and counting

I'm too lazy to type

2007-04-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

and taking photos is more fun as a form of procrastination. Sooo...I decided to take afew random shots of my evening - I finished my advanced accounting (YAY TO BEING DONE ACCOUNTING!!!!!!! Seriously, there should be fireworks and champagne in celebration...no? Fine, I'll toast with myself. *clinking my glass against the bottle*

Anyways, yes, so I'm done one of two exams (well technically I have a take-home but no stress there) and I have abnormal psych tomorrow. Nothing makes me happier than reading about disorders. Although I have to give kudos to the creators of the textbook for making it all pretty and color coded.

My notes (oddly, especially for psychology couses) have always been insanely color coded (see above for my computer version and note that when I was in first year (oh so long ago, I did it by hand...and I still love those multipacks of fancy artist pens...I beg my mum for a new set every year. "It makes me study better mum!" So this textbook and I get along very well. This is me studying really hard :) ----> (there is no down arrow I suppose)

And this is what I'm hiding inside my text. Instyle :) Love it. My sister gave me a subscription last year and I have to admit I was highly impressed. and this is my bare room after packing. I know I should be studying but its stressing me out that things aren't all packed. So I got big things like the carpet and two suitcases done, as well as a box and textbooks. Still more to go but I can relax a bit knowing I've sorted through all my papers etc and now its not a matter of deciding what stays and goes but just where on earth to put it all.

The only thing that I am looking forward to LESS than packing all the rest of it is helping my boyfriend pack his stuff since he has a whole apartment and TONS of stuff. Mountains of papers, a closet full of laundry/miscellaneous supplies. Its all the little things that drive me insane because they are so finicky to pack. Not like I'm good with the big things either since I lack upper body strength. But I am VERY good at delegating. Its a skill I've refined over the years and we'll see it in action soon.

Anyways, just a quick post and now back to psych. Only about 17 hours until I am done :)

Cheers

Candice

Done & DONE!

2007-04-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

Yay! Officially done ALL of my classes and only exams remain before I graduate. And one week until I leave. Sweet!

Wednesday and Thursday were two of the hardest days I've had in a long time. All seemed to be fine on Wednesday as we got together to finish our major poster presentation. That is, until we bought the wrong poster board and had to send someone all the way back to Moncton, and then in literally the 11th hour, decided to make major formatting changes that kept us up late and woke us up at disgusting hours in the morning to complete. I somehow had to finish an assignment that I had planned on doing the night before, get ready for our presentation, and go to campus to see a prof's presentation. Oh, and it was raining. Naturally curly hair and rain make for AMAZING hair days...if by amazing I mean the wet dog slightly teased and generally crazed look. Awesome.

Team selection proved to be our saving grace as our team was nothing short of amazing in how we worked to get it together and we were all incredibly proud of our work. There were pics taken which I hope to put up when I get them so we can all marvel at the intricate details including Marco's proud purchase of gold rope to add that special flair to the curtains, which were selected by Andrew, that adorned our poster.

To celebrate we went out for dinner and then headed to the Pub, marking my second...no wait third visit there. We had a final class there last semester for a treat, and then Maple Leaf did recruitment on campus in the Pub. So this was my first social visit to the pub. And I was pleasantly surprised. My friends had always preferred other locations so there was no reason for me to visit the pub on my own. But the promise of cheap drinks and everyone being at the same place made it a good call for Thursday night. And literally, EVERYONE was there. I saw friends who had graduated, was introduced to friends of friends, and spoke to some people that I have never said more than 2 words to in my two years here. All making for one fabulous evening. I admit, however, that I say this now with a slight fear of the pictures that I know will be making their way to facebook once everyone recovers. Eeek.

So this weekend is dedicated to studying and packing. Don't you wish you were me? I'm even at the stage where eating out is more practical because there is no point investing in more groceries since I have to clean the fridge out eventually. Mildly sad about not being home for Easter - although I wasn't last year either - actually I think my parents came to pick me up Easter weekend last year. Anyways, the boy is in Florida relaxing and making the most of his unfair natural tanning abililities and so I can't even call to rant about packing. (oh wait, that's what blogs are for...)

Accounting exam on Wednesday, Abnormal psych on Friday and then DONE DONE DONE in the greatest way possible.

That's all for now...expect more posts this weekend/week as I procrastinate as much as possible.

For everyone still deciding about schools, I'm open to any and all questions that you might have about MtA in general or the commerce program.

Cheers

Candice

speaking of technology

2007-04-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

for some reason I can't create spaces between paragraphs today. I tried. I really did. But instead I thought some shade variation would help visually. Enjoy!

I love technology...

2007-04-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

when it works. I had an exciting weekend of alternating between near-tear-like frustration and pure anger due to glitches with my computer/email. Randomly on Saturday night I couldn't find emails that I had sent to people in my outbox, which is precisely why I depend on outlook in the first place. It allows me to sort my mail nicely and keep a record of messages that I sent.

Anyways, so Saturday, couldn't find any emails. But when I inquired, people had gotten mine. (Which, really, don't get me started...I have enough problems with that) In trying to send myself a test message I found something more alarming - it was going through the sending process but not coming back to me. Argh! I spent a few hours trying to figure it out before sending an email to parents/bf/team members asking them to use my alternate email address.

