Is this it?

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 02:53:00 +0000

Ah, Labour Day! The unofficial end of summer.

I used to approach the end of the summer/the beginning of the school year with such an optimistic attitude. This, unlike January 1, was my New Year's. I could make my new academic goals, get settled into a new schedule, make other, various resolutions (which, like most, usually went unfulfilled). But things are different this year. Uncomfortably different. Yes, I am returning to school, but I'm not exactly working towards anything. My first sixteen academic years had a natural following act. My last one did not. Now everything seems forced, wrong, unnatural. Again, part of this "growing up" thing.

I suppose this uneasy feeling I have about this autumn is really exacerbated by the fact that my summer hasn't got much to show for itself. Yes, I wrote the MCAT, but studying for it occupied more than half of my summer. Yes, I vacationed for about a week and a half, but it wasn't like I was vacationing from anything. I didn't get a job as soon as I got back, and frankly, I didn't really try that hard. I slept a lot. Tutored a little. That's about it.

[By the by, I got my MCAT score back. Not bad, not great. I smoked the written section, though... surprisingly.]

I didn't even complete half of my summer reading list! My over-ambition is to blame on that one, though. I did finish the books I really wanted to, those of course comprising the Harry Potter series. I re-read it annually, and I intend to continue the tradition even now that the series is complete. I ended the summer by reading The Passions of the Mind by Irving Stone. I'm about 75% into it, now, and its completion is my first task in the Fall Reading Challenge.

The last few lazy days of my summer have been spent watching a lot of sports. FUN FUN!!! Of course, the EPL started up a few weeks ago, which means that I can, once again, cheer for my Spurs!!! They have got off to a disappointing start, and just this past Saturday they settled for a disappointing draw against Fulham. Liverpool, who has squeaked into my Numer Two Favourite spot, has been on a bit of a roll, and that's without my dearest Gerrard. Torres is looking good-ish for them. Chelsea, whom I enjoy watching but don't exactly like, have been unstoppable for a while, thereby making their loss to Aston Villa on Sunday quite unreal. The CFL is also getting to the meaty portion of its season. Of course, all the Labour Day Classics were played this weekend. My hometown Esks got off to a good start today, but lost to the hated Stamps. The main focus of my sports-watching has been the US Open. My love for tennis is rather inexplicable. I don't every really remember getting into it. I just know that I used to hate watching it when I was younger because I had no idea how the scoring worked, or even how the lines on the court worked. Right now the men are into the fourth round, and I am currently watching my Dearest Roger Federer battle Feliciano Lopez. Federer.... drool..... what a man....

I suppose I have a full autumn schedule to look forward to, though. On top of my three classes (and one lab), I'll be working at one of the University's libraries five days a week. I also plan to take on as many tutoring jobs as possible. I am also volunteering with a course, setting up microscope slides for its lab each week, and there is the possibility that I might be able to help out with another course, too. I will be playing indoor soccer (finally! I love it more than outdoor), and I have signed up for an indoor cycling class to take place every Saturday until December. I plan on playing some soccer intramurals for the month of September as well.

Plus, MORE SPORTS ON TV!!! The NFL regular season starts next Sunday... the NHL season kicks off in about a month's time.... more EPL... more CFL... it's going to be grand.

I don't really know how to end this post with some clever or sage thought. So I won't.

Growing Pains

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 05:11:00 +0000

Ever since I wrote the MCAT my life has been tragically devoid of purpose. Yes, my vacation time in Ottawa was fun. Yes, I'm glad that I don't have to solitarily spend silent hours in the library. However, I feel unnecessarily and guiltily lazy. I feel I am at one of those metaphorical crossroads. I have to sort out my life, make a plan, and follow through with it. I think about it all a lot, I just don't do anything about it.

For example, I have yet to decide if I will apply to med schools this year for entrance in September 2008. That was the initial plan. Then, I thought about it some more, and doubted whether my current applicant profile would offer me a standing chance. I have a fairly amateur resumé. I have no research experience. I have very little formidable volunteer experience. I've got a good GPA, and what I think might be a strong MCAT score, but they clearly won't suffice. I don't think I'd even be able to wrangle up two appropriate references. This led me to the conclusion that I should wait until next year to apply and in the meantime accumulate some work experience, volunteer experience, and hopefully attain some good references along the way. However, I then talked to a fellow med school aspirant who advised me to apply anyway, just to experience it, and who knows, maybe I'll get an interview somewhere.

