I ate three large meals today and am still hungry. Screw you wintertime metabolism, I'm fat enough as it is. On the upside it makes me softer. That doesn't really have anything to do with anything, I'm just trying to figure out what it actually is I want to write about. One day I'll start planning these things before I start typing them. Maybe.

So I went to see a friend of mine perform at an improv night last night. Why don't I go to things like this more often? It was only five bucks to get in, and only 5 bucks a beer, and it was friggin' hilarious. It's reasons like this that I wanna move to commercial drive. Even if that doesn't end up happening, (and let's be honest, it won't), I do want to start looking into more places that do stuff like this. One thing I've noticed lately, is that Vancouver is desperately lacking a decent events listing website. The Georgia Straight has an ok list, but it's limited to larger events, and seems oddly preoccupied with highlighting the sex workshops that take place at The Art of Loving. Let's face it, as a single guy it would just look weird if I went to one of those. But, weird, little coffee shops and their open-mic nights could be my salvation. Great fun, great prices.

What's not to love?

I'm turning into a puddle of goo. Literally.

Ok, maybe not literally. I am in weight gain, though. I haven't gained much, and honestly, I don't think I'd be that upset if I turned into a right fat ass. However, and trust me, the words I'm about to utter are incredibly unusual coming from me, I miss exercise. Not hard core exercise, god no. I can think of several hundred thousand things I'd rather do than go to the gym. Still, I used to walk. Alot. That's one thing I really miss about Toronto. When I was there I was walking a kilometre a day, bare minimum. If I was bored I'd go for a long bloody walk. It started out as a way to get to know the city, and just turned into a hobby. Even at my walking peak it wasn't really about exercise. I mean, it wasn't that unusual for me to walk for an hour only to stop at a bakery. But it was good being outside, it was good feeling my muscles work. Even in the dead of winter I was doing a decent amount of walking. A combination of exhaustion from all the work I've had to do, the fact that I know my old neighbourhood so well that there's nothing new to discover, and the fact that the weather for the past month could charitably be described as crap, have meant that my walking days have taken a bit of a beating. In Toronto I was also working on a neighbourhood photo project. It was just for posting on facebook, and I called it Around Toronto. I've started another one since moving home, but I haven't documented anything other than UBC. I think that it's my lack of walks that have led to this situation. It was so easy before; I just brought my camera with me, and when I got somewhere I hadn't been, I started taking photos. Here I'm not walking anywhere, so I'm not bringing the camera, so I'm not making any progress. Ah well, this is a rather standard tactic on my part. Bitch about it, but then take no steps to correct the problem.

I wonder if my legs miss me as much as I miss them.

Despite my best intentions it's become pretty clear that I'm not going to get any real work done tonight. Procrastinating is just so easy. Besides, think how much fun the last two weeks of term will be when I give up on sleep all together. I'm really looking forward to it. I think the problem was that I didn't decide which piece of work I was going to do. I just said "I'll do some work!" and then had the gall to act surprised when I didn't. So I figured I'd update this thing for a change. It's mildly productive. Sort of. I guess.

Ok, what have I been up to? School mostly. I really hate this time of year. It's a cycle of stress and procrastination and work. I miss having fun. Even the fun that I do manage to have is tainted a bit by the knowledge that I should be working. Like writing this right now. I enjoy writing, I'd like to lose myself in the word weaving. However, in the back of my mind the knowledge that I haven't written the eleventy-ballilionth reflection that I was supposed to this term somehow poisons the process a bit. Maybe I'll do a little more brainstorming on my unit plan, but since I have to go to bed in about an hour, there seems little point.

I get by dreaming of all the things I'm going to do during my delightful month off. I know the most of my relaxation will involve alcohol, sleep, and, ideally, nudity. It will be glorious!

I'm going to the UBC farm tomorrow for my social justice class. I really have no idea what a farm has to do with Social Justice. I'm curious to find out. Though I have to say visiting a farm in November seems... ill planned. Especially now, I know it rains a lot in Vancouver, but my God! It was grey today with only a little bit of drizzling and I declared it a beautiful day. I wonder how big a hit the economy would take if we declared November through February a wash. Just have the entire country hunker down at home and eat cheetos and watch Battlestar Galactica dvds. On second thought, I'm not sure the country is ready for that many fat, lonely, agoraphobes. Ironically, I really like both Battlestar Galactica and cheetos. I refuse to accept the mantle of agoraphobe though, for I enjoy venturing out of doors to procure alcoholic beverages. I'm just going to stop talking myself up at this point because I'm starting to seem pretty sad. Thankfully, I don't have to worry too much about other peoples opinions when I'm yachting to Monaco to compete in the world's largest poker tournament while secretly being a jewel thief.