Last night I suddenly realized that other programs were acting oddly, and something made me check my computer's calendar. Apparently it was 3 days behind - right time but just three days off. Once I fixed that I got my sent items working but still no mail. And the weird thing was some messages were coming through but not my own, not from my parents or bf, and so I had to assume that I was missing others! This morning I awoke to an inbox full of messages - it appeared the random withholding of emails had stopped. No reason for it, but at least it stopped.

I tell you, this had to be one of the most exhausting weekends because of it. I had a lot of projects to do and since I rely so heavily on my email, it made me a little flustered. I get annoyed when people don't check their email at least twice a day - and sometimes shock people with the speed of my response. With outlook, however, I have a fun sound or song play so its hard NOT to notice when I have new messages. I believe in quick responses, even if it is just a message saying thanks. Its not as though I take my email obsession on vacation; when we travel we usually don't expect email but at least its designated vacation time. In a sense, being in school etc is like a full time job so in the same way I expect others to be prompt, hopefully so am I.

To add to my technological frustration, my skype wasn't working that well. Skype is a program sort of like msn video chat, except you can also use it to call landlines if you pay $18 for the year. I signed up for the program so I could make calls whenever I wanted and for however long I wanted. We bought a linksys phone that essentially was a cordless phone that connected to my computer and not the telephone line. But that broke so I had to use a regular mic, but I'm not a fan because then the other person a)gets feedback and b) can be heard by everyone else in my house. So over the break I found a headset that I hoped would work and it does...when it wants to. Its really quite a fun game - guess when the headset will cut out next, blocking up the entire system?????? It thrills me. And for the last month or so I still haven't been able to figure out how exactly the headset is recognized by the computer because somedays it is recognized and other days it is not. Still...I can't complain. For the amount of time I use the phone in a given day to keep in touch with people when I'm so far away, skype is a great solution. I suppose I just need to master some of the technology better so its not mastering my life.

Endless amusement I tell you.

Don't worry...I'm sure there will be a few similar posts detailing my transition back home. Fortunately (for both you and I, dear reader), the "I hate sharing a bathroom with my little sister" post won't come for a while since she's still in rez for a bit.

Anyways... 12 days left :) YAY!

All the best

Candice

drumroll please

2007-03-29T20:18:00.000-07:00

and for those keeping score, 15 days left :) My mum is the greatest - she sent me a card to wish me luck on exams and final work and in it she put this fun page of star stickers. Which, honestly, confused me until I saw the mini-calendar she had drawn so that I could put a sticker for each day to mark my finish line. My parents rock - especially since my mum can recognize that I would actually get overly excited about the stickers and feel special. (I should ask if my little sister got one :P...are you getting a nice picture of my childhood? "She has more ice cream then me....") Meh, either way I feel special. That's all it takes folks - glittery star stickers.

Anyways, new post below. Just thought I'd update the countdown...

Science makes me happy

2007-03-29T15:14:00.000-07:00

Seriously - I just realized that I had spent an obscene amount of time looking at the discovery channel website because, well...just for fun. Some days I wish I could be a doctor, but then I look at Anna and Ashlie and realize that their brains are just so different to mine and frankly, I'd muuuuch rather have them treating a patient than having me be responsible for something so vital as surgery or diagnoses. I just think it would be so cool to really understand so much about how the body works and how we can intervene to extend or preserve lives.

My favorite concept of the week is that of taking one extreme condition and exploring it to better understand/treat the other extreme. Allow me to clarify: a recent article in the Globe & Mail discussed a condition known as congenital indifference to pain, or CIP. People with this condition have an inability to perceive pain, which can lead to self-inflicted wounds and excessively dangerous behaviour as pain does not act as a deterrent. Researchers in Vancouver are now studying the gene behind CIP and trying to utilize their understanding to develop a new breed of painkillers. The universe appeared to be gifting me with "perfect timing" as I watched an old episode of House where a patient suffered the same (or perhaps very similar) condition (I thought they used a different acronym). Anyways, today I learned about a similar process with narcolepsy serving as a reference point for insomnia research and have now become intrigued about this type of research.

This is yet another reason why I loved working at the Ontario Science Centre for 4 summers. Though my job did not involve directly preparing/presenting the science program, I had the opportunity to sit in on lectures from forensic specialists, to biologists, to watching the kids in our program model the process of blood clotting by using materials to plug a fish filter. I also got to do my own experiments from time to time, such as when one parent posed the question of whether it was possible to have ice and boiling water co-exist in the same container. I went nuts, freezing test tubes and trying to deconstruct hotplates to get a result. Sadly, I never was able to do it but I had so much fun developing hypotheses and drawing silly diagrams while pretending I was some mad scientist. And then there was that time when I mentioned shrimp bandages to my bosses, which caused raised eyebrows as perhaps they thought I was hinting about my dream supplies for the first aid kits. They need not have worried as I already had sweet glitter and tattoo bandaids ordered and these bandages are designed for situations like the military, where a bullet wound covered by regular material only slows and absorbs bleeding, whereas these bandages promote clotting, in less than a minute, making survival on the battlefield that much more likely. Plus they cost like $100 each. But the photo is cool, no?

Okay...I'll stop listing my favorite sciency things. I just get so excited that it is ridiculous. I remember one time, while working a first aid shift with my friend Matt, when we decided around 1am to create "soap boats" in the recycling bin, after learning about how the soap breaks the surface tension and causes the boats to move around. Not many people would get as excited as we were but they're just missing all the fun.

