Changes

You know what? That 30 day YouTube challenge is LAME. Some of the "days" didn't even make sense. So, screw it.

My Nonna passed away on Thursday. She had been battling ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) for a long time, although it was only diagnosed in 2009. She was a strong stubborn woman and, whether you believe in an afterlife or not, she is no longer suffering and finally at peace. Her funeral is next Saturday (June 4th). We're hoping to get donations for the Lou Gehrig Foundation in her name (Rosaria Passarelli).

My friend Jody is coming to Montreal on Tuesday, for my graduation on Wednesday. I'm so looking forward to seeing her: I haven't seen her in over a year! I've missed her so much. Sometimes, keeping in touch online just isn't enough.

Apparently, she's never really been to Montreal. Boy do I have plans for her! I want to show her downtown and Old Montreal and have her eat a poutine and point out Habitat 67. I also want to take her to Porto Mar, the restaurant where I had my 25th birthday party. She was supposed to come, but couldn't make it due to a scheduling misunderstanding. I hope she likes Portuguese food.

I'm also taking her to Zyng and La Distillerie with some of my (former) classmates on Tuesday to celebrate the official end of our degree. I sincerely hope it stops raining by then.

I'm excited for this week, despite my Nonna's death. It'll be good to see Jody, to celebrate my degree and to play tourist in my own city.

You want to know why I haven't been blogging? I just haven't been in a blogging mood. What with me finishing my university degree and having to start a new chapter of my life... I've been feeling very introspective and, dare I say it, emo. Every little thing makes me ponder, think and sometimes brood (and we all know that brooding should be reserved for tall, dark haired and part-time evil vampires). Even simple questions like "What are your plans today?" fill me with dread, let alone being asked what I'm planning now that I've finished my B.Ed. Sure, I have a plan. But how will that plan work out? Believe me, I have no idea.

Anyway, I feel like I'm cheating you all out of a good blog. Cause all I do now-a-days is whine like a petulant teenager. And really, that's no fun for anyone.

It's been a while...

Yeah, it's been a while. I wasn't really i a blogging mood. I was sad for a while. Then I was busy. I'm still busy, but no long as sad, I think. University is just about finished (I have 4 days of field experience, one assignment and one exam left). The Grad Ball is coming up in 2 weeks and then there's my Convocation on June first (my friend should be coming from Calgary for that!). I'm really excited/nervous/anxious about going out into the real world, as a real adult, with an actual degree and a supposed purpose in life.

When I went to school, I did just that. Everyday (or so). It was my purpose, my goal, I had a clear idea of what I was meant to do everyday (or so). But now, I'm done with (formal) education. I'm a responsible adult who needs a job and eventually an apartment... and isn't THAT a scary thought?

I know, my posts are sooo emo. Bear with me...

I'm really new at this responsible adult thing. I still don't consider myself an adult and I'm somewhat startled when I'm told that I am one. I mean, really.

Well, enough whining, I suppose. Would you like to know what I've been up to? Let's see. My last post was in November... Since then, I've:

• I moved into my own apartment, kind of, upstairs from my parents
  
• Celebrated Christmas. It was nice.
• Celebrated my 25th birthday. It was super nice. I had my family and friends (some from California!) help me celebrate at a fantastic Portuguese restaurant called Porto Mar. You should go.
• Started my last semester EVER at McGill for my B.Ed. I was missing three credits, so I had to pile on an extra class. I'm managing it well, so far.
• I went to the Big Apple, NYC for the first time for a friend's birthday.
  
• Learned to hate something called a SPEAQ Quest. Hate it SO MUCH. FUCK THE SPEAQ QUEST was our motto and I stand by it.
  
• I learned to hate group work. As well meaning as everyone is, work is never divided equally. It's no one's fault, really, but ultimately there's one person who does more work.
• I started my final field experience (and only have four days left).
• I've learned to enjoy reading my favourite novels for the second, third, fourth time.
• I've learned that a little slash fanfic isn't a bad thing.
• I've rediscovered the joys of Stars Hollow.
• I'm still cleaning my room.
  

I think we're all caught up.

Oh, and I'm sick.

Good night!

Numbers

193
There are 193 days until my Convocation, on June 1st at 10am. I'm looking forward to walking across that stage in front of my family, friends and classmates and finally receiving my diploma. It'll be the official end to my university journey: the culmination of four years of work on my Bachelor of Education.

162
There are 162 days until the Education Grad Ball, on April 30th. We don't have much information about it, but I'm really excited about it. There's a preliminary plan of renting limos and going all out with an after party, ending in a typical Montreal high school prom cliché: watching the sunrise on the mountain (which isn't really a mountain, as such). What a great party, that will be. Some past graduates have tried to tell me that I shouldn't get too excited, as their Grad Ball was lame, but I know that a party is what you make of it. Our Grad Ball will be awesome, because we will make it awesome.

138
There are 138 days until my last day of class, on April 6th. That will be a really big event, I'm sure. Unless it's a really shitty event because I'll have a lot of assignments due. It'll be one or the other, for sure.

Update

So, I got my wisdom teeth out last week (Thursday, October 28th). All four wisdom teeth. At the same time. And, of course - because it's me - there were complications. The bottom left wisdom tooth was problematic. I'm not quite clear on the details (my mother doesn't want me to worry, she says), but they had to dig deep, to the bone. Fun! I'm mostly better now, but I'm still very sore. I actually called the dentist to check out these, umm, lumps? on the inside of my cheeks, kind of adjoining my lower jaw. Turns out, that's what's sore, not my gums themselves. No idea what's up with that. Dentist said it's "normal scar tissue" and not to be worried unless it still hurts next week. He said that I should be 100% healed by next week and if not, to go see him. For now, though, I need to keep brushing after every meal and the do a warm salt water rinse. This means, I'm not eating at school unless I bring a thermos of warm salt water.

I also started working. WOO! PAYCHECKS! I'm really excited about getting an income again and being able to pay my own bills. And have a little left over to save for a trip to New York after my birthday, for a friend's 23rd. This will be my first time in the Big Apple and I'm looking forward to having a nice steak dinner. I think that if I'm in NYC, I need to have a nice steak dinner. We're also trying to see a Broadway show: the birthday girl has her heart set on a specific one that seems to have cheap seats. Another friend wants to go to a bar owed by one of her favourite musicians, so we're going to try to hit that up too. All that along with 2 nights at a 3.5 star hotel.... let's just say I'm thrilled to be getting paid again!

Hmm, what else? I'm glad I took an "easy" semester at school. I only have one final. My art History class isn't as easy as I thought it would be, but since I took it as a "pass/fail" (meaning I don't get a grade, just a remark that I passed or failed and it doesn't affect my GPA), I'm not worried about getting an A. I just need to pass the next exam and the two bullshit assignments and I'm in the clear. Two of my other two classes are complete bullshit classes, I'm not worried. My last class is the last real class I need for my B. Ed. It's called "Policy Issues in Quebec Education" aKa "I don't give a crap about how unfair Quebec treats teachers and students." Seriously, Quebec education treats Anglophones as second class citizens, and teachers as slaves, but whatever. It is what it is, right?

Other than all that, life is pretty good. Our Grad Ball was announced and I am really excited about that.

That's all.

For now.