I Want a Gnome

So, recently I have been interested in a photo-a-day project. It's where you take a photo everyday, as per the photo-a-day name. I have been researching the project and it looks like a lot of fun, and something to keep you creative. This guy takes a picture of himself everyday and has been documenting the changes. He's been doing it for like 11 years. There's also this blog that blogs about other peoples projects. They call them 365s. So they take a photo everyday for a year. Some people draw trees, or create butterflies out of household objects. Since I am applying for a youth exchange, I have been following a lot of blogs and youtubers that are on exchange. One girl in particular, also has another blog account for her garden gnome. She took her gnome with her to Thailand and takes a photo of her gnome doing different activities. This looks fantastic. The only problem is that I don't have a gnome, and my life isn't interesting enough to take pictures of a gnome everyday. This is unfortunate. But, if I get into my exchange I am going to do this. For sure. So, if you happen to come across a cute garden gnome, pick it up for me. Thanks. If I don't get it, I will come up with some other photo-a-day project. I also want a better camera because mine sucks balls.

 I think a garden gnome would be a cool halloween costume.

Anyhoo, the Rotary info night is coming up soon on November 2nd. I also have two presentations that I have to give next week and 2 books to read for school. Funerific.

Also recently, I started listening to fleetwood mac. Yes, Stevie Nicks with a bunch of other people that noone knows. Then I realized that as a child, I would only remember the Stevie part, and I had no idea who Stevie Nicks was, I only knew about Stevie Wonder so whenever people said Stevie Nicks or Stevie Wonder I just automatically assumed they were talking about Stevie Wonder.

 This is Stevie Nicks

This is Stevie Wonder...who I thought everyone was talking about when they said Stevie Nicks...

Good Day.

it's the most wonderful time of the year

No, I am not confused as to what month it is, I know it's October, and I know that Christmas is not in October. For me the most wonderful time of the year is AUTUMN!!!!! Well..it's sort of a tie...I guess October to January is the best time for me...minus all the snow..I don't really like the cold but I do like Christmas...Anyways backtrack to autumn (tape rewinding sound effect playing in your head). October...the changing leaves, the perfect weather, not too hot, not too cold...just jeans and a light jacket or sweater...the odd drizzly days where you can cozy up and watch a halloween movie on family channel with a warm cup of hot chocolate. Ahhhh heaven. Well that's the way it was when I was twelve, now I have to squeeze the wonderfulness in between working and homework. But, I always find the time to enjoy it. Now, on to Halloween movies on family channel. They are so childish but oh so wondrous at the same time. Halloweentown being the most epic, along with Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire, Twitches 1 and 2 and Don't Look Under the Bed. It's really strange, I always brag about being in love with the Halloween movies on the family channel, which I am, but I have never really watched or enjoyed the 'classic' Halloween movies like Hocus Pocus and Beetlejuice, the two movies that everyone asks about when I talk about the movies. I have tried watching these, but never really got into them. Wierd. I always watch at least 2 movies every weekend, although it's very unfortunate that Family decided to change their 'Popcorn Pix' layout to only include one movie at 12:00, instead of a movie at 12 and a movie at 1:30....that's 2 less movies to enjoy every weekend!

 How pretty is this...no I didn't take it..although I wish I did.

Also in October we have Thanksgiving!!! (I am Canadian...American Thanksgiving is our shopping holiday, where my mom buys all of our Christmas Presents). This weekend, my grandparents, and my Aunt and Uncle are coming over to enjoy a Turkey and all of the wonderful foods that come with it...homemade stuffing, mashed potatoes and the best part BRUSSEL SPROUTS!! ....I'm not kidding...I love them. So does my entire family...and we aren't crazy. We just have an awesome way to cook them. I don't like them unless my family makes them. If you just boil them, they are really bitter and gross. The way you do it, is cook them in chicken broth..once they are tender, drain them, then cover them in cheese. Best vegetable...so so good. Then comes dessert...pumpkin pie. The only pie I like. For some reason gooey fruit doesn't appeal to me...apple pie, cherry pie etc etc...not good. Pumpkin pie: good. I also get 2 days off of school so that I can stuff my face for that much longer, this really isn't a good way to combat childhood obesity, but the government knows what they are doing.....its a stat holiday. The only problem I have with having Thanksgiving in October is the fact that we now have two wonderful things in one month and 0 in November..I think I might get like a PA day at school but that's over once you get to university. Also, when I was younger and the teacher used to order the calendar headers from American Companies, and the Turkey picture was always on the November month and it took me like 4 extra years to realize that Thanksgiving was in October and not November because when I was 4 I had no concept of time. Do you know what I mean? Way to confuse a child.