If you're still laughing at me, consider how my family and friends feel. I store all of this random information inside for...well I'm not entirely sure. And I tend to go on rants, similar to the one above, about all things magical in the world of science, much to the impatience of those around me. Its kind of like how my boyfriend's parents know that I also love learning the histories of the cities that I'm visiting, which is why working as a tour guide for 3 years suited me so well (Yeah, I'm just THAT good at selecting jobs that fit with my personality). So they gave me a book with cool facts about the highway we were taking to Florida so that I could entertain myself along the way. My boyfriend, fearing what was to come, hid the book in his apartment and did it so well that he really couldn't find the book when he needed to return it. Little does he appreciate the Google factor in all of this - the Internet has endless possibilities for a curious mind like mine.

If anyone else is like me - perhaps you enjoy shows like CSI/House and those articles in magazines like Reader's Digest about new breakthroughs - Then checkout places like the discovery channel and watch the hours fly by.

Now I must return to my real work...

All the best

Candice

Weekend of indulgence

2007-03-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

And gentle reminder, my weekend starts Thursday afternoon, or in today's case, it started at 11:30am and extends until Tuesday at 8:30am. (I know I know, Karma's going to get me and I'll end up with the type of job that demands I am awake when people in Montreal are still partying from the night before...but until then I'm allowed to be smug.)

I've carefully, nay, artfully planned my weekend of sloth and indulgence, beginning with my wardrobe. Each outfit must contain at least one item with elastic bands, including but not limited to sleeves, waistbands, and my personal favorites, the ankle elastics. Mmm...yes. I have one particularly offensive pair of pants which are two sizes too big and come with the beautiful tapering and elastic around the ankle. I am really gearing up for Saturday when I hope to bring out the diaper pants and the matching crew neck sweatshirt, topped off with some pink socks into which the famed pants are tucked.

Moving on - I have also scheduled a constant stream of tv programs and movies for my viewing pleasure, beginning tonight with Ugly Betty and Grey'sThe most intellectual show I will allow is The Apprentice, which, given that last weeks favorite quote from the Govenator was "Pain is temporary...Film is forever"...proves that the show isn't too deep but rather is a show that makes me delusional enough to feel qualified to make comments about the candidates, who almost all have law degrees, and snicker to myself calling them "rookies".

The menu for this weekend will likely consist of my favorite smoothies - pineapple, orange juice, and yogurt, as well as some not so good snacks like those fizz candies. I can hear my teeth making all these strange sounds when they make contact after eating some of them and it sounds eerily like my dentist gleefully skipping down to the bank with my bill but they taste soooo good. Oh and I bought like 16 cups of chocolate fudge pudding so I'm all set.

Perhaps a little online shopping? I’ve bought some stuff online from dell etc but I'm weary of clothes because of sizing but I can always daydream while browsing all the gorgeous suits and heels that I would never have a reason to wear but that would make my heart smile just owning them. Or I can convince my little sister to purchase them and then bargain for them later. I kid you not, when she started university this fall, she got a very nice mini fridge and I got the greatest pair of stilettos ever. My parents were a mixture of pride that we were getting along, and dismay that it had come to us negotiating shoes for appliances. We must make them so proud.

Any more ideas for laziness? Really, I need help. Its been a while since I've been so laid back and I want to make the most of it. The saddest part is that in spite of my rebel exterior, the first thing I did this morning to celebrate being free was do laundry and vacuum/organize my room. Does it say something about me or my life that I may even consider ironing my sheets before putting them on my bed? Again...don't judge. At least not until you try it.

Let the fun begin. Oh...and I got my grad pictures and I am a happy girl. I tend to censor all photos of me but I am relieved to see that I had a few good shots. This one is my favorite though.

Enjoy the weekend and your countdowns to whatever it is you're looking forward to - I have 23 days left til home time!

All the best

Candice

I've been meaning to call...

2007-03-21T07:34:00.000-07:00

This week is a fairly light week for me, with absolutely NO presentations which makes it seem like a breeze - I can wear what I want, do my hair as I please (or not even bother), I do not have to wear heels...life is great. Plus we have time off because of a take home midterm so my days seem that much lighter.

With all this free time on my hands, I feel the urge to go back on msn and just generally reconnect with people. For the record, I generally dislike msn because you have to respond then and there, or at least I think its polite to do so, and I find it distracting unless I am solely on msn for the sake of being on msn. Recognizing, however, that msn is usually more convenient than the phone for a variety of reasons, I keep it on my computer to stay in touch.

Very recently I've realized that I haven't spoken much to my old housemates, who as I have mentioned previously are on to bigger and better things including med school, Masters, working at RBC, and being a teacher. We did manage to get together earlier in the semester one night when I was home and it was so much fun. All but one, Katie, live in Toronto, but Katie was down visiting that weekend so it was perfect. I got to see my friends' condo for the first time and was jealous of how great it was and just the fact that they live on their own. We went to the Bier Markt in Toronto, after which Laura and I tried to find her car to drive back to Oakville/Missisauga and ended up circling the block at 2:30am for nearly 30minutes in the cold air

All of these memories has made me vow to try and contact the girls. This, in reality, is much harder than just hopping on msn because we all have such busy and different lives now and it is rare that we are on at the same time. If we are, it’s inevitable that someone is working on an assignment or studying or 'away' and so what started with good intentions leads to frustration.

