've got a driving lesson in the mornin' that I don't feel like missin'. Hopefully the weather people lied when they said there's going to be fifteen centimetres of wet snow, tonight. Disgusting. Bring on SPRING, I SAY.

My bed feels empty, not having somebody to share it with. At least now I don't have to worry about drooling and having somebody witness my sleep face (ew.) Though, I will definately miss the heat pirating.


-Bee.

And The Moral Is: Don't Suprise People Holding Scissors.

KAY. So, I'm pregnant.

... APRIL FOOLS!! Because, that's funny, right? Well, my best friend thinks it is, anyway.

So I was happily napping on a sunny afternoon when my phone buzzed to life beside me on the bedside table. Eyes half-open, I reached for it, and as usual the new message popped up up on the sceen, this time from my best friend, Devon: "I'm pregnant." Uh, ok. Panic. This is the part where my eyes snapped open, I responded with a textbook, "WHAT," logged onto MSN within seconds and started spamming a conversation window with "OKAY, BREATHE. WE CAN DO THIS. GUNNA BE OK." About three seconds later, it hit me. It's April first. April Fool's Day.

Goddamnit.

Turns out she pulled the same thing on most of her friends, her mother, and ... her boyfriend. Now there's a relationship tester, hopefully he doesn't up and run *growls* And I'm sure her poor mother's just at home having a heart attack at the computer desk right about now. I should bake her cupcakes.

See, I'm partially peeved because I wish I would've thought of it first. Also, because my glorious nap was interrupted. Other than that though, I'm cool with it. I wish I could come up with something to get her back... I mean, there's no way I could get either her, OR my boyfriend with an April Fool's prank. No way. Though I'm sure before the day is out I will have fallen for something clever he's thought up, since she's already got me once. Or at least something from my parents, like last year. "We bought you a car!!" *cries*

I'm in a completely different crisis, however. One that's striking me as slightly more agitating, the more time passes. You see, I've been trying to grow my hair out for the last year or so, from being just above my shoulders in length. Except now it's annoying because it's long. And I don't like always tying it up to keep it off of me, always wearing a ponytail or something. Suggestions? Someone, please... take away the scissors.

-Bee

FAIL OF THE DAY: Spotted a large, dead animal of some sort wedged in the tree in front of my house. Freaked out, called parents at work, texted Shane in class, and tackled my brother as he came in the door to get him to go "rescue it." Upon closer inspection... it was a stick.