Tuesday's Tragic Truths

1.  I have been feeling super lazy for the last little..  no, make that LONG.. time.  I barely have the energy to get up off of the couch.  It doesn't help that there are many TV shows to watch, thanks to the internet.  Ever watch "Breaking Bad"?  It's addicting.  And don't get me started on "Dexter"..

2.  I think my artistic spark has died.  I no longer paint, barely draw, and have a Bamboo drawing tablet that I've used twice in the last year.  I have no idea how to get back into it.  That's a lie..  I do have one idea:  cancel my internet connection.  (I suspect this might work, but I'm half afraid!)

3.  I have all of these novel ideas floating in my head.  Again, no creativity or will to write.  I've heard that Stephen King locks himself in a plain room when he really needs to write.  I'm not sure this would work for me because I'm fantastic at disappearing into a story in my head.  I would probably just do this and not write anything at all.

4.  I want to get a gym membership.  I want to take some yoga and dance classes.  I have no idea what I'm waiting for.

5.  I found a recently launched website relating to the cancer that I had as a kid.  It has a section on "Late Effects" regarding the things to watch for in the future.  I had no idea that I was at risk for so many things, or that I have certain conditions strictly as a result of my treatment.  Man.  Something else to supposedly worry about.  Why was I not informed?

6.  I need to start seeing the world through rose-coloured glasses like I used to.  I realize that I would then be more naive, but naivety seems very comforting sometimes.

----------------------------------------------

Sorry for the negative post.  It's actually my attempt at stirring myself into action.  Get off that couch!  Get to the gym!  Start looking at the bright side of things!  :)

source

Fixed - One Big Toe

So my husband lived, after all.  He was brave, but ended up being put under in the end.  So he woke up funny and nonsensical.  The troupe of nurses were all doting on him, which meant he had a lot of cookies to munch on, as well as tea made the way he likes it:  2 sugar, 1 cream..  not milk.  Spoiled, eh?

He's been hobbling around on crutches, generally making a nuisance of himself.  Suddenly I'M the one that's supposed to fetch things?!  Who's going to get me a glass of water when I've forgotten it and have already gotten comfy in bed??  Me.  That's who. 

I'm not used to having a husband who can't dote on me.  I think I'm the one who's been spoiled.  This whole thing has been an eye opener for me!  I have had it GOOD!  What a sweetie he is :)  Ok, I'm rambling..

With his new friend that he made while I was getting the car

The Preciousness of RICE

I've been watching Muhan Dojeon lately (as some of you know).  The last couple episodes that I've seen have gone over a 1 year project that the cast had been involved in.

They apparently rented a farmer's field, planted rice plants, and harvested them in the fall.  Afterward, they packaged it and donated it.  Isn't that nice!

After watching these episodes, all I can say is that from now on I will treat every grain of rice as precious.  A LOT of work goes into rice farming, and each plant does not have that much rice on it!

An old Korean proverb is...
"You need to know the preciousness of rice, in order to raise your children well."

I believe it!

My Love/Hate Relationship with Dean Koontz

I read my first Dean Koontz novel when I was in high school.  It was one of his older releases from the 80's and I was hooked.  I don't remember the storyline, but I remember not being able to guess the ending, and for that reason, I loved it.  I also loved the wittiness of the narrator.  Koontz has the ability to weave words and create a dreamscape in my imagination.
From that point forward, I started to read all of his novels.  I loved many of his older ones.  Not all, but most.  Then I ran into Christopher Snow.  Chris is a character in two books..  Fear Nothing & Seize the Night.  I can honestly say that I love these books.  The characters are fun and even flawed.
The next character I fell in love with is Odd Thomas.  He's too humble for his own good.  He saves people's lives, for goodness sake!  And he's a sweetie to boot. :)
Well, as of late, I have noticed a decrease in quality that has actually made me confused.  Sometimes I flip the novel over to check and see if Dean & Trixie are indeed on the back cover.  Is this Dean's less-than-amazing brother and his dog, Misty??  I have no idea. 
Sometimes I think business contracts have a way of squashing creativity.  I wonder if Dean had more time to give to just one novel, would it be better?  I'm gonna say yes.

Anyway, before I get flamed on this, I do realize that it takes a certain kind of person to churn out novels on a regular basis.  I have yet to write one.  So clearly it's not as easy as he makes it look. :)

Bloodwork - The Bane of my Existence

I hate bloodwork.  Due to a run-in with cancer as a child, I have given a LOT of blood over the years.  If only it had been given as a donation to needy people, eh?  But instead it was all given in the name of science and tests.

