And I'm feeling relief. 3/4 so far, and if all goes well, I may end up with an 84 this term. That mark may be "ok" or even "bad" for some of you over-achievers out there; Back in the day when I used to get 90s in high school, yeah, I'd call 84 a mediocre grade. But, given that I've had to dig myself out of a pretty dark place, I'm pleased with myself. If it weren't for Philosophy this term, I could probably have gotten an 87 overall.
I've been in the lab during the day since yesterday and I feel like my brain is going to explode. It makes me somewhat glad that I decided not to do Grad studies. I've been working on the poster I'll be presenting at the Canadian Nutritional Society conference in Edmonton this June. I'm still interpreting/analyzing data, and it doesn't help that Microsoft Power Point has been crashing on me all day, so it's taking me longer than I hoped it would. But with any luck I should be done the first draft on Thursday. I need to go home on Friday early because I have to renew my passport and those government offices are never open when it's convenient for normal people, so I've got to plan around that.
I've started watching a show called Californication. I had heard about it ages ago but like most things, I hadn't bothered to delve into it until recently when I was introduced to it. Aside from nudity (but who can really say they don't like nudity?) it's pretty entertaining. The main character is played by the same guy who plays Agent Mulder from X-Files, and he's much more entertaining in this show.
I've always considered myself a hermit of sorts, but I've just gotten so used to hanging around people, that I'm starting to not like being by myself. People have gone home since exams are done... but my cousin will be back next week, so I guess it's not that bad. I guess now would be as good a time as any to visit Chapters and enjoy some leisure reading.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
And just like that...
Poof.
Things get better. Not that things were going badly to begin with. But things are still better than they'd been. And it makes me smile.
Things get better. Not that things were going badly to begin with. But things are still better than they'd been. And it makes me smile.
"If you don't learn to laugh at trouble, you won't have anything to laugh at when you're old."
-- Edgar Watson Howe
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
I'm talking 'bout blah blah blah
BAH... just one more day until exams are finito! I don't really know what she'll ask on it, seeing as there's SO much information from 11 labs... But really, even with an 80 on the final, I can pull off an 86, which I think is comforting. It's about 119 multiple choice (so she says), so technically I have real potential to do well. She is a tricky one though...
I made one of my last visits to Morty's Pub last night; Mmmm Dry Cajun wings! Delish. I've only really been there twice (or thrice, can't remember) in 5 years, which is kind of pathetic, but it's good times. I had some interesting conversations with a friend last night that kind of makes me rethink what I think I know about myself. Not in a bad way, but like the silly things that make us human; what I think about behaviours and how I tend to live my life. Nevermind this off-tangent thought.
Sigh. I'm still sad that graduation is coming fast, mainly because I will miss the people. I just started to get to know people really well this term; I kind of wish I talked to more people back in Undergrad.
Hmm. Anyway.
I'm surprised I was able to wake up this morning on time! I usually set my alarm for 9 am but shut it off because I just can't bring myself to get out of bed after a good 8 hours of sleep. But... after getting only about 5 hours I feel as fresh as a daisy (more or less). Hmm. Cool.
I made one of my last visits to Morty's Pub last night; Mmmm Dry Cajun wings! Delish. I've only really been there twice (or thrice, can't remember) in 5 years, which is kind of pathetic, but it's good times. I had some interesting conversations with a friend last night that kind of makes me rethink what I think I know about myself. Not in a bad way, but like the silly things that make us human; what I think about behaviours and how I tend to live my life. Nevermind this off-tangent thought.
Sigh. I'm still sad that graduation is coming fast, mainly because I will miss the people. I just started to get to know people really well this term; I kind of wish I talked to more people back in Undergrad.
Hmm. Anyway.
I'm surprised I was able to wake up this morning on time! I usually set my alarm for 9 am but shut it off because I just can't bring myself to get out of bed after a good 8 hours of sleep. But... after getting only about 5 hours I feel as fresh as a daisy (more or less). Hmm. Cool.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Procrastinating
Hey ya'll... me again.
I'm clearly procrastinating; my last exam is in 6 days and I'm just not interesting in reading my notes for this class. Give it time; I've laid out a nice schedule for tomorrow, so hopefully that'll go according to plan. I've been trying all week, but I just can't while I'm here in Waterloo in my little room; I just end up sleeping. BAhhh... it's supposed to rain tomorrow in Toronto, and I was kind of hoping to go running in between studying, so who knows, maybe I'll be one of those crazies you see running in the rain! :)
Hmm... what else is new... I went to have my nails painted yesterday at my last Salon complementary package visit; my toes are now a metallic orange, and my fingers are a metallic pink. Meh, it's all for fun! My cousin and I went to Conestoga mall after and I finally got myself a trench coat. I've wanted one for a long time, so I finally got one at Suzy Shier for only $35! It's a taupe colour, has good structure, and ends about mid-thigh, so it's long enough but not too long. I also got a new body wash by Zest-- it's Mandarin Mango Twist, or as I like to call it: Sunshine in a bottle. Love it.