 Remember these bad boys...theres totally food on the November one.

In other news, mentorship is getting better. I got to do real science the other day and the rats came in and I get to help take care of them. But that's about it on that note.

I put in my preliminary application for the Rotary Exchange!!! It took me a really long time to write, even though it was only one page of questions. The longer answers were to the questions like "Why do you want to be an exchange student" and "what do you hope to accomplish". I still have to go to the information night with my parents, and if they like this application I have to do an interview, and then fill out a 20 page application including letters, essays, short answers, pictures, doctor/dentist/teacher visit...on and on and on. But it is sooo worth it. I have never wanted to do anything this bad my entire life. I just want to do something that is for me, my own journey. Learn and new language, meet new people, become bicultural. I'll keep you posted on what happen with this...I'm so excited though. I spend my time googling Rotary every night...instead of doing math..but oh well.

If you have never had the chance to experience Halloweentown..here's a little glimpse of what you are missing. Go watch it.

 

 

1998 was such a wonderful year.

Anyways, after I wrote this, I accidentally deleted it, and then blogger saved my blank draft...and there is no way to go back to older saved drafts...thanks blogger, I love rewriting posts. I hope I captured the original magic.

toodles

being the adult in the conversation

This is another looking back to when I was little post, now that I am entering grade 12 (tomorrow..but I'll get to that later), that means I can almost be considered an adult...almost. So anyways, remember when your parents would force you to say, call your grandparents, or talk to your great aunt on the phone to thank her for the card she got you for your birthday...and the conversation would be completely one sided because you have absolutely no idea what to say to these people? You would go over the same questions like, hows school? hows piano/guitar/dance/insert activity here lessons? hows your dog? are you enjoying ____? etc etc...blah blah blah. Anyways, these conversations were always to be avoided because its actually the worst most awkward thing ever. But now that I'm older, and have littler cousins, they are the ones who are being subjected to these conversations....with me. I've never had this experience before until, I was talking to my aunt on the phone, having a normal conversation because I now know how to be social without being rude to relatives, and she suddenly hands the phone to my little cousin who obviously has no idea what to say. Neither did I. So of course I turned to those stupid questions..."so are you excited for school? what grade are you going into again?" responses all one worded of course. This was a very weird experience for me, since I was always used to being the one who answered the questions, not asked them. Eventually I was just like...okay uh can you hand the phone back now....thanks. Let's not repeat that again.

Anyways, it's that time of year again...I have to go back to school tomorrow :(. But, it's my last year of high school..then off to university some where...I can't believe I actually have to start applying in a couple of months.

On another note, I'm almost done the room reno! It looks freaking fantastic...now I just have to finish cleaning all my random crap off the floor that I have no idea what to do with. yay....

goodbye.

gender vs. hot beverages

Coffee and Tea. When you were little, you always saw adults drinking coffee and tea. At the time I thought they were gross but now I have come to love both of them....well only coffee when it is concocted in some weird way into a latte or something at starbucks..but still..it counts. In my household, my Dad always had a cup of black coffee in his Tigger mug, and my mom always had a cup of tea (two cream, one sweetener if you were wondering..which you probably weren't). This is always the way it was...Dad never drank tea, Mom never drank coffee. This planted the notion in my head that ONLY men drank coffee and the women drank the tea. Whenever I saw it the other way around I thought it was sooo weird, and the stereotype that I created is still implanted in my head, even though I myself drink coffee. My parents even told me that when I saw a guy drink tea I would tell them that it's wrong, boys drink coffee, girls drink tea. Now, at school, a lot of my guy friends go to the caf during class to get a cup of tea and the first thought in my head is like "whaat..you drink tea?" and then the practical part of my brain kicks in with the "oh right..in real life boys are allowed to drink tea...wtf were you thinking Jenn?". It still bothers me when guys drink tea though..I know it's weird/wrong/crazy...but I just have that stuck in my mind that boys can't drink tea. It's not so bad with coffee and girls, for some reason, I think it's because my mom would drink a random cup of coffee when she had a headache, but my Dad never ever drank tea up until a few years ago...when that started I was mindblown.
and uhh that's about it. Thoughts on gender and hot beverages over.
tata