I invariably forget to drink the morning of my blood test.  I dunno why.  I do know that I lose my appetite when I'm nervous, so maybe it's kinda the same thing.

I have fainted after bloodwork.  This was not my shining moment to say the least.  Now my doctor give me a hard stare before sending me off.  I don't know if it's a certain shade of gray that she occasionally perceives but sometimes she tells me to lie down, suck this lollypop, and for heaven's sake, don't look at the needle.

Once, I even hallucinated.  I'm not sure what I might have looked like when this happened, but my mom didn't notice me being any different.  I remember being very nervous that day about having to get a needle, so my mom said she'd go first to show me how it was done.  The nurse took a vial and let me hold it.  I told her it was very warm and mom said something about her warm heart.  They gave her a green, shiny pencil for her efforts.  I then had my blood test with little fanfare.
Later on the subway when I asked to see the pencil, she gave me a confused look.  After a couple moments, we figured out that I had hallucinated the whole thing.

Does anyone else have a harder time giving blood from their stronger arm?  It makes me more nervous to give from my right arm.  I'm not sure why.

Well, today's test didn't go well.  I forgot to drink.  I gave everything I had.  And it wasn't enough.

I feel like a pincushion.

Babies, babies, and more babies

My friend's wife just had a baby a couple weeks ago.  She's beautiful.  And I don't say that lightly.  I think most newborns are squashy and slightly non-human looking.  So I'll usually exclaim, "Oh, wow, she's so small!" or "Look at those tiny little feet!  How precious!".  So for me to say this baby is beautiful means that it's the truth.

I was looking at pictures of her online, and noticed that I don't have that hard-to-ignore type of yearning that a woman my age is "supposed" to feel.  That's not to say that I don't want kids.  But all things have their time, right?  And right now is not the time for children for me.

I was again creeping online and saw some wedding anniversary congratulations for a girl I've met.  Two years today!  That's nice news :)  But the last congratulatory note had this tacked onto it: "It's been long enough now!  Time for babies!"

um..

I know that it's an age-old practice for older women to tease younger brides about having children, but in today's day and age you should be a little more careful about doing that.  I can think of several friends of mine, some even younger than me, and also myself included who have medical conditions which may or may not hinder future fertility.  I'm sure they get teased often about not procreating fast enough because heaven knows they've been married long enough!  What if they're already trying to start their fairytale family and and feeling heartbreak month after month?  Why rub salt into the wound?  I mean, society has always dictated that all women are happiest when they are bearing and raising children.  And let's not forget that biological clock that keeps on ticking whether you've already conceived or not.

Have a little courtesy, people.

G20 in Toronto - June 26th

Wow.

That's all I can say after a day like today.

Is it really worth it to destroy other people's property for the sake of making a point? I wonder at the logic of people when I see store windows being smashed and cars being torched on the streets of my hometown. I suppose that it's all just to get a reaction, but still. We're just coming out of a recession and those stores are people's livelihoods. It's unfair to attack others just to make sure that everyone knows you're annoyed. :( This does not help your cause in any way.

I wanted to see the peaceful protests downtown, but now I'm afraid of going and getting tear-gassed when some guy behind me throws a hatchet through a bank window.

What is this world coming to?


Check out this amazing Flickr set by jen: G20 Toronto 2010
Her pictures say it all.

Buying a new car - The Horror!

So I've had my eye on a Toyota Yaris for the last year. I think they look like a nice little car.. the sedan still has a spacey backseat as well as a nice trunk. And the price can't be beat. Unless you're looking at a Neon.. hehe.

Anyway, I found a couple good 2008 ones on the Toyota website, called the applicable dealership and made an appointment for today. It was a little out of my way.. well, more than a little. I drove almost 60 kms to get to my appointment today.. with no air conditioning.. in 30+ weather..

So I get there 20 minutes early. The guy I had my appointment with isn't there, which is fine. I tell them I'll wait. Then, past my appointment time, another guy comes out and explains that he'll help me today instead. I think nothing of this. Happens all the time.

I test drove a couple Yaris'. One had black smoke coming out of the tailpipe. I was told this was normal when you first start it up. What I do NOT think is normal is black smoke coming out the whole time while he drives away and around the building.
The next one had a hesitation when you hit the gas pedal. He claims to have not felt it. At this point, I'm losing whatever trust I might have had.

