Winter Blues

I know it's been over a month since I've wrote but I'm kind of boring and school has been/is ridiculously busy. I'm home on the twentieth which is no where near to being soon enough. I have been suffering from the winter blues, especially since I am trapped in my room studying all the time. I feel like I have been the most anti-social person ever lately, but am happy in my little lair. I have been living off an endless supply of tea & coffee, movies, The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos and Facebook -- really a great invention for those of us that go to school out of province, but not so much if you don't want to be wasting away your life. So in order to fight the winter blues, here is a list of the things that have been cheering me up through the cold, snowy days.
1. Tea -- doesn't matter what kind, I have a large variety. I've been drinking at least one pot of tea recently, the other night I had a movie night and ended up drinking 3-4... pots not cups.
2. Jude Law -- I watched The Holiday and Alfie this weekend. While I really didn't enjoy Alfie, I was amused by the fact that Long Duck Dong from Sixteen Candles was in it, and how he looked the EXACT same as he did. Honestly he has aged gracefully, but his characters accent was the exact same. I love Jude Law though, even though he is 35 (happy birthday!) and starting to bald (thanks a lot for pointing that out D) he is still fantastic. The Holiday was probably the best movie I watched all weekend.
3. Project Runway -- Yesterday was the second last episode of the season, and I predicted right, M.G., Biddell and Lucien are in the finale. I really didn't like Lucien's dress this week, but I can see how it would look fantastic on Iman. I was happy to see Stephen go, because although I don't like Lucien, Stephen was definitely in the competition far too long.
4. The thought of Crave Cupcakes -- I will be there when they open on December 21 when I come home! I cannot wait to eat a vanilla Princess or try the Craving of the Month. Kensington when I get home makes me super excited!
5. The thought of seeing my family and friends! -- I miss my friends so much! I am one of the only people in res that hasn't been home at least once this semester and it makes me so sad. I have so much planned when I get home which means I'll finally have lots to write about, as well as lots of pictures to post (sorry for the lack this post). I miss my family a lot too. I get to see everyone at Christmas, because that is really my favourite part of Christmas. Seeing the cousins and aunts and uncles. Plus I miss my puppy, I can't wait to see him and enjoy many nights curled up in bed with him.
6. Constant Facebooking -- I am always messaging someone on Facebook which makes it easier to contact my friends back home as well as arrange events.
7. "Future" Plans (aka alternatives to studying) -- Danielle and I have made a plan to drop out of University, make enough money to support several months of travelling then work our way around the world before finding gorgeous, rich (necessary for this plan), exotic men who we will marry and have babies with. They will also be best friends and we will raise our beautiful children in a beautiful location (with a good ski season for you D) and be happy to be together (but not married together ha!) this plan is very Clueless Two in Second Helpings.
All for now, I'll be home soon and it will be Leah in Ontario (but really in Calgary)

Stories, Round 1

So I was interviewed today for journalism class and it made me think about all the stories that I have that I really should write down. If I don't who knows, maybe one day I'll forget them, and that thought scares me a lot. So this is the first installment of my stories, more to come as I remember them.


Story #1: July 9, 2005
While this picture shows me, Derek, Brittany, Danielle, Jeanne, Nicole, Jazel & Danny, at Calaway Park, that is not the day that the story occurred. July 9 2005 I met one of the people that will have a lasting impact on my life, Jazel. Calgary Stampede, with Rooney playing a free show ad the Coca Cola Stage, Danielle and I were waiting for the show and ended up near this quite attractive pair who were sitting down as well. The boy (later known as Danny) was making a pile of dead grass and Danielle stuck some on it and he said hey you put grass on my pile! but then me and D went back to talking and out of her mouth came "We can be imaginary lesbians together" and Danny responded with "But I already have a girl" and me, D, Danny and Jaz got to talking and instantly clicked. After the concert we were dehydrated and shared a massive root beer, with four straws in it our heads in close, looking up once to laugh at the ridiculousness of the image.