I am also on the hunt for a job. Living in Alberta, you'd think that would be like shooting fish in a barrel, pardon the cliché. But I don't want just any ol' job. I want a job that'll count. Something relevant to the medical field, something that will call upon the knowledge gained from my degree. A tougher find, she be! Ideally this job would be part time as I will be in classes come September. It would also pay moderately well as my funds are currently performing a disappearing act. I do not want to have to resort to the food service industry or retail.

I have been formulating in my mind what would ideally happen in the next year or so. Say I apply for med school this year. I am in classes until January. During these classes, I would work part time, start saving up, get some volunteering in. Come January, I can continue working, most likely full time as I currently do not foresee myself being enrolled in classes. Best case scenario, I get an interview at a med school, possibly more. That will occur some time in February, March, or early April. Say that by May I have accumulated enough funds to go on some valuable, overseas volunteer mission (I've been looking at this two-month hospital stint in Ghana). I return with the awesome news that I have miraculously been accepted to a med school!!! September will roll around and I will have a fresh, self-planned, (4 + x) amount of academic years ahead of me.

It seems possible.... maybe. I can just sense it won't happen. There is currently some debate within my household whether, or more appropriately, when Ma and Pa are packing up and moving to the BC interior, of course taking with them my twelve year old sister. I am thoroughly opposed to moving away from Edmonton. I know it's not the greatest city, but I like it. It's the city in which I was born, the city in which I have lived the longest without a move. My life is here. My future is here, I know it. What would happen if they decided to move? Would I stay? How? Where? Would my nineteen year old sister stay as well?

That just opens up a whole lot of terrible, TERRIBLE questions and fears and problems and whatnot. I am as dependent as they come; I doubt that I would be able to support myself. I don't drive. I currently don't have an income. I still need my mom to kill spiders for me (though I assure you I have a genuine phobia). On the other hand, is that what I need? A swift and drastic rearrangement of my life? I don't know.

What I do know is that I need to grow up.

Pack A Lunch

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:07:00 +0000

That's some new slang that I picked up in Ottawa, and have decided to spread westward. You can use it in place of such expressions as "F**k off," "Get off it," and the like. For example:

Enemy: Krista, you're a dummie.
Krista: Pack a lunch, lunch packer.

I sometimes forget that I have this ol' blog.

Nevertheless, here is a little update. The MCAT was okay... we'll see when I get my marks delivered in a couple weeks time. Ottawa was fun. Lots of family fun time and general merry-making. Harry Potter has changed my life, once again, that sly dog. Aaaaaand, I pretty much have my whole life to set in order now that the MCAT ordeal is over. YAY DECISIONS!!!

The Hour Approaches

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 14:40:00 +0000

In a mere eight days I will write the MCAT.
I'm not quite ready yet.

A Lesson in Self-Loathing

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 04:50:00 +0000

I don't like my life right now. My reasons are these:

I can't make myself study as hard as necessary, which is hard.
Hormones. Ugh. Hormones.
I have not yet come to the realization that I am young and have time to figure out my life. In fact, recently having turned twenty-one, I feel old and unaccomplished.
I've resigned myself to the fact that there is nothing in this world that I love enough to fashion into a career. Yet.
The weather is ugly.
My ankle has suffered a phantom injury.
I've officially received my science degree, but I have not experienced the elation and excitement and pride and joy and opportunity to the extent I thought I would.
I am extremely jealous of all those travelling this summer.
I will likely end up a spinster.

A Lesson in Self-Sabotage

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Mon, 28 May 2007 04:19:00 +0000

Having set out to study for the MCAT, I have come to realize how truly remarkable it is that I have made it this far in my academic career, especially with such success. Seriously, I am the most lazy person I know.

The MCAT is a pretty important exam, apparently. It'll hopefully be my ticket to medical school, ideally any one of my choosing. You'd think that this FACT would be all the motivation I'd need to study. As it turns out, it's not. Not yet, at least. I am finding it impossible to get in more than six hours a day of hardcore studying. I am more easily distracted than I can remember, and I am failing to retain any substantial amount of information. It has been too long since school ended for me to try to convince myself that I'm still coming down from a high-stress semester. And yet... and yet...

I even have these huge fears that my inadequate preparation for the MCAT will have its repercussions resonate throughout the remainder of my life. Say I score embarassingly low on the MCAT. It's so low that I can't even apply to med schools with the faintest glimmer of hope. Sure, I could fork over more money and write it again, hopefully as soon as possible, but let's say my shattered confidence sends me into some downward spiral. That'll leave me with a summer spent studying for nothing, unemployed, money-less. I'll go back to school in September, not working towards another degree, hopefully employed. I can't even apply to med schools for another year. I wouldn't even get in for at least another two years. I might as well have gone for my Masters. Or PhD, even. Or found a permanent job. But no, now I'll just be hopeless, likely accruing debt, not knowing where my life is headed.