Later, we're sitting in his office and I'm assured that any mechanical problems will be taken care of, and that there is a warranty to cover these things for 30 days. I'm feeling a little more trusting than I was in the parking lot.
So I want to discuss price. Any possible deals that could be wrangled and all that. I'm told that deals can be made.. but the guy who handles financial things has stepped out. Alright. I'm a touch annoyed now. I'm then told to go have lunch somewhere and come back in the afternoon. Maybe the guy will be there then. Maybe.
At this point I'm sure that I'm not buying today or maybe not ever. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the finances to be taken care of while I'm there. After all, I DID make an appointment after all. So I ask for a written quote to see if I could shop around. He then prints off the exact car from the Toyota website. It clearly states the price as $300 cheaper than the price on the car itself. So I ask him if that's the price that will be honoured, since it's their official website after all. But no. He can't do this at this point. Sorry.

So I left. And drove home almost 60 kms in the sweltering heat. That's a total of 120 wasted kms. Thanks.

Honestly. I did not feel as if I was being taken seriously at any point during my visit. And this is coming from an actual dealership.

Oh, and did I mention that my t-shirt was on backwards the entire time? Cause it was.

Sigh.

Edit (Aug. 9/10):  I ended up getting a Corolla after all.  And I must say, it does drive much better than the Yaris!  Good job, me!  :)

Buying a new car

So it's that time again..

My old Sunfire has decided that it's not going to be good to me anymore. After almost 6 years of awesomeness on it's part, I feel like it just wants to be retired already.
I bought my '99 Sunfire from my Aunt in 2004. It was my first car! You have no idea what kind of feeling it gave me to have freedom. I was able to go wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted. And since I was still living at home.. that was a good thing. I didn't have to ask for a ride anymore or take the bus :) My sister and I road-tripped in it one summer all across eastern Canada.My little blue Sunfire was perfect for quite a few years, but lately I've been taking it in a lot for random repairs: signal light clicker, throttle position sensor, etc. The air conditioning is broken, as well as the CD player, so it's not as fun to drive anymore, either. And now I'm afraid to take it anywhere far because I sense that there is a transmission problem in the making.

So it's a sad, sad day.. but I've decided to replace the old dear. :(
I will miss you!
Let us remember the good times:

Running out of gas in the middle of nowhere on the NB/NS border

Meh.. it was worth a try

Second time in the ditch is the charm? No?

:)

Love

My internet connection has been down for almost a week. Hopefully it will be fixed this week.

In the meantime, remember to love!

1 sparkler + 1 open-shuttered camera = LOVE :)

Gulf Oil Leak

I honestly think this oil spill in unbelievable. I have a few things that make me angry.

1. Who puts into place something that has the potential to damage the environment on a colossal scale with no proper safety measures in place??? I mean, honestly?? If you don't know how to fix a potential oil leak, then why are you drilling in the ocean in the first place? I think this should be a wake up call for the large drilling companies.

2. Who approved off-shore drilling with no proper safety precautions in place? Whoever signed the dotted line and allowed this company to drill in a healthy, well-established ecosystem should be held accountable for the damage thus far.

I personally think that this company should pay for all the clean-ups, plus fines, and possibly criminal charges. The buck is not more important than our world, people.

Check out the live footage of their latest attempt to stop this leak.. btw, I just want to point out that this is 5 1/2 weeks after it started to leak AND this method may make it worse......

This year I hate Christmas

The closer Christmas gets, the more I realize things about myself...

One, I'm a physical person. This one surprises me slightly. The reason it does is because I don't come across as a touchy type of person.. But I think that's because of our dogs. Whenever I want a hug or affection, I just call one of them (usually Charlie because he's so cuddly!). And considering I cuddled them the moment I woke up, random times during the day, and right before they went to sleep... then yes.. I must be a little deprived. It sucks. I cuddled a random puppy in a store the other day.. it was afraid of me, and I didn't care.. haha.
But yeah.. it totally sucks. This society is no-touch as well as whoa-touch. No-touch is self-explanatory.. whoa-touch means I constantly see guys holding hands, rubbing each others necks, etc. It was really disturbing at the beginning. And school girls walk around holding hands too. I think it's because they separate them in school at the age when they would start noticing the opposite sex... so their affections jump to same-sex for the time being. Lots of time for dating in the late 20's.. mann..