Cupcakes, Halloween & Then Some

These last couple weeks have been crazy. Hardly have a moment to breath. Been finishing a lot of work, having a lot of fun on weekends and just trying to stay a float. Dad was here this week which was so good, but made me homesick at the same time. We went out for dinner 3 times (Johnny Farina's, Pub Italia and The Arrow & The Loon) which were all very good. We also went to the Canadian Science and Technology Museum which was pretty fun, and a good way to kill an hour without walking around the mall. Mom sent me Crave which has pretty much made my week! I'm eating my last one tonight!
Yummy! Anyways... I'm in the process of finishing my Canadian Essay, on page 8 of a 10-12 page essay. This weekend was eventful, with Megan, my roommate's friends here for the weekend. Friday night we went to Hull, and ended up buckets of rain while standing in line. Everyone bailed because people in the line were being ridiculous, but I ended up with a few acquaintances of mine and ended up having a blast despite feeling like a drowned rat. Last night was a frat's Halloween Party so the gang(most of us anyways) all got dressed up. I was a punk pirate, complete with a swashbuckling sword. It was alright, but the getting ready and taking pictures was the best part of the night.The last few weeks consisted of a graffiti party, a floor sleepover, essays, and the most amazing walk in the world.

I wish I was... Coming Home

I never thought I'd actually miss Calgary, but watching everyone pack up and prepare for a trip home, makes me wish I was going home as well. I am dying for a crave cupcake (my mom is bringing me some when she comes out in November!!!!), among other favorite places in Calgary. Late night talks at Higher Ground, Rooney group picnics at "the stage", good bars, local shows and much much more. I wish I new Ottawa inside out the way I do with Calgary, hopefully within my four (at least) years of living here, I will be able to feel as much a part of this city as I do at home.

Part of the problem with being a poor student is not being able to go out as much as I did this summer. I am really hoping to get to try some restaurants around Ottawa, as I've been here for over a month (sans parents) and have yet to really go out for dinner (food court doesn't count). While taking the shuttle out to Ottawa U yesterday I noticed a really cool looking vegetarian restaurant on Main St. (this is my best guess), it doesn't seem to compare atmospherically to The Coup, but I'm curious about the food. I took the shuttle to Ottawa U yesterday, not to find out what the fuck a gee gee is, but instead to take some books out of their library (took forever!) the bus took a very odd route, but as for most bus trips I was able to see parts of Ottawa that I eventually want to explore.

I miss everyone at home, but I think I would feel rushed and unsatisfied if I was only home for 4 days. Not to mention not everyone is at home now either. I'm going to be between Steph and Courtney's house this weekend, so it will be a nice break from res. Looking forward to seeing my big brother as well this weekend. I'm so happy to have a break from campus, as at times I feel restricted and trapped within this bubble. Will post at the end of the weekend with my updates about my time away. Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, feel free to post me comments or send me messages.

Weekend Adventures

It's Monday now, and the weekend is sadly over. Good news is, that this is a short week, which means no MCOM on Friday!! Also, Rob is coming up on the weekend and I'm very excited to see him, as I really didn't get to say a proper goodbye to him before I left. This week will be consistent of attempts at researching for my Political Science and History essays, as well as just getting ready for Thanksgiving. I'm definitely looking for a much needed break from campus, and am excited to be able to stay somewhere other than my res room, and consume food that is not on a tray! I'm also hoping to further explore parts of Ottawa that I have yet to see.
This weekend was rather enjoyable. Although our Friday plans failed, I still managed to donate blood, and enjoy a sober night of Batman Begins. Also, Megan and Courtney went and bought fish (Jack & Daniels) so our room now has a pet (pictures to come at a later date). Kind of an uneventful day, but still enjoyable. PLUS I aced my first MCOM quiz, with 19/20 :). Saturday morning consisted of breakfast at Denny's and food shopping at South Keys with Courtney and Danielle. Following my return I went to Billings Bridge to pick up a few additional items. Saturday evening, was our floor Toga party! (see above for a picture of me and Andrew (Uganda) in our lovely togas. I became the expert toga maker, with the help of trusty safety pins. Many drinking games played, and much alcohol consumed, to make the night quite random. (tossing around a rugby ball at 3am? in Dan & Matt's room anyone?). Sunday morning was difficult to get up, so it was quite the lazy day. Went to South Keys again in search of a coat, but had no luck and purchased more food instead. That's about all that I have to update on now, hopefully will be getting some mail in the near future (feel free to mail me things!) Now to leave you, I will post one last picture of my amazing toga making skills.