 Ridiculously tired, ridiculously busy.  Proper blogging will recommence shortly.  

Anyone have any ideas for cheap dates in Vancouver for a rainy day?

I've got nothin'!

 Can't get Phantom of the Opera Music out of my head.  That's a long story.  

Writing this damnable thing used to be so much fun, lately it's become a chore.  I worry that everything turns out that way.  It starts out as exciting and new, becomes constant and reliable, and is then finally old and aggravating.  Maybe that's a bit of a pessimistic take on everything, but I'm not in the best mood this evening.  

My practicum finished today.  I passed, and it was a tonne of fun.  However, I now feel flat at the prospect of going back to UBC.  Other than some instruction on unit planning and assessment, I'm just not sure what this program has left to offer academically.  On the first day we were told that the only way to practice teaching is to teach.  If that's true (it is) then it's ridiculously difficult to construct a year long program on the subject.  

Hallowe'en tomorrow.  I prefer the old fashioned spelling even if I don't always use it.  I haven't celebrated this holiday in a couple of years, and I'm frigging ecstatic to go out tomorrow.  At the same time, I'm having a surprisingly hard time convincing people to go to a free halloween party on a skytrain.  Some people turn anti-social behaviour into an absolute hobby.  

Uggh that's it for now.




Why is falling in love like listening to the world's most beautiful music and getting gut-punched at the same time?

I started my first teaching practicum today.  I'm not going to say where due to privacy concerns, but I will say it's a strange, little school.  Luckily I happen to like things that are strange and little.  Just ask any of my previous girlfriends.  

Ok,  total gear change.  I just spent a half hour talking to a friend of mine who's got the dreaded H1N1 flu plague.  She should be fine, and she's taking all the right drugs (and hating every second of it.)  However, it reminded me just how quickly this sort of thing can come out of left field.  I have a little more work to do tonight, so this entry that I've actually been quite looking forward to will have to remain criminally short.  I'll do my damndest to post a better one before the weekend.  Stay healthy out there.  Vitamin C and sleep are your best friends!  Vaccine should be available within two weeks.

Mazel Tov!

I don't know why.

I always thought fate had a rather mean sense of irony.  I got off class early today.  We had a guest lecture, which was so boring I think it may have actually cost me a year of my life, but once it was done, that was it.  Sweet!  Except that I have to hang out here for another hour for a meeting with a project group which I suspect will have dubious worth.  I could be heading home to food and unconsciousness, but nooooo.  Ah well, such is the life I chose.  I'm tired.  Alot.  This always seems to happen as fall sets in.  I get into my routine, and discover just how much of my energy it has been draining.  Turns out it's quite a bit.  I dream of sleeping.  Is that weird?  Upside to Autumn, girls start wearing tight jeans and yoga pants.  Not strictly relevant, I'll admit, but it's certainly worth mentioning.  Besides, this is a bored entry.  I write it because I am bored and don't want to be here and am pretending to do something that somehow, somewhere borders upon productive.  Admiring beautiful women and writing about it seems to qualify.  Amusingly enough, the moment I finish typing that all the sexy girls suddenly walk out of view.  Hilarious, fate, just hilarious.  There's a tool in front of me flirting with a girl beside me.  I'd be more impressed by his game, but I don't think he has any idea what sarcasm is.  It's also damn near impossible to pick up while wearing a sweater-vest.  At least that's the case when you're 19.  It didn't seem to do him much good, he's gone now.  She's still working, not really interested in observing her more.  Lord, there's couples flirting everywhere!  I'm not sure what happened, but a girl in a very short skirt just gave a guy 15 bucks in exchange for a small slip of paper; interesting.  Alright, he's going in for the hug... awkward!  The classic hug of the guy who is into a girl, but hasn't let her know and has as a result become the king of the friend zone.  Suuuuuuucky.  Aright, I've had it with people watching.  You people can watch people by yourselves.