Sure, I'm young. I've got time, so "they" say. But really, do I? Shouldn't I use my youth to my advantage? Get a leg up? Stay ahead of the curve? I think I should. Or do I? I don't even know anymore. And that scares me.

Best case scenario: I get my act together, study amazingly hard for the next seven weeks, score ridiculously well on the MCAT, apply to med schools come the fall, and get accepted (somewhere) for entrance in the fall of 2008. It seems too good to be possible, at the moment.

I fear my chances of acceptance are also hindered by the fact that I have little to no volunteer experience to speak of. I hadn't decided on trying for med until about three months ago. Up until that point, I thought I was going to stay in school forever, get a Masters and PhD. So, unlike other med school applicants, I haven't been volunteering at hospitals and other various establishments to pad my application with "good-heartedness." Thus, I'm banking on my high marks both in school and on the MCAT to get me in. This is probably too wishful.

Again, you'd think all this would be motivation enough. But it's not. So what am I to do? I have seven weeks left, seven weeks that are likely more busy life-wise than the past three. Wedding, my birthday, convocation, concerts, soccer, frisbee, preparations for my trip to Ottawa.... it's daunting, to say the least. I need a kick in the pants, probably literally.

And all this hardcoreness that needs to occur will seriously hurt, possibly obliterate, my chances of finishing my summer reading list. I've completed ten percent of my list in approximately twenty-five percent of my summer. Pathetic.

Books Completed:
On Natural Selection - Charles Darwin
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K. Rowling (re-read, probably for the twelfth time)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling (re-read, also probably for the twelfth time)

Books to be Completed:
the remainder of the Harry Potter books (5) (all re-reads ranging from three to ten times, except the seventh, of course)
a famous "trilogy in five parts" - Douglas Adams (5) (all re-reads, for the second time)
A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket (13, but probably equates the two and a half, three books tops) *Don't judge me. I just want to see what it's all about.
Passions of the Mind - Irving Stone
The Alchemist - Paulo Coehlo
Life of Pi - Yann Martel (a re-read, for the fourth time)
1984 - George Orwell (a re-read, for the fourth time)
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
Beatles Anthology (a partial re-read)

I like fiction. I can't seem to find a non-fiction subject that has really captured my interest to any great extent. I also like re-reading, apparently.

Anyway, I hardly need to point out that I shouldn't be blogging. It's only adding to my self-destructive plan, which is wholly unintentional yet highly inevitable.

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Sun, 06 May 2007 19:23:00 +0000

Oh boy! The last time I blogged was two and a half months ago! That was about the time I had to get really serious about school because it was on its way to kicking my ass big time. Accordingly, blogging slumped to the bottom of my list of priorities.

So, dear reader, I shall tell you a tale in the ancient and revered story-telling style of..... BULLETS!

