As someone might say, it has been a dog's age since I have written here, and there are a couple of reasons for that, none of them especially good. Hurray for the new year, that's all I can say...Hurray for the new year. Not that 2003 was a bad year, but there are definitely some parts of it I will be pleased to let disappear into the shadows of the past.

The last few weeks have been pretty good. Christmas was nice. We stayed at home this year because Mum was working nights. I like staying home because driving to Toronto can be pretty hectic, as can my family. I received a lot of really nice presents, including Oryx and Crake (Atwood's new one), Chester Brown's Louis Riel: A Comic Strip biography, the first five issues of Neil Gaiman's 1602, a red boiled wool sweater (I love boiled wool), the Catwoman Barbie, a blender, a food processor, an amethyst bracelet, a phone and a bunch of other really nice stuff. My dad's father stumped up $200 apiece this year, and so I bought myself new clothes, including my very first suit. It is le awesome, and some day I might even have picture of me in my spiffy new duds.

I might even have a chance to wear it pretty soon...I applied for a job for next summer working as a tour guide on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and they have asked me to do an over-the-phone French language oral proficiency test this Friday (if I pass that I'll get an interview). So I'm pretty nervous, because my French can be kind of wonky at times, and I don't practice it nearly enough. I really want the job though, so I hope it goes okay.

We went out for breakfast with old family friends and their children last week, people we hadn't seen in nearly ten years. The whole thing came very close to being a dreadful experience (I think I'm the only one in my family who had any fun) because, as my dad put it, "Sometimes there are people who are your friends, but everytime you get together with them, it isn't about seeing each other and spending time together, it's about comparing things." (Kind of how I feel about a lot of people from high school).

The friends are kind of funny, though, because they are very university oriented people, and lost no time bragging about what kinds of elite, exclusive programs the oldest two were in, and which ones the youngest was likely to be accepted to. (Thankfully I had the grad school card to play here--gotta keep up with the Joneses, right? Dad thinks I should have mentioned the time I won the Pulitzer, but hey) When they asked A-Z her university plans, she floored them by saying, in a very deadpan voice, "Actually, I think college would be a better choice for me, because it has the programs that I want." Mrs. Jones's expression was too funny for words, because, as we all know, if you don't go to university, your life will be shit.

Anyhow, the reason I had fun was because our waiter was someone I had known in high school (and had a huge crush on) who'd switched schools in grade eleven, and I hadn't seen him since. HE recognized ME, too, which was pretty cool, and he's gone from being sort of cute to being damn hell ass fireman's calendar cute. He's taking business at Georgian, and we both might end at Guelph next year for school, which would be pretty cool. We always got along well in high school, and it would be cool if we could be friends again (and not just because I would get to ogle). I wanted to ask for his email address, but my parents decided to leave when he was busy serving other people...so perhaps a return trip to the restaurant will be in order next time I'm home.

How can it be that 50 Cent is topping the sales list for 2003 when I've never heard one of his songs?

I went to the Build A Bearand yes, I built a Bear....specifically the Read Teddy, because money from this one goes to literacy programs, and I am all about the literacy.

School starts again tomorrow and I am scared, and also gratified, because the powers that be have decided to give me the Margaret Frith Memorial Award for $500, which, when combined with my pretty $500 scholarship, means I only owe $975 for tuition this term, and there is nothing wrong with that. But I am also scared, because I might find out my marks tomorrow for the last term, and that is always scary.

I should probably sign off now, and go take a nap...I mean, a bath.

{ prev & next }