Dorm Room Culinary Queen

I am officially the Culinary Queen when it comes to Dorm Room food prep. At my disposal is a hot pot express (aka my new best friend), a kettle and a coffee maker. Yesterday I prepared the ever delicious mac and cheese (not easy mac!) in the hot pot express. Delicious and filling as I was able to eat an entire box. Today was more of a challenge, with risotto cooking in the hot pot express. While it did take a while to cook (20+ minutes) it is delicious, and filling, as well as an alternative to the repetitive nature of caf food. My beautiful creation can be seen above in my lovely new bright red bowl from Walmart. I have discovered that almost anything that I can do in a saucepan can be prepared in the hot pot express, so more culinary creations may be posted on this blog. I do have to say that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find vegetarian alternatives in the caf (I have been meat-free since September 5) so their will be more and more alternatives made in my room (stay tuned for posts involving my attempts at cooking vegetarian bacon).

On a side note, my impulsive side emerged yesterday, and I now have chunks of red in my hair. Maddie, Megan and Courtney decided that they were going to dye their hair yesterday, and on a trip to Billings Bridge, I decided to take a plunge and purchase L'Oreal's Color Rays "brush-on streaks" in Fuchsia Flash. As per usual, the end result was not anywhere near the color shown on the box, but I am happy with my reddish-purple chunks in my hair. I figured if I was to alter my hair color, it was go big or go home, and thus I went for a dramatic color.
My before shot, is pictured at the side, with me in my lovely frosh week shirt, and Maddie on the side. Apart from the "streaking party" not a lot is new in res. Have had a couple of relaxing days, with a trip to South Keys occurring yesterday prior to the trip to Billings Bridge. I now am in possession of all of my textbooks, as well as a fourth-year journalism student contact thanks to Chapters. It's good that I have all of my textbooks, as my work load is increasing slightly. I also played basketball this week with some guys on my floor, and my skills have not diminished entirely since I stopped playing two years ago. I was quite impressed with the fact that I can still shoot! My room is becoming increasingly organized with time, as I acquire more tools in aiding my lack of usable storage. I have my second weekly news quiz this week, and I am sure that I can't do any worse than I did last week, so I am not overly concerned with it. I have read an excessive amount of news this week, and I hope that I retain at least some of the details.
At side is the end result of my lovely hair. As well as a small glimpse at my res room (more pictures to come if Megan & I ever keep our room clean!) Plans for this weekend include donating blood on Friday, a trip downtown that evening to take pictures, and go out for dinner, studying Saturday, as well as a floor Toga party! Sunday will probably be another lazy day as was last week. I hopefully will be acquiring more images to post this weekend to show a better look at my life at Carleton.

Lazy Afternoon

I can't even begin to describe the beauty of Ottawa in the fall. One of these days I'm actually going to get out there and take pictures, but I keep forgetting my camera when I head out. So for now, I'll leave you with a picture of the tree outside of my window. I'm having a lazy day, I barely slept last night, but it was a good night. This weekend in general has been good, relaxing, awkward, exciting and full of random trips.