I'll be done my last exam of my Waterloo Undergrad career as of the 21st at around 10 pm-- whooo! After that, I have to get to work on the conference Poster for June. I will have more or less 1 month to get it all ready to go and have myself prepped for answering any questions. And thennn.... I suppose after that conference, I'll pop back in the lab a few days a week to do some SliceOmatic imaging, and then have graduation convocation, and then pack up my junk and head home at the end of June.
What I plan to do for July and August... not quite sure. I do plan on cleaning up my room at home; I have to make it live-able and clear out stuff I no longer need so that I'll have room for the next 2 years. Hmm... running will most likely be in there too... hanging out with friends when I can... and I dunno, I guess that's about it. The chances of me finding a job in July are slim, but who knows, I might try if I get bored. I might just end up going to the mall regularly to walk around... OOH! I could live at Chapters for a while. Yeah.
Ok... apparently I need to get off this blog now. Later.
I'm clearly procrastinating; my last exam is in 6 days and I'm just not interesting in reading my notes for this class. Give it time; I've laid out a nice schedule for tomorrow, so hopefully that'll go according to plan. I've been trying all week, but I just can't while I'm here in Waterloo in my little room; I just end up sleeping. BAhhh... it's supposed to rain tomorrow in Toronto, and I was kind of hoping to go running in between studying, so who knows, maybe I'll be one of those crazies you see running in the rain! :)
Hmm... what else is new... I went to have my nails painted yesterday at my last Salon complementary package visit; my toes are now a metallic orange, and my fingers are a metallic pink. Meh, it's all for fun! My cousin and I went to Conestoga mall after and I finally got myself a trench coat. I've wanted one for a long time, so I finally got one at Suzy Shier for only $35! It's a taupe colour, has good structure, and ends about mid-thigh, so it's long enough but not too long. I also got a new body wash by Zest-- it's Mandarin Mango Twist, or as I like to call it: Sunshine in a bottle. Love it.
I'll be done my last exam of my Waterloo Undergrad career as of the 21st at around 10 pm-- whooo! After that, I have to get to work on the conference Poster for June. I will have more or less 1 month to get it all ready to go and have myself prepped for answering any questions. And thennn.... I suppose after that conference, I'll pop back in the lab a few days a week to do some SliceOmatic imaging, and then have graduation convocation, and then pack up my junk and head home at the end of June.
What I plan to do for July and August... not quite sure. I do plan on cleaning up my room at home; I have to make it live-able and clear out stuff I no longer need so that I'll have room for the next 2 years. Hmm... running will most likely be in there too... hanging out with friends when I can... and I dunno, I guess that's about it. The chances of me finding a job in July are slim, but who knows, I might try if I get bored. I might just end up going to the mall regularly to walk around... OOH! I could live at Chapters for a while. Yeah.
Ok... apparently I need to get off this blog now. Later.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Running again
The weather has been beautiful again the last few days, so I've been making use of it by dusting off the 'ol Saucony Motion Control runners! That's right kids, I've started running again!
I'm terribly deconditioned, so I started with 3K. I ran 3K on Saturday and Sunday, in about 20 minutes, which is horrible, but not THAT bad considering I haven't run/exercised in ages, and I kind of Fartlek'd it (that means alternating spurts of running and walking-- but I ran like 75% of the thing). I just have to get my lungs and feet used to it again, but I feel great. I think I'm starting off slow enough that I'm not in pain the next day, yet I'm pushing enough that it's not too easy. My goals are on track though: for this month (April) I will be running 3K 2-3 times a week, more if I can stand it. May-Aug will gradually step up the mileage until I can get 7-8K done 2x/week, and that'll put me in good shape for the Underwear Affair on August 28.
A couple of other things I'm doing a little differently this year from last year: I'm including more resistance training in the mix. While it's critical to work on endurance and cardio for this race, toning and strengthening muscles will also help. I'm not being too fancy or creative here though; I'm following either Turbo Sculpt or 30-day Shred by Jillian Michaels for this. Yeah I know, I could make up my own routine and all, being a Kinesiologist. But it's so much easier having it right there in front of you nicely choreographed with music and motivational speeches:p I didn't really do much of this last year, and I don't think it hurt me, but it would probably be better to have it this year. I have to at least maintain my time of 1:02! I will probably be able to shave off 5 minutes if I don't run 9K the day before :p (that was DUMB)
I put in my acceptance on OUAC for Bloomberg; I'm so happy. I had some free time yesterday to kind of think about my life and where my experiences have brought me, and what I've learned about myself.
Rewind 5 years ago:
It's 2005, and I'm 18. I was confident, if a little cocky, and had planned on being a pharmacist. I didn't really know anything about what a pharmacist did, but I figured it sounded prestigious, and made a lot of money. After I did 1 term of Biology Life Sciences at Waterloo, I decided this really was not what I wanted; I wasn't motivated or interested in what I was studying, and I knew without that drive, I wouldn't be able to do anything. I had some friends in Kinesiology and I found out what kinds of things they studied, and it sounded like something I wanted to do. In second term, I switched to Kin, and I think it's one of the smartest things I ever did, and one of the best decisions I've made.