That was fun to say. 

 I have an hour to kill between classes, so I thought I'd write something.  Don't I do productive things when I bring my laptop to school?

Ok, after thinking for a minute or two, I've decided I'm gonna go political.  It's been a while since I've had a good Rick Mercer-esque rant, and while Canadian politics are hardly the most fun they've ever been, there's still something there for me to sink my teeth into.

Michael Ignatieff has tabled a non-confidence motion.  About a month ago, when Iggy started talk election, I thought he'd lost his ever lovin' mind.  Nobody in the country could possibly think an election was a good idea.  I stay up nights dreaming about Stephen Harper getting hit by a bus, and even I don't think another election would accomplish anything.  However, after thinking it over, I've decided that he is in fact, a strategical genius.  He knows that the non-confidence motion isn't going to pass, that's not the point.  The point is, propping up Harper's government has become a political liability.  In a weird way it's even irresponsible for the official opposition to be the party that keeps the government afloat.  I'm sure Iggy's also tired of losing votes to the Bloc and the NDP who've been largely campaigning on the "the tories and grits are the exact same monster" platform.  So he effectively challenged Layton, and Duceppe to a game of chicken, and wiped the fucking floor with them.  All of a sudden they're the ones lining up to keep the government working; after all, they have a lot more to fear from an election than Ignatieff does.  Either the Tories will finally get that majority they've been hankering for and the NDP and Bloc will lose all that yummy power that they've been used to, or Canadians will be so fed up with repeated elections that they all vote for one of the only two parties that might actually win.  

Either way, the official opposition is finally doing some opposing, and I don't think anyone can claim that's a bad thing.

 Weekends are not long enough.  It's going to be really hard to elicit sympathy with this statement, but it's been a couple of years since I've actually only had the two day weekend.  I was always able to arrange classes so I had a four day week.  That extra day off usually didn't attach itself to the weekend, but it meant that I had more overall time to devote to sleeping and maintaining my sanity.  I don't have that anymore.  Yeh, I can hear you all boohooing, but the way we as a society construct our week is quite concerning to me.  People become their jobs, and then barely have enough time to unwind before doing it all over again.  I can't see any realistic way around this, so here's what I'm proposing.  We restructure the concept of one week.  Five days on, three days off.  An eight day week would be so beneficial to society.  Productivity would stay relatively high during the work week, but people would have enough time to actually rest on their weekends.  Think about it, a three day weekend, every weekend.  Excuse me, downside? I can't find you!

Think about it.

I've gone back to school.  Again.  I've worked it out, and I've been in school so long that it's like being in Grade 18.  This is the nineteenth year I've been in a public institution that lists its mission statement as trying to jam some education down my throat.  In those exact words no less.  This time it's weirder though.  I've gone back to UBC.  Don't get me wrong, I loved my time at UBC.  It's just so strange to be back again after being gone for two years.  I almost wonder if it was a mistake, like maybe I'm taking a step backwards, like maybe I should be doing my BEd at a different university.  UBC has exactly the program I'm looking for, though (even if it is bloody gargantuan).  Eh, I suspect I'm just grousing a bit because I'm not entirely thrilled to be giving up the lazy, cushy life I've been living for the past couple of months.  It was good, if not the least bit sustainable.  That said, it's still weird to me to see the little differences that UBC has undergone, and I'm not talking about redesigned buildings.  I stuck my head in the old arts lounge where I used to spend alot of my breaks.  It was a bloody tomb!  Yet somehow it was absolutely full.  Every seat had a body in it, and they were all deadly silent.  Someone may want to update these people on the meaning of the word "lounge."  I also saw the UBC cheerleaders.  How is it that I'm only just now learning of their existence?  I did an entire degree here and had no idea there were pretty girls willing to dance around in tiny skirts!  This strikes me as decidedly unfair.  I also don't remember the fraternities advertising their existence quite so militantly.  Maybe I'd just blocked their idiocy out.

Right, I would keep writing, but it's almost 9:30, which under the new sleep schedule I've been forced to adopt, is suddenly quite late.  

Are there any careers which require sleeping in 'til noon and eating copious amounts of cheetos?