Perhaps the lesson I should learn is that the phone, if the other person is not elbow deep in anatomy memorization, commands more attention and you really can connect. AKA I should suck it up and call the girls before it turns to another year without seeing one another. The best part though is the fact that whenever we do see each other or talk it is as though nothing has changed. Yes, there are more stories to share but there are still the basic truths about each of us that have never changed. I look at my mum and her friends from school - despite living miles and miles apart now as they remain in South Africa, whenever they catch up in person or on the phone they are a giggling mess. To think that 'the girls' and I met randomly in first year still makes me smile when I think that that was enough to bond us from then on. We all remember our initial impressions of each other and sometimes our first conversations - Ashlie, for instance, was my "buddy" during the campus tour and entrance into the arena for the welcome speech. Laura came up to me after our floor meeting and struck up a conversation about how we both danced, and I told she reminded me of a friend of mine, who it turns out she had known for years and had danced with. And so it goes.

And to think – I was worried about not knowing anyone when I started university. Though two of my floormates were friends from home, it was the randomness that made us all friends and hopefully we will continue as friends through many more adventures.

Time to go chat with the girls…

All the best

Candice

A good end to the week

2007-03-17T19:24:00.000-07:00

A little after a year from when we first competed and placed third at ABU, yesterday our Marco Andrew and I placed 1st at the case competition and we're all pretty happy. It definitely is a nice end to the week, and in a larger sense, a nice way to end not only our year, but our run as a team.

It was a fun day overall - 3 hours on the case, a great lunch with the other MtA team, and the classic meet & greet dinner with the other teams. Oh, and there was swag ;) I won't lie, I love the portfolios and assortment of nalgenes and mugs I've collected - despite the complications with my identity when I carry a Deliotte nalgene one day, then a Grant Thorton portfolio the next. Our team had a great time within the 3 hours, plus the presentation, during which Marco's mum was worse than an entire team of paparazzi with the photos DURING the presentation but it was pretty cute.

It was great to spend time with the other team - third year students who I expect will do really well next year at Queen's and ABU. We've watched them present and they have definitely given us a run for our money so I'm excited to see where that takes them next year, especially when they are taking the formal policy class which helped us tremendously with presentations and case analyses. I joined their team for lunch at Boston Pizza and it was nice to get out of both the school and competition environment and just chat. On the "not so good" list was the food at the restaurant, although both the pizza bread appetizer and my pizza were great, so maybe a lesson to be learned is when you are at a pizza place its in your best interest to order the pizza.

Above: Andrew, Travis, Candice, Ali, Troy, Dr. Grandy, and Marco - Our MtA delegation

When they announced our award we had some really great feedback, including comments on how it was nice to see everything shared between our teammates, which wasn't always the case as I can be rather quiet at times. (can you believe it?) One element of our presentation that was pretty interesting because of its recent discussions among our team prior to the event a part that dealt with programs for those who either had a physical or mental disability. I had recently ranted to the boys about the terminology associated with it and had subsequently been called Ms. PC. At the Ontario Science Centre where I worked as essentially the camp nurse for 4 years, I oversaw the coordination of special accommodations and requests based on special needs for our campers. One thing I tried to stress was the idea that these children are children with a special need, and it doesn't define who they are. They might have autism, but that does not reflect everything about them and mean that they can be categorized and treated one way based on that label; their autism is only one of many unique needs, as each of us has in our own way. I know that for many I am overly PC, but working with these kids for so long really demonstrated how phenomenal they are and really illuminated a lot about how a shift in vocabulary can make all the difference.

Anyways, that was our big day :) The grad banquet was also fun but Marco, Andrew and I left early (and to be fair it started late) because we wanted to be in good shape. It was nice to dress up in a fashionable sense because as much as I love wearing a suit and heels, a dress always makes me feel amazing. This is why shopping for dresses is so dangerous for me - I am so easily wooed.

This coming week is a little more relaxed, with only a few things due/happening. I just bought my final ticket home and have started to pack some of my stuff in semi-logical packing order to make it easier when the time comes. Next time I'm back it will be as a visitor for grad - and after that back to Ontario for me!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

All the best

Candice

Less than a month!

2007-03-14T15:53:00.000-07:00

Yikes! Less than a month until I am done done DONE! After that, it will just be convocation to "make it official" but mentally, I'm anticipating being done in a month. I'm sure I'm not the only one who will say its a bit of a surreal feeling. When I finished my politics program 2 years ago I didn't have the same sense of completion because I wasn't positive I wanted to be done my undergrad - and had sent in applications (obviously...I got to MtA somehow) and so there wasn't the same sense of finality.

Realistically now though, regardless of whether its working or further education down the road, I will be officially done a big part of my life. I think what separates it from high school graduation is the idea that there is no more guaranteed education in my plans. I knew from a young age that I wanted to go to university so it became part of my master plan. As a result, I've spent 19 years in some academic institution or another. The routine of tests and classes and papers and professors is the most consistency I have had outside of my home. And now????? Who knows?

And that is what makes it incredibly exciting; the idea of navigating through a career and starting a new routine is so foreign and exotic that it is hard not to start daydreaming.

In the meantime, I still have those tests and papers and professors etc. It is just becoming more interesting as my present and my future start coming together; I now have job interviews happening between tests and presentations, professors writing references, thoughts of packing up, all mixed in with the occasional "real life" chore like budgeting. The other night I made a spreadsheet so I could play with different scenarios as to how I might structure my savings. I'm a huge nerd, I know. But I'll be a nerd with money if all goes according to plan.