When I think about it, 5 years passed by in a flash; all the moving around, co-op interviews, and on-off terms-- it really takes a lot out of you. But I know now that it's made me a more responsible person, who is more aware of what goes on in the real world related to Kin. I know I sound like a poster child for Kin and co-op at UW, but seriously; unless you get that experience, you don't know what you're missing. Who I am now is so radically different from the child I was 5 years ago. It's kind of crazy to think of how much change someone can go through in a relatively short span of time, but it really depends on the person. I had a lot of life-changing experiences early on in my undergrad and maybe that helped to hasten the change, but eventually we all get there.
When I look out the window and see the city that I spent more time in than I have at home in the last 5 years, I get sad. Part of me has come to think of Waterloo as "home", and to think that I likely will not come back after June is foreign. The all-nighters, pub nights, and laughs had in this campus won't happen again, not in the same way. But things go on, life goes on, and I'll be starting a new chapter very soon.
On a happier note: my acceptance package for U of T arrived at home with more instructions for accepting the offer. AND... I found out that I am the recipient of the Seymour Schulich award, worth $8,000.00! Wow. Me? I've never won an academic award, so it's a new feeling. Maybe this is really how things were supposed to be, you know? I keep thinking that all the things I've gone through in life have been preparing me for this, and that Nursing is really where my calling is.
Maybe life will work out for me after all.
I'm terribly deconditioned, so I started with 3K. I ran 3K on Saturday and Sunday, in about 20 minutes, which is horrible, but not THAT bad considering I haven't run/exercised in ages, and I kind of Fartlek'd it (that means alternating spurts of running and walking-- but I ran like 75% of the thing). I just have to get my lungs and feet used to it again, but I feel great. I think I'm starting off slow enough that I'm not in pain the next day, yet I'm pushing enough that it's not too easy. My goals are on track though: for this month (April) I will be running 3K 2-3 times a week, more if I can stand it. May-Aug will gradually step up the mileage until I can get 7-8K done 2x/week, and that'll put me in good shape for the Underwear Affair on August 28.
A couple of other things I'm doing a little differently this year from last year: I'm including more resistance training in the mix. While it's critical to work on endurance and cardio for this race, toning and strengthening muscles will also help. I'm not being too fancy or creative here though; I'm following either Turbo Sculpt or 30-day Shred by Jillian Michaels for this. Yeah I know, I could make up my own routine and all, being a Kinesiologist. But it's so much easier having it right there in front of you nicely choreographed with music and motivational speeches:p I didn't really do much of this last year, and I don't think it hurt me, but it would probably be better to have it this year. I have to at least maintain my time of 1:02! I will probably be able to shave off 5 minutes if I don't run 9K the day before :p (that was DUMB)
I put in my acceptance on OUAC for Bloomberg; I'm so happy. I had some free time yesterday to kind of think about my life and where my experiences have brought me, and what I've learned about myself.
Rewind 5 years ago:
It's 2005, and I'm 18. I was confident, if a little cocky, and had planned on being a pharmacist. I didn't really know anything about what a pharmacist did, but I figured it sounded prestigious, and made a lot of money. After I did 1 term of Biology Life Sciences at Waterloo, I decided this really was not what I wanted; I wasn't motivated or interested in what I was studying, and I knew without that drive, I wouldn't be able to do anything. I had some friends in Kinesiology and I found out what kinds of things they studied, and it sounded like something I wanted to do. In second term, I switched to Kin, and I think it's one of the smartest things I ever did, and one of the best decisions I've made.
When I think about it, 5 years passed by in a flash; all the moving around, co-op interviews, and on-off terms-- it really takes a lot out of you. But I know now that it's made me a more responsible person, who is more aware of what goes on in the real world related to Kin. I know I sound like a poster child for Kin and co-op at UW, but seriously; unless you get that experience, you don't know what you're missing. Who I am now is so radically different from the child I was 5 years ago. It's kind of crazy to think of how much change someone can go through in a relatively short span of time, but it really depends on the person. I had a lot of life-changing experiences early on in my undergrad and maybe that helped to hasten the change, but eventually we all get there.
When I look out the window and see the city that I spent more time in than I have at home in the last 5 years, I get sad. Part of me has come to think of Waterloo as "home", and to think that I likely will not come back after June is foreign. The all-nighters, pub nights, and laughs had in this campus won't happen again, not in the same way. But things go on, life goes on, and I'll be starting a new chapter very soon.
On a happier note: my acceptance package for U of T arrived at home with more instructions for accepting the offer. AND... I found out that I am the recipient of the Seymour Schulich award, worth $8,000.00! Wow. Me? I've never won an academic award, so it's a new feeling. Maybe this is really how things were supposed to be, you know? I keep thinking that all the things I've gone through in life have been preparing me for this, and that Nursing is really where my calling is.
Maybe life will work out for me after all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)