 

stuff is a happenin

So, it's been a while...but don't worry, I always come back to the good ole blog. The problem is that my life isn't interesting enough to blog all the time, I run out of things to talk about. But this post, I can recap what the passed...month has been like. To start off, August 7th was my birthday! 17 I am. I had a good time, I had my closest friends over for movies in the backyard....after that nothing happened...until this week. This week I bought my PAX wardrobe from IKEA!!! YAYAYAY!! I've wanted one for 2 months, and it is gorgeous. I don't have any pictures yet but I will post some when my room is all finished up and nice looking.

What else...oh I've been working all the time...I'm getting trained as manager. That should  be fun...I went shopping in the states yesterday, got some cute tops and such. OH and the best part..I saw a psychic today!! There wasn't a lot of stuff about the near future, but she told me things about like 10 years down the road...I might have twins! Crazy stuff. I don't want to spoil it though because I haven't told my friends all the deets yet so I can't post about it.

School in two weeks. :( I haven't done any of the stuff for my mentorship at Brock yet...shit. But, I have all my school supplies! School supply shopping is always so much fun.

Update on Rotary exchange: I have started the contacting process. I emailed the exchange reps from the two clubs in my city that do the exchange. I heard back from one, who happens to no longer be the rep for the club, but she forwarded my email to the new rep who will hopefully get back to me soon...then I have to fill out the preliminary application, then the 25 page massive application and do 2 interviews...hopefully I get in and all the hard work will pay off! Maybe this time next year I'll be in Sweden and blogging about that...oohhh that would be so awesome...blogging from anywhere in Europe would be fantastic!! Let's keep our fingers crossed! Although when I asked the psychic about it she said she saw me in Europe but only for 6 months. She said not to worry about it though because this is only what my 'spirit guides' are telling her and that doesn't mean in won't happen. I hope that's true. Hopefully funner stuff will happen soon and I can blabber on about that.. toodles.

ps. i'm already tired of my layout...i honestly think i change that more than i actually post...oh well.

old people that automatically assume i'm a hooligan

So today, as I was minding my own business just walking down the street, I passed this cute old lady with her cute purse sized dog. I attempted to make eye contact, I put a warming smile on my face and prepared for her to also make eye contact so that we could acknowledge each other, wish each other hello and then go our own ways. She ignored me. This is not the only occasion that this has happened. Yes, on the outside I look like the average teenage girl, I had my iPod in, and a cell phone in my pocket, but I always take out my ear bud (I only wear one when walking to avoid not getting hit by a car or something along those lines) so that I can be polite. The old lady probably thought "Wow, stupid young people can't even be disconnected from their electronics for one minute. Stupid bitches".Maybe without the last part, but you get the idea.That is one thing that I hate about old people. Most of the time they are sweet people that think I am a respectful young lady, which I am. Then there are those people that just assume since I'm a teenager, I must be awful. Since when are teenagers terrible creatures? Yes, there are some kids between the ages of 13 and 19 that are not the nicest of people and are the ones that continually fit the teenage stereotype but seriously, death stares when I walk down the street are not necessary. I also hate those parenting books/conferences/web sites etc...that all say that every teenager is going to go through the rebellious "I hate my life/parents/school" or "Dramatic bitchy girl" stage. When my mom told her friend that we get along, and don't constantly bicker, she didn't believe her. When she told her that I don't party or drink, she told my mom to get serious and stop being so oblivious to my teenage lifestyle. Movies don't help either. They all say the same thing about the teenage species. Basically, I'm obsessed with boys, my parents don't get me, and I will never stop texting until my thumbs fall off. Personally, I think these so called professionals who write these books and conduct these studies should open their eyes to the large amount of the teenage population that actually have futures. End Rant.