This post turned out more reflective than I had anticipated, and yet I think it paints the most accurate picture of my mood and motivations as of late. Things are still incredibly busy, as just this week I had meetings, the Shakespeare presentation (which, surprisingly, I managed to memorize most of with a lot of help) and then tomorrow have an interview, the guest speaker for the English Symposium that I am Project Manager for, and the Grad banquet. For better or worse there will be no excessive celebrations tomorrow as all day on Friday I will be in Moncton with the two Mount Allison teams for the case competition at ABU.

So less than a month...and I have to say that as excited as I am, I'm also a little sad. The student life is something of its own, and I'll miss my friends, my professors, and even the East Coast. Considering that when I first moved away last year I had severe culture shock being so far from home, its amusing to see it come full circle just as I get ready to leave.

Enough with the sentiments. Emotions are for the weak. Bah. I caved once but never again. Its back to the "Ice Queen" after this post. (sidenote: many many people have nicknamed me the Ice Queen, including my mum. Are they trying to tell me something? All I got so far out of it was an awesome Halloween costume 3 years ago that included a tiara and icicles. It was amazing.)

All the best

Candice

Shakespeare, Protein Bars, and Red Wine

2007-03-10T14:40:00.000-08:00

So after a fairly intense week that culminated on Thursday with a quiz, a big presentation, and an even BIGGER presentation of 80minutes (group) my weekend is a combination of relaxation, hanging out with friends, oh and practicing for our case competition.

Yesterday I ran around trying to do errands downtown including haircut and grad photos, followed by a 3 hour practice case and presentation for our business competition on the 15th. At the last competition, we had 5.5 hours and so we've gotten a bit complacent and as a result are a tad inefficient. That's why Dr. Grandy is having us do practices - its really really easy and tempting to just think that we have it in the bag because we've done this so often but we agree we need to get back on our game and really come together.

But its not all work - I nagged the boys into staying down in Sackville on Friday to hang out with me and they were true to their word. Andrew mentioned Fajitas so of course, all during the practice we were craving them. A quick trip to the liquor store and the grocery store yielded wine, enough beef to feed a family of nine for a week, and bottle caps, since Andrew has decided his new hobby is making beer. I got suckered into the cooking AND into doing it at my house, the sneakiness of which I realized when my kitchen exploded with the mess that is fajitas. I had a bottle of red wine I had bought on a strategy field trip to Jost Wineries that I also opened - and proved that while I'm sure it was a good wine, I mean, I liked it when we tasted it, but I just can't handle red in general.

The lack of enjoyment led to me nursing my glass (which, poured by Marco was a 1/3 of a bottle) from 9pm until after midnight. Luckily for all, I didn't need the wine to be chatty and have fun, especially since Andrew and Marco are entertainment by themselves. We had to practice at 9:25am so I called it a night around 12:30am...whooo! Well, the boys left at 12:30 to venture to the bars but I went to call my boyfriend and catch up since I hadn't really spoken to him all day. I woke up in a panic this morning thinking I had overslept but actually had time and the guys came to drive me to campus anyways.

And tomorrow it begins again. I'll pack my zebra print bag with a protein bar and water, which my clever mum suggested as a way of getting through the longer periods between meals when I am doing the inevitable and running around like a madwoman. I've decided that peanut butter is the best - they taste like Reese's Pieces. And 4 hours later, we'll emerge, hopefully ready to win on Friday. and how is Shakespeare involved? I volunteered for a workshop called Bard.Comm, which at this point involves memorizing a sonnet and presenting it in front of a group of our peers and working with Ric Knowles on developing our communication using the sonnet somehow. Should be fun but really, memorizing sonnets is so far from how my mind has been functioning the last two years that its a pretty slow process. Soooo ....that's my weekend thus far. Remember that its daylight Saving Time tomorrow and we lose and hour. Booo hisss. But it means that much closer to spring and all the warm weather so I'll let it go. All the best Candice

Mystery Meat

2007-03-06T17:29:00.000-08:00

Marco, Andrew and I (our business case team) had a swanky reception at the President's house with the commerce faculty and the Dean of Social Sciences tonight. It was nice, especially just a week before another competition, to reflect on our work and that of the faculty. Believe it or not, I'm not paid to endorse the faculty, but I think it would be unfair not to recognize the fact that for all the work we did, Dr. Grandy had to work just as hard preparing us and then some, including having to "deal" with us and our randomness while travelling by plane, train, and taxi all around Kingston and Toronto. Not to mention the faculty and staff who gave up their nights/weekends to sit on the panel and interrogate (I mean, "gently question") us as the "Board of Directors.

Back to the reception - It was a great time - including fun talk about budgets and ratemyprofessors.com. Personally, I think the site can be ridiculous and generally those motivated are those who are bitter and vengeful about a mark or an experience. I've used the site to get a feel for a course, especially in non-commerce related faculties like religion or psychology, but having seen very few articulate and fair comments on at least the professors that I have, I'm inclined to take it with a grain of salt. But it was funny to hear the professors talk about it.

Despite being in the President's house, which in itself was impressive, seeing the professors outside of the classroom has become a lot more natural and in such a small town its inevitable even in an accidental sense but always nice in an arranged but informal setting as well. My favorite part of the evening was when, after accepting my first hors d'oeuvre I tried to balance it with my wine and ending up dropping the beef skewer onto the floor. I'd like to think no one saw that but really, I'm sure everyone did. So after a few minutes of searching discreetly for the missing skewer (with meat attached) on the President's shiny hardwood floor and adjoining pretty rug, I gave up and made a mental note to search later. Then as the conversation progressed I noticed little pieces of meat flecked onto the carpet and had a sinking suspicion that it exploded on impact and had permanently affixed itself to the furnishings. After taking a photo and standing up to chat, I poked Marco in the arm and pointed. The random skewer had been under my leg the entire time, luckily on the hardwood and not on the carpet. On the downside, it was totally in view of anyone who would have looked beside me so I imagine everyone noticed it at some point during the evening but didn't want to embarrass me. How kind.