Once I realized that school and I were going to have to confront our differences and just get on with it, I committed myself to spending seemingly endless hours in the library. Let me tell you, J.W. Scott and I were very close to announcing our engagement come semester's end. Each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I spent close to twelve solid hours in the library, most of which were researching for and writing lab reports.
Lab reports are pretty much the worst thing ever. I would wish them upon only my sworn mortal enemies. You'd think that having to write at least one per week would make the task easier as the semester wore on, but it really didn't. In fact, it probably got harder because, while the research and writing skills improved, the expectations were higher. Plus, I am a slow writer. I like to write things out by hand, type it up once, let it sit for a day, print it off and edit, and revise, revise, revise. Over the course of the semester, I wrote seventeen lab reports for two lab courses - ten for one, and seven for the other. Ideally, each was supposed to be five pages at most, which would bring my page total for the semester to eighty-five. However, I will, with confidence, purport that my reports averaged seven pages in length each, bringing my page total to just under one hundred and twenty pages. This does not include procedural flow charts, appendices, and any raw data sheets. So, I'd say that my page total was nearing 130-140 pages. Ew.
My final exam schedule was weird this semester. I had two finals in the last week of classes in addition to having two lab reports due in the last week and a bit of classes. On the one hand, that really sucked because of the inherent stress of having to write finals, let alone two in three days, and having to bump the numerically less important lab reports to the proverbial back seat. On the other hand, having written two finals in the last week of classes, I only had three to write during the designated finals period, each nicely spaced out thus providing me with ample time to prepare for all of them. Or so I thought. One of them was probably one of the toughest finals I have ever written, for one of the toughest courses I have ever taken - IMIN 452: Advanced Immunology. This course totally rearranged the way I approached academics, really... the way I processed information, the way I wrote tests and answered questions, the value I put into the information presented in a text book, and the way in which I perceived experimental research. I guess it showed me that what I have learned and done in my undergrad career is really (truly) just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what a life in academia is about.
IMIN 452 also made me realize, or really confirmed, that immunology is likely not exactly for me, even though I thought it was for a couple of years. That is why I am, henceforth, going to pursue medicine!! And it all starts RIGHT NOW. I went through a lot of crap-ola to get a seat to write the MCAT, and it ended up that I am not even writing it in Edmonton - I'm writing it in an old city of residence, Ottawa! While it's unfortunate that I can't simply write in here, it's fortunate that I am writing it in Ottawa where I have family and all the sweet hookups that I need. I'm writing the test on July 13, and I plan to stay in Ottawa for about a week after to visit the fam. I think it's going to be fun. What's not going to be fun is the studying I will have to do, which is (I hope) starting tomorrow.
And speaking of the 13th of July.... HARRYPOTTEROMG!!!! I am so pumped... for both the movie and the book. Oh my. OH MY!!!!
And speaking of literature, I have an excessively ambitious summer reading list. It's close to thirty books, I think. Granted, some are very short, two or three of which could possibly be ticked off the list in one solid day of reading. The excess ambition stems from the fact that I will have to dedicate more than half of my summer to studying for the MCAT. But we'll see. I have already read one book and have started another since exams ended, but that's not really saying much considering how short the book was (On Natural Selection by Charles Darwin). It's not really a book actually, more of an extended essay.
Unrelatedly, being able to watch the NHL playoffs has made me a happy happy HAPPY person. Seriously. Last year it was incredibly torturous because the Oilers were doing so well in the playoffs whilst I was dealing with final exams, but since I essentially stopped caring about them after The Big Trade, and since they licked arse and didn't make the playoffs, I was less distracted during this year's finals period. But now that I have had the time to actually sit and watch some games, I can't believe what I was missing. It's beautiful, albeit unfortunate for the likes of the Canucks, but beautiful. Plus, all these overtime games - how exciting!
Back to school - I have graduated! With a Science degree! Which is essentially useless! That's why I'll be back in classes come September, I think... I hope.... I have to accrue some more physics credits, but that might not even happen until January....
Come to think of it, my life is pretty much in shambles at the moment. I have a few ideas of what I want to do with it, but I might be lacking on the resources end. I hate growing up.

Okay, I think that's enough of a story for now.... my train of thought is taking a few detours on account of me watching the Rangers-Sabres game as I write this.

If I were a hockey player.....

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 02:37:00 +0000

In response to a tag from Mr. Bergman...

Team: Edmonton Oilers (DUH!!!)

Uniform Number: 38. I used to be quite attached to this number. I don't know why. It's not even my current soccer number, nor has it been in years. But I like it.

Position: Left Wing

Nickname: Among teammates, Banjo. Why? Uhhh. Beats me, but it has a ring to it, a certain je ne sais quoi. No wait, what would a better, monosyllabic nickname be?

Dream Linemates: the Sedin twins. Not that they are favourites of mine or anything, but look what they did for Anson Carter! Plus, who could not want to play with the coolest Swedish twins ever. If not the Sedins, maybe Ales Hemsky. Possibly Joe Thornton. Pretty much anyone who will make my goal stats soar.

Rounding out the PP: Yeah... I don't even know if I'd be on the PP. I'd be more apt to appear on the PK.

Job: Defensive forward, probably on the third line. I'd like to think I'd be something like Toby Peterson. Not too flashy, but reliable. And short.

Signature Move: offensively, a killer one-time shot from close range, just like Petr Sykora; defensively, an outta nowhere stick check.

Strengths: reliable, good skater, fast hands (wink wink)

Weakness: chocolate

Injury Problems? Nope. Well, I heard females are more likely to get knee injuries than are males, but knee injuries suck, so I'd rather not have one of those. I saw this segment on CBC about Jed Ortmeyer (Buffalo Sabres) and how he had a pulmonary embolism. It made me so paranoid such that any time I have even the faintest of pains in my chest, say, after soccer, I think I am having a pulmonary embolism. So maybe that's my "injury" problem.

