Daring to Be » 2007 » January

Today was the last day to campaign. Voting starts tomorrow. One second I think I have a decent chance of winning, the next second I am questioning why I am even running in the first place.

I am sort of mentally preparing myself for the worst. I don’t care if it is a negative thing to do. It has helped a lot. Instead of thinking of what I will lose I have been thinking about what I will gain. Namely, a life outside of school.

Seriously. I have been very involved, and I have loved every minute of it. However, my life is school. Basically the only times I go out are for Education functions. The friends I had before being accepted into Education never see me!

Also, if I don’t win then that means I can concentrate on my internship more. If I do win, that means I will attend 3+ meetings a week. That’s a lot when I will also be full time teaching. Even though I do love meetings. (You think I’m joking but I’m not.)

So there. It won’t be so bad if I lose… right!?

I probably should’ve just saved my whole “I am going to be a blogger extraordinaire!” post for February. Right now I am busy because guess what? I am running for executive council for the Education Students’ Society. Speeches are Monday, voting is Wednesday and Thursday. I’ve been trying to convince myself that if I don’t win the world won’t collapse, but then I think “But my world will!”

I played my first basketball game in 6 years on Thursday night. That was fun. I haven’t had a skinned knee in years! I am also covered in bruises, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to me since I bruise if someone looks at me the wrong way. Skin like a peach, I bruise and scar so easily!

I met a cute boy last night. Apparently, I’ve still got it! I gave him my number and he’s messaged me. But already I, of course, have a list of reasons why I should not even bother. I am the queen of pathetic excuses. No wonder I am also the queen of doomed relationships. For once I’m going to just see what happens instead of listening to my poor excuses.

You’d think I’d get better at this whole dating game, but instead I just think I keep getting worse.

Tomorrow is the Education Career Fair and a bake sale to raise money for this year’s grad. My donation are the cupcakes that look like I beat their asses, tied them to the back of a truck, and went ripping down back roads. In layman’s terms, they look mangled.

This afternoon, while baking said demon cupcakes, I had such visions of cupcake grandeur. A hand written sign in beautiful calligraphy proudly declaring “FUDGE MARBLE CUPCAKES WITH VANILLA ICING!” Instead, I am forced to face the fact that Suzy Homemaker I am not.

I am almost embarassed to take these things with me to school tomorrow.

I know this is kind of a disappointing entry but, well, I’m kind of disappointed in myself.

My cousin Megan has rejoined the blogosphere… and get this. Her fiance? Sean in Saskatchewan. Her new blog? Meg in Saskatchewan.

Well, the blizzard is over and it is crystal clear outside… only bloody cold! Currently -32C, -46C with the windchill, that’s -25F without the windchill for all the fahrenheiters out there, -50F with the windchill!

I actually made it to university for my 8:30 AM class this morning. Abby and I were walking to the bus stop when Heather called, saying our second class was canceled, asking if we were going to bother going at all. We decided yes, since we were at the bus stop anyway, except we got to university and discovered we were two out of about ten students that bothered coming from a class of 50+ students. Grabbed a coffee, and waited for 45 minutes for our bus to come.

We counted no fewer than ten stranded vehicles on our trip home. Some were abandoned right in the middle of the street, so that vehicles had to go around them. They looked eerie… the snow drifts up the side of each door, and over the windows so you couldn’t see in. As I said to Abby, it kind of makes you wonder what happened to the people inside them. I’m assuming the passengers are safe, for I have only heard of two deaths due to the blizzard. I feel silly saying “only” since two is tragedy enough… but seeing those cars buried under snow you have to be thankful there weren’t more.

As for me, I’m glad that I’m home safe once more, cozy and warm in fleece pajamas. I plan on curling up on the couch and watching movies all day. Snow days can be fun, as long as you aren’t crazy enough to step outside into the biting cold!

(Terri has some great blizzard pics for everyone to check out!)

About the weather that is!

• 7:45 AM: Catch a bus for the usual 20 minute bus ride to university.
• 8:25 AM: Arrive at university.
• Noon: Find out that College of Education classes are canceled for the remainder of the day.
• 1 PM: Pile onto a bus for a ride home.
• 1:30 PM: My sister catches a ride from someone she works with.
• 2 PM: I arrive home.
• 3:45 PM: My sister arrives home.

My cousin Evan was (is?) stranded at my brother’s place on 109th street, after attempting to walk home down 108th street from university. My cousin Jon apparently has been stranded at Wal-Mart all afternoon. My friend Heather called me at 7:15 PM. She got home at 7 PM, after getting on a bus at 3:25 PM.

As of 5 PM, all these roads are closed. Buses stopped running at 6 PM. People still at university are being fed and I’m assuming are staying put until the blizzard dies down and roads are cleared. Earlier this afternoon there was a 3 hour wait for a cab, and there were even wait times (not sure how long) for emergency vehicles. This might explain why my sister couldn’t get through to us on her cell on her way home, which left us worried.

As for me, I’m glad I’ve been home since 2 PM. I’ve read the last of my book, taken a nap, cleaned my room, watched TV, eaten cookies, played with Winston, grown increasingly bored, and tried to ignore the fact that this is all a little too Day After Tomorrowish for me!

(More news releases here.)

Tonight was my first Brownie meeting since Christmas break, and let me tell you, I was not looking forward to it. I didn’t get home from class until after 5 PM, leaving me just enough time to grab something quick to eat and haul myself to Brownies for 6 PM.

Well, two hours later, I’m exhausted but happy. Silly me, I’d forgotten how cute, fun, and funny my Brownies are. Tonight we did an activity called “Draw Your Own Constellation.” My favorite was the Dr. Phil constellation, aptly named “A doctor named Phil.” Tell me that isn’t the funniest thing you have ever heard!

I also received two late Christmas gifts: a Starbucks gift card (yum!) and a gift wrapped in paper towel, put in a ziploc bag, with a blue ribbon tied around it. Inside was a pencil, a sticker, and a stick of gum. Too. Cute. For. Words.

A few days ago, before school began, I was deluded enough to think I would have loads of free time this semester because, unlike the majority of last semester, I am unemployed.

School started on Wednesday. Which means 2 days of classes, because Education students don’t have class on Fridays. Already I have attended an ESS meeting, a grad committee meeting, a USSU meeting, and a 80th anniversary meeting. It has been insane.

I won’t lie though. It is a good insane. I love being busy, I love being involved. Just remind me of that, and remind me of my previous entry, when a month or so from now I am tearing my hair out and am on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

What I love about school is that sometimes, out of nowhere, I am struck by a feeling of extreme gratitude that I am in Education, and that so far all my experiences in the college have led me to truly believe that I am on the right path, that teaching really is what I am meant to do for the rest of my life.

For those moments, I rest easy, knowing that at least one area of my life is right on track. As for all the other areas that could use some work… well, I will just hold on to the hope that one day those too will fall into place, and I can feel the same satisfaction as I do with my career choice.

Britney Spears and I have something in common. Her New Year’s resolution is to “take care of me” and guess what? So is mine. The general heading is “make healthier choices” with approximately a thousand sub headings.

“Make healthier choices” can refer to the New Year resolution “basics” such as eating better or exercising more. It can also be applied to more personal aspects of one’s life, like respecting yourself more. It can mean behavioral changes that can enrich life, by giving up on things one has no control over.

2006 and all the years prior can keep: old loves, regrets, memories that hurt, bad decisions, and everything else negative you could possibly think of.

“If you don’t learn from your mistakes, there’s no sense making them.” Time for me to quit making the same mistakes, and learn from them. After all… “The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.”