Besides the mystery disappearing meat, it was a classy affair that gave us an excuse to dress up, drink wine, and hang out with the President. Now if only I could motivate myself to continue working tonight....

Back to work for me. I've made a "promise" to go to the gym with Andrew, my new gym buddy. He said quitters are those who show up once and never again and superquitters are those who never even show up. I'm debating between not being a quitter at all and being a superquitter. Go big or go home, right? Just in case I want to go though, I should get work done. Or try. Or at least pretend to try.

Bye for now

Candice

I've created a world where winter doesn't exist

2007-02-28T08:58:00.000-08:00

And trust me, its a beautiful thing. Not sure if I have mentioned this before but I actually am a transfer student, having worked on a BA in politics before my reincarnation here at Mount Allison as a Commerce student. (this is going somewhere, I promise) It means that I have a basis of comparison for comparing many things, including housing, which really, is a considerable part of a student's challenges. I've lived with 5 girls that I knew right from first year and all of whom are now in different places being amazing people. I moved here and knew no one, and so moved in to rez, only to realize that I was not willing to go back to that after having freedom for 2 years, so I did the logical thing. I moved into the Marshlands inn temporarily. In the meantime, my boyfriend and parents searched everywhere for a place using the internet while I tried to get used to classes and the whole east coast experience, which was a shock considering I found out about my acceptance about 2 days before classes. Anyways, my bf got tired of looking for a place with no results so, smart man that he is, called a real estate agent do help him. She happened to know of a place looking for a roommate and so off I went that night to see what was probably my 18th house and voila! Perfect! 2 upper year girls needed another place and that was that.

So I've had a "range" of experiences with housing, and I am happy to report from the comfort of my 20+ degree room in my shorts and t-shirt that Sackville housing can be pretty close to the lap of luxury. I mean, its no Chateau Laurier (look at me name dropping - ha!) but I love my room and my house in general. Its closer to a "real-person" house than my "previous life". Granted, no hardwood floors or marble countertops (though friends of mine had hardwood last year) but we have virtually new appliances, all inclusive rent, and a real kitchen table, a living room with nice couches and curtains and generally a good feel.

I don't have photos of my "other" house but that's because, like COLD, mice and peeling walls don't photograph particularly well. Although I must admit, my clever housemates, two of whom are now at medschool, brought a certain je ne said quoi to the house by using beer labels to cover the peeling pale green kitchen walls, which underneath revealed forest green peeling walls. Yum. But I did take care to document my Sackville dwellings, albeit last year since my camera lately has decided its more fun and/or gets more attention if it doesn't hold its charge. Kind of like a child eating paste...but regardless, let's all marvel at my bright fun house with the post below.

Wow...I just looked outside. Snow on the ground. Wind blowing. Looks chilly out there in Canada. That's why I love the tropical climate of my room - closer to the land of my birth really...but that's a whole other post. (my new thing is cliffhangers...thank Grey's anatomy for inspiring that)

Bye for now!

my cozy house

2007-02-28T08:41:00.000-08:00

Snow, while pretty is cold. Sand is not. Discuss.

2007-02-25T18:50:00.000-08:00

My latest excuse for my absence is a relaxing trip to Florida for spring break, where I theoretically swore off internet and all things work related. I admit, I caved more than once to check my email, but felt as though a true sign of cheating is if there was a blog to timestamp my offenses. (Its like that obnoxious debate that people feel is necessary to have "what do you really consider cheating?" Fun party talk, huh? Frankly, if you're asking then you know its wrong and want validation. But I'm not here to judge.)

Anyways, since I was trying to give the impression of a dedicated effort to enjoy the Florida-fun without the interruption of the computer, I failed to post last week. But not to fret - besides making you all jealous with tales of my slacking I will make you smile to yourselves with tales of my tension wrought week(s) ahead, as visions of midterms and finals and presentations and assignments and job hunting and acceptance/rejection letters and GRADUATING dance in my head.

I'd love to post a comparison picture of Sackville this time of year but the blinding white of COLD doesn't photograph the same way as sunshine and lollipops. Actually, the weather out east wasn't half bad when I left and to be honest, the Florida breeze had me wrapped up in a towel and long sleeve shirt while everyone around me tanned. (I'm not denying I'm a dork - I'd rather not freeze while enjoying my chic lit on the beach under my umbrella while trying to avoid looking like a lobster)

So instead of working, I played Cranium and Scrabble, content with convincing myself that these two activities in of themselves constitute academic pursuits. I believe that being able to hum "Sugar Sugar" and get a teammate to understand you without looking like a moron is worthy of an A in some class or another. Not to mention knowing such important details as what happened to parliament when it had a fire in 1916 (answer: it was moved temporarily to a museum) are important life lessons. Plus winning is good for the soul. Or at least its good for my ego, which is correlated to my happiness, and being happy is probably good for the soul, right?

I DID engage in a little bit of work, albeit out of guilt when in the presence of more studious individuals made me want to redeem my image. But really, the work got done so who cares what the motivation was. I figure between flying home tomorrow and waking up at 6am every day this week to compensate, I'll have more than enough time to get back on track.