Equipment: skates, stick, jersey, etc. What kind of question is this? Or does it mean brand? If so... I don't know. Nike Bauer? CCM? How about every piece of equipment I wear will come from a different brand?

Nemesis: Drew Remenda. Or Peter Loubardias. Actually, either may well be my current nemesis.

Scandal Involvement: If being awesome is scandalous, I'll have scadal written all over me.

Who I'd face in the Stanley Cup Finals: I dunno.... What Eastern Conference team would I like to CRRRRUSH? Toronto, maybe? Although, it'd be a shame if they even made it that far.

What I'd do with the Stanley Cup after our victory: Recite every name engraved on the Cup, possibly in an opera voice. Why? Because I'm cool like that.

Would the media love me or hate me? I'd say they'd be pretty indifferent. I mean, I wouldn't be a league heel, that's for sure. But I probably wouldn't be a star, and thus wouldn't warrant too much mention. I might, one night, have a multiple point game and my name will flash across the highlight reels, and people will be all, "Dang, who is this girl?" But that will only last a night or two and I will return to being a virtual nobody. Once I get some tenure in the league, my name might pop up here and there, but it will probably be because of my off-ice contributions to the community, or something equally cheesy like "celebrity" poker tournaments. (Not that charity, in principle, is cheesy).

Oivay!

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 22:52:00 +0000

You will have likely noticed that I have not blogged in nearly a month. This is because school has taken over my life, namely the lab reports. If I am not writing a lab report, I am cramming for an exam or reading a multitude of research papers. My Reading Week (February 19-23) will be spent READING!!! I have five midterms and six lab reports in the five weeks following Reading Week. They are, of course, not evenly spaced throughout those five weeks; rather, they are lumped, clumped, grouped, what have you. But it's not like I am really entitled to complain. I knew this was coming, and I have time. I just don't WANT to prepare. I don't WANT to hole up in the library for the entirety of my "freedom." I want to sleep and watch movies and DVDs and sports and plain ol' do NOTHING!!!

Since ALL of my time has been devoted to school, there is little else to report. Lost started up again after its extended hiatus. What's the deal with that anyway? Primetime TV shows have gathered such massive followings that they can afford not making new episodes for months without risking the loss of their viewers. And with the advent on TV on DVD, all that additional revenue means they can afford it even more. It makes sense, but it's dumb. Just show your show.

I got my first mobile phone. Well, it's actually not my first. I had one in the tenth grade for a few months, but no one else had one soI basically never used it. It's pretty useful, I suppose. I have only had it for a week, and a lot of my friends don't have my number yet, so I suppose I haven't exactly hit peak usage. But I pretty much love text messaging.

I have been thinking about extending my degree by at least another semester, taking a few courses that I wanted to take, but didn't get the chance to since I switched programs mid-degree and have been bogged down with requirements. This extension would also serve to help me prepare for.... applying to med school. Eeep. When I was young, I wanted to be a doctor. Then I wanted to be a lawyer. Then I wanted to be a researcher. And now I have come full circle and kind of want to be a doctor again. I think I could do it. And I know it would interest me beyond imagination. But.... I still don't know. Is it truly what I really want? It is my goal to figure that out over Reading Week, which also means I will have to work out my degree.... and scrap my application for graduation.... and register for some summer classes..... and somehow find some money to faciliate this extension. So much to think about. It's making me emo.

And speaking of emo... I know I generally wouldn't talk about this on a blog, but it's really bugging me. What the heck is up with males? Why are boys dumb? Do they know they are emitting mixed signals? Do they know that such mixed signals are ripping my figurative heart in two, nay, millions??? GAH! So, I am pretty much feeling foolish and heartbroken at the moment. Stupid boys.

Movies I've seen recently: Children of Men and Notes on a Scandal - see them both!
Movies I want to see: Apocalypto, The Departed, Babel, Flushed Away, Smokin' Aces, Stranger than Fiction
Music I've recently aquired - Children of Men Soundtrack (very eclectic; everyone's bound to like something on it; includes a beautiful rendition of "Ruby Tuesday"), MSTRKRFT, Hot Chip, Emily Loizeau, Snow Patrol, Justin Timberlake.
Music that I want to acquire: Thirteen Senses, Bloc Party

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - JULY 21, 2007!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's it, essentially. I will blog one more time in the near future to explain what I would be like were I a hockey player, but thereafter, I should be expected to be MIA.