Also, I don't like thinking about Christmas because I've never ever imagined that I'd spend one away from home. It's saddening. I get a little more depressed everyday and I don't like it. I'm trying to keep positive, but so far it's hard. One good thing.. Eric is planning something for Christmas for me.. I have no idea what.. all he said is "I have a plan.." *wink wink* That could be anything on the planet. So I have one thing to look forward to.. oh, and the Christmas musical.. it's awesome. I've gone to all of their practices and it's hilarious. I'll tape it and send it.

The Evil in the Bathroom

So I was coming home last night.. around 9ish.. and as I was walking down the hall towards my apartment door, I heard a scream.. coming from my apartment. And I heard the shower running, so I thought maybe Maria had fallen. I entered the code, and as I opened the door I heard her yelling to me. "Sarah!!! Is that you?????" I answered her carefully... "yesssss". Then she told me that there was a giant cockroach in the bathroom with her.. UGH!!! so she quickly got out and we investigated. It was HUGE! Black, all legs, long wings.. so nasty. So she grabbed the shower head and started spraying hot water at it.. it started running all over the place.. so next best thing.. the bottle of bleach! We emptied it over it.. and it took about 10-15 mins to die. After it was flushed, we went to the store, bought more bleach, and scoured the bathroom. (eggs, you see)

It was an exciting night! *shudder*

- btw, we think it flew in the window -

True Story: Gatorade-flavoured Toilet Water

So earlier this week, I noticed a flyer in the elevator. It meant nothing to me (being all in Korean) so I made a mental note to ask Maria when I saw her. As usual, my mental notes are usually lost in the mix.
A couple days ago.. we were getting ready for bed and Maria mentioned that she saw the flyer in the elevator. Apparently the water was going to be gone from 8am the next morning to 8am the day after.. 24 hours without water. And she had JUST noticed it when she got home. Soooo.. we did a quick tally of our water supply.. enough spring water for drinking, a couple pots of water for washing our faces and brushing our teeth, we both took a shower.. and that was the extent of our planning. So the next day, we go to work, and come back home. Never thinking about the lack of water at home.
Soooo.. we get home and had one of those "OH YA!!" moments. And I had to go pee. (I was kicking myself for not having gone at the school) So I asked Maria where the nearest public showers were.. she had no idea. So I said "well.. I really have to go, so I'm going to use our last toilet flush". She jumps up.. runs into the bathroom, and FLUSHES THE TOILET! "Watch!" We both watch in silence as the bowl empties.. and stays empty. After a few seconds.. she sheepishly looks at me.. "oops.." lol. She flushed away my toilet water because she thought the water pressure would refill it.. like in a house. I politely reminded her that we were on the 5th floor.. hahahahaha.
What to do??? Why... try to fill the bowl up with a 2L bottle of nasty gatorade, of course. That filled it up about 1/6th of the way.. so.. only one thing left to do. We grabbed a large bag, filled it with a bunch of empty 2L bottles and went to the hospital. We felt like thieves.. we snuck in.. and we stole the water. (and I used the washroom.. evil) Then we ran out with our pilfered water, giggling... and to make the best of it.. it's not even drinkable! ARGH! We stole toilet water!!

My Life is Sad..

It's friday night... classes are over.. I should have big plans, right? So what am I going to do???
My roommate and I are going to Mega Mart. Woohoo! We're so excited! It's a trip!!

lol

so sad..

Why do so many look the same?????

 When I was waiting around for 4 hours in Incheon airport in Seoul, I sat and watched the airline employees. Think that's weird? :P But anyway.. I think that airline attendants always look all pretty (or handsome) and polished.
Welllll.. the ones in Pearson have nothing on the ones in Incheon. They're all ladies. Very tall, slim, white-skinned, drop-dead gorgeous ladies. That look the same. Not just a little.. but almost like twins. At first it was interesting.. then I started to get a little weirded out. Do they have a factory where they churn out identical fllight attendants??

Well, my roommate informed me today that Korea is famous for plastic surgery. They get their eyes done first.. to look bigger and more "western". Then they get bigger noses, higher cheekbones, and shave down their jawbones. Can anyone say OW? And the result of all this surgery? The Korean version of the Stepford
wives...

Nothing wrong with looking beautiful.. but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.. not the latest model on the billboards. (This goes for North America too)