I'm so excited to be done - this is my most recent focal point for all things good and smiley. A little over a month and I move back. Not so excited about that, but excited about saying that I HAVE a commerce degree versus I'm a commerce student. Moving home has its ups and downs - most notably reigning in off the freedom (down) but homecooked meals (up) and living in a familiar place (up) with friends and family no longer a plane ride away (big UP). All in all I'm excited, although a little hesitant about not knowing where I'll be in a few months based career stuff.

A friend of ours that we travelled with this week let us know about his plan to move to Hawaii with his gf when he graduates. I like his logic since I agree, before the family, mortgage etc why not travel? But I'm more likely to stick "closer" to home since I've spent two years doing the commute between east coast and ontario. By closer I'm willing to extend as far as Montreal to the East and no where outside of Ontario for the west (hehe...my geography is kind of horrible so this is me not wanting to have to google a map of Ontario to figure out which is the western most Ontario city....so I'll leave it vague intentionally)

So these are my ramblings post sun and relaxation. I intend to do a double post this week - and if you're lucky it will be more logical than this current stream of consciousness type post. I was feeling organic tonight.

Bedtime for me - driving 24 hours straight makes even the most normal of people cranky and I'm probably not in the normal category with all the the pre-existing sleep deprivation from student life so crankiness x 1000 for me. I don't want to unleash that on the world quite yet so, dear reader, I ask your patience as I skip off to bed.

Until next time (that's so overused by felt really fitting there)

Candice

Does this mean I'm out of shape?

2007-02-08T19:20:00.000-08:00

Not that I'm normally inclined to seek pseudo-medical advice through a blog, but does the fact that my throat still kinda burns after only 3 minutes of jumping rope mean that I need to visit the gym more often. (No wait...that sounds like I visit the gym somewhat regularly...well intentioned though I may be, laziness and the warmth of my bedroom too often prevail)

My Thursday was actually a success - well from my perspective at least. Accounting was...well...accounting...full of sneaky little surprises that make your brain hurt but its over. And our Arts & Culture presentation went really well I think. After that I got peer-pressured into going to the JUMP! campaign for MtA. To be fair, my main reason was not lack of school spirit - although I'd maintain that a recognizable school song would go a long way to rally large crowds and sound impressive - but rather the fact that I was wearing wedge dress shoes (my stilettos for the presentation were in my snazzy zebra print bag)...I was wearing dress clothes, a formal jacket, and essentially was not outfitted for the event. But........everyone else was going so I bahhhed obediently and went. Albeit cold, it was pretty fun. We decided to skip with our professors and I was immediately shamed by all around me, including a 3 year old was barely tall enough to be skipping. I'll admit pumping Madonna through the speakers was a pretty good call though - it motivated me at least. She's pretty amazing.

Then we headed indoors for chocolate and champagne. We had planned to stay for the festivities but our group hadn't eaten all day and we had a guest speaker so instead we went down to Mel's for beer and cheap food. I enjoyed the homemade chicken soup personally. We also planned our 'dinner party', including the least cuisine-enabled (????) of us all that he was responsible for a 4 layer trifle. We are actually having a dinner party, but decided that our lovely italian Marco shall do the cooking, with the rest of us in charge of salad and dessert. And Andrew, not so kitchen-inclined (??? ...I'm not sure what catch phrase I like yet) is in charge of drinks. You can't mess up bottles of wine I'm sure.

ALso on the 'menu'? Rocket candy. For poker. Hehehe. That was Sarah and my suggestion for the evening. So glad we could contribute.

Time to find some lozengers to soothe my throat...or my long lost inhaler. Actually...that's probably a good call for next time I decide to jump rope in -billion degree weather.

Have fun!

I should have seen this coming

2007-02-07T20:16:00.000-08:00

Now, for those of you who were waiting in joyful (and all knowing) anticipation of this moment - it has arrived - the work I have so artfully been avoiding has found me and is now dancing mockingly around my room and every so often getting the nerve to poke me in the ribs while giggling. I honestly thought I could beat it; I believed I could disappear from town taking minimal work with me and that perhaps a void would be created wherein I would have missed nothing and been behind.

Mind you, I don't think it was because I left but rather that I chose to believe that the time during which I departed from MtA was the norm and that if I could catch up on that work, that the rest of the semester would be smooth sailing. NOT TRUE. What I neglected to remember was that inevitably, as part of any program I'm sure but apparently moreso in Commerce, there are these weeks that serve as obnoxious little outliers (my little sister taking stats would appreciate that) to the typical student schedule.

My simplified example:
c=class s=small assignment (homework, basically) *E*=exam and *P*=presentation *B*BIG HUGE PROJECT

Normal week: ccccc ss
Tough week: ccccc s *E*
Tougher week: ccccc s *E* *P*
COMMERCE elimination by fire week: ccccc *E* *E* *P* *P* *B*

No joke. That is what my life is like. And this happened last year as well so as much as I'd like to blame it on 4th year that's probably not true. While I'm sure this is typical of many workplaces with year-end or other massive deadlines, its hard not to differentiate those circumstances because THOSE PEOPLE ARE BEING COMPENSATED FOR THEIR BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS. Us, not so much. "Real people" do well? Perhaps a promotion or a bonus. Students do well. "very good" written in red ink on your paper. And hopefully an A to correspond (but don't take that for granted). Yay.