Break It

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 06:04:00 +0000

This past weekend was my academic "make it-or-break it" weekend. School has been a lot more demanding than I had anticipated, and I have been a lot more lazy than I had anticipated, so I have already become grossly behind in all of my courses. I was supposed to spend my weekend at school, writing lab reports, reading primary research papers, reading chapters and chapters from texts. That did not happen. Not only did I sleep in on both Saturday and Sunday, I did not once change out of my jimjams, nor did I make it to school. What's more, I failed to crack open my backpack until Saturday night, by which time I quickly stowed all my books away to watch My Beloved Oilers lose again. Thus, I broke it. Is this a sign of what's to come during the remainder of the semester? Will I be perpetually behind? Will I fail all my courses?

Currently, I am working on a calculation-heavy lab report for an experiment where we isolated lymphocytes from rabbit blood. Not only did it take me a needlessly large amount of time to actually figure out how to calculate the values required of me, but in order to calculate such values I had to use values from my previous experiment in which I determined the concentration of lymphocytes in rabbit blood. This meant that I had to go over my last lab report, and to my horror, I discovered numerous MAJOR errors. Not only did I screw up some calculations (very dumb mistakes, such as not converting a number to its correct scientific notation), I completely forgot to include a whole table, copying and pasting another, unrelated table in its stead. Since this report was handed in nigh a week ago, there is basically nothing I can do, and I will thus suffer a low mark that need not be low had I spent two extra minutes to properly proofread. I hate when I make this kind of mistake. It makes me feel completely inept, and I get all worried that whoever is grading my paper will think I am just dumb. The first paper of the year is the opportunity to make a good first impression, and I have made one that depicts me as a dummy that can't use a calculator nor copy and paste correctly.

So yeah. Woe is me. School is dominating my life, whether I am actually tackling everything it throws at me, or avoiding it at all costs.

New Camera Test Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 22:44:00 +0000

Stitch feature photo of my living room, including my sisters feet and our godawful furniture (temporary only).

A dime, using the digital macro feature. I have a certain affinity for macro photography, and I am delighted that this camera takes such nice macro photos.

My extraordinarily messy desk, featuring my laptop, hairdryer, and an empty mug; taken with the colour accent feature. The camera also has a colour swapping feature with which I have yet to take a good photo.Another digital macro example of my poor glasses. This was the second time they were repaired with Krazy Glue and flames. This was taken on Thursday night and they broke yet again on Friday morning. Boo.

I know they are not the best photos, and I know that I have yet to explore all of the features, but I was very excited to share my new camera excitement.

Bullet'd (Ow! My skin!)

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 01:28:00 +0000

This is my new blogging style. It saves me from forming proper paragraphs and, occasionally, proper sentences.

School started up again on Monday. It is my goal to repeat the 4.0, though I think it will be considerably harder to do so this semester. While my courses are all thoroughly interesting and I am sure I am going to enjoy them, I know there is going to be a lot more work involved. I am already behind, and while you may not believe it (and I certainly can't believe it), it's true. I have chapters to read, papers to read, lab reports to write, calculations to finish, etc.. I don't think I have ever had a faster start to a semester. I might get around to reviewing each of my classes as my blogging tradition dictates, but we'll see.
I saw Children of Men on Monday. It's excellent. Great. Interesting. Sobering. Disgusting. Heartbreaking. Frightening. It's just wonderful. I plan to see it again before it enters theatre-to-DVD limbo. I highly recommend seeing it.
My new camera was delivered yesterday!!!!! It's beautiful. I didn't get around to naming my old camera, but I am certain that this new camera is more worthy of a name anyway. A good name. Any suggestions? I'll take and post some test pictures soon-ish.
My glasses, which snapped in two right between the eyes about two months ago after I was struck in the face with a soccer ball, broke in two again. After the first incident, I krazy-glued them back together, and they were practically as good as new. I tried to do the same after the second incident, but quickly learned that my efforts were fruitless. So, I had to buy new glasses. It took me a while to decide on a pair (I didn't know that many frames existed), but I settled on a pair of Pumas (I didn't know Puma made optical frames). I shall have them some time next week.
My Beloved Oilers are on a bit of an upswing [knock on wood]. Huzzah!
This Saturday is the ultimate sports Saturday. Three EPL games in the morning followed by three hockey games on Hockey Day in Canada.
I started my resolutions post, and then deleted it as I had already failed to comply with more than one of my resolutions. So I've basically settled for one easy, simple, no-hassle resolution: be better.

I