Friday I handed in my first assignment, a reading report for Mass Communications, that I may or may not have done correctly. After discussion group I came back, did laundry (yes, I am becoming slightly more domestic) before heading out to South Keys. I now have more food, and less money. The night consisted of watching a disc of Will & Grace (I'm finished season 2 now) and eating ice cream to cheer myself up, from my first real bout of homesickness. Followed by alcohol consumption and staying up till 2 am not really doing anything. Kind of a lame night, but feeling better about the fact that I'm not going home for Thanksgiving.

On Saturday, I went to the St. Laurent Centre, to a used book sale hosted by Friends of the National Archives and National Library of Canada (that is possibly the name?) I bought a cheap book ($1!), but the selection was not phenomenal despite there being a large quantity of books. I also managed to find a copy of The Rocky Horror Picture Show for $10, in order to refresh my memory of prompts for the Halloween viewing at a local theatre. The bus ride to St. Laurent is brutal. It takes an hour each way, through downtown and then some. However, it was nice to see a different part of Ottawa then I had previously. That night (last night) we watched RHPS, several people passing by were virgins, and many were scarred by the entire experience. Following this was a trip to Ottawa U, to several residences before heading down to Hull, to Le Bop. Standing in line for 45 minutes (or around there) was not fun, but it was definitely a better experience then standing outside of Cowboys for over that when it was freezing outside. Le Bop is unlike my usual clubs/bars in Calgary, especially in the fact that the bartenders are French. I didn't practice my French skills (I should learn double rum and coke in French and qualify that as my use of the language for the week). Finally heading back to res, arriving around 3 am. All I can say is that I'm glad I'm not in Glengarry as someone pulled the fire alarm and they were forced to go outside.

This morning I went out for brunch with Steph, Bryan, and some of their friends. I was too tired to make note of where we went, but it was pretty far away. A delicious four-cheese omelet, and three cups of coffee later I felt rejuvenated. Since then I've done pretty much nothing, I'm chipping away at Maus, and I'm part way through the second book. I'm really enjoying it (thanks for the recommendation Brett & Kevin!) and can't wait to sit down and read more of it. Plans for the night include reading news headlines and catching up on my work. Overall pretty good weekend, and only two more weeks until Thanksgiving.

Busy Life

It's beautiful here. I can't even imagine living in Calgary anymore, knowing that I would be bundled up, hibernating away from the thought of snow. Watching the leaves fall off the tree before they change to the beautiful yellows, oranges, reds of autumn. Here I can watch the tree outside my window change to a perfect shade of fall. It is still at least 20 degrees outside, constantly warm, enjoyable, making walking around campus pleasurable. Sun shining in my window, lighting up the room, enjoying the peacefulness of the morning before the construction begins.

For once in my life I feel like I actually enjoy going to school. All though the days are often long, and the readings consistently uninteresting, I enjoy knowing that I am working towards a goal that seemed unattainable for so many years. Still, my first assignment seemed to take forever, as the chapter was boring, and my concentration level low. I did finish it, and while it seems on the long side, I hope the quality of my work reflects the quantity of time I put into it.

Three hours of class today, fast-talking professor followed by a discussion group for the class. My energy level has been fading these last few days, and perhaps this weekend I may attempt to get in some much-needed rest. To possibly fight the confusion and just relax. Two books of an enjoyable nature to read, and newly downloaded albums to listen to. Add a possibility of enjoying a few episodes of Will & Grace, as well as brunch with my cousin and it could be the perfect way to unwind for the weekend...
...Or it could be wishful thinking in the chaotic atmosphere of residence.

Leaving

I never expected that leaving would be as hard as it was. Saying goodbye to Jazel and Danielle was unbearable. However, I am happy to be back in Ontario. Despite an odd thunderstorm the weather has been gorgeous, and I'm starting to tan again. (jealous d?) Went to Nanny Diaries tonight which was fantastic. Anyways, heading to the Grandparents house tomorrow, and going to the Waterloo Flea Market!! WOOOHOO! I love it their, it's amazing, and brings back many wonderful childhood memories. More later...