The worst/best part of it all is the group work though. I really do love working in teams - especially those that really fuel everyone in the group and make it such that the whole really is bigger than the sum of its parts. And even though I'm lucky to be in such groups for all of my classes this semester, its the scheduling and meeting that drives me up the wall. I'm all about striking a fine balance between laziness and efficiency. I don't have class Monday Wednesday Friday and obviously the weekend. Therefore, I have no reason/incentive/motivation to leave the house. I will, if necessary leave for important meetings like with the Dean or a professor, as I can justify a benefit. To leave the house for a meeting, however, where all we do is decide another meeting time KILLS me. Its -21 or something outside, I have to put on real clothes, even brush my hair if I plan on taking off my hat...Trust me when i say the effort rarely matches any benefit.

If I had my way we would all use the new Groove software from microsoft, teleconferencing, and good old email. Some of my favorite groups are those that subscribe to this theory as well. Unfortunately, that only tends to be groups you've worked with before because we all trust that we can go our seperate ways and still do a great job. And if we MUST meet, I'd much rather do if after class or between classes or something that is less out of the way. But to do that means we all have matching schedules and that's rarely true. So when I hear that the only free times are weekends and Fridays, understand what makes me sad. Especially when it cuts my exam prep time into small chunks...so small I tend to let them slip by and before you know it its the night before a midterm.

That being said, I think I'm okay for tomorrow - I have an Advanced Accounting midterm in the morning, followed by a team presentation for Arts & Culture management and then a meeting with a professor for whom I'm doing research to update her on my progress. Luckily, our team for A&C is really strong so we can do the separate way thing for the most part. And unlike last term, which was intense, this half of advanced accounting is much more interesting and along my learning style.

Next week, however, is another matter entirely...Abnormal psyc midterm, another A&C case, final copy of my research case due, BIG term paper for Strategy sort of due (need it done before my vacation since I have no plans on working on it then) plus my cost accounting homework which is piling up as we speak.

Going back to my post a few weeks ago - you can now gloat. The work has caught up. I am close to admitting defeat. However, thoughts of my corner office, with fancy artwork and minions to do my bidding keep me sane. That and thoughts of reading week being around the corner. I will win...

wine and pizza

2007-01-31T18:46:00.000-08:00

Such a cold cold week. My excursions outside Sackville taught me it is cold everywhere but I was a bit more sheltered since I drove most places in Kingston and Ottawa and here I walk. I plan my day around not having to walk unneccessarily, even if that means spending time in the library, which I truly cannot stand. The only reason you will catch me there is if I'm being painfully lazy or I have a team meeting.

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow though since after class there is a wine tasting hosted by the commerce society and then our team is going out for dinner with our professor. Since I only have class two days a week I tend to stay indoors due to the cold and in my pj's on my off days. Tomorrow is a chance to break the pattern, even if it does mean missing Grey's Anatomy. I nearly had to miss it last week because of the conference but I was *cough* oh so sick *cough* that I had to stay in bed and watch it from my comfy Chateau Laurier suite....(okay seriously, I was DEATHLY ill on Thursday and was forced to stay in bed and avoid getting other people sick...and if it means anything, I was so out of it that I passed out in the middle of Grey's.)

In other news, I have a date with a friend of mine this weekend where we will find the girliest movie possible and indulge in sloth-like behaviour that includes teddy grahams and icing. Mmmmmm...its like dunkaroos in bulk. I'm going to miss this when I get a grown-up job and a real life with expectations that include a more balanced diet than tubs of icing and chocolate pudding.

Time to finish reading psychology and making a list of which people in my life have which disorder. Its a fun game.

aaaaaaaaaand....15 days to my reading week starts!

Have fun!

evidence

2007-01-29T19:59:00.000-08:00

A few pics from my recent adventures - the withinsight National Director and I at our closing Banquet in the National Art Gallery and our winning Business team with our Coach, Dr. Grandy. Evidence I wasn't on a beach somewhere when I was away.

home and away

2007-01-18T23:53:00.000-08:00

I love how my very first blog is being written while away from MtA. Though not a typical month by any stretch of the imagination, this January is nevertheless a good example of the split personality or dual life some of us develop while at school. I'm not sure that one particular part of my profile makes me predisposed to this life - I am a 4th year Commerce student originally from Mississauga, Ontario who happens to have had some crazy opportunities and extracurriculars as well.

After arriving back in Sackville on the 4th at about 1am before classes at 8:30am, I spent one week before leaving with my teammates for a business competition at Queen's University. We spent 4 awesome days psyching ourselves out about the event and sizing up the competition and left on the highest note possible taking home 1st place in the Business Policy division.

Back at MtA for 4 days, I'm now on my way back home to Mississauga for a night or two in my own room before leaving for Kingston and then Ottawa where I'm on the Executive Team for withinsight, a student leadership/public policy conference. Total time on this pass from Sackville? 10 days?

In case you were keeping score, let's recap.
Days in January :31
Days spent (or to be spent) in Sackville: 13
Days outside of Sackville: 18

This round goes to the 'outside world'.

(Note: this is me all smug PRIOR to the 10 hiatus and the associated 10 departure from assignments/readings/all things academic...we'll see how/if the tone changes when reality and textbooks hit once again - feel free to gloat when I return) Luckily, my classes all fall on Tuesday/Thursday so I've only missed 3 full days of class. Still, group work and major projects need to be done...

At any rate, I'm really looking forward to the next week and a bit! Only a few days until the conference. I'll post pictures/updates soon!

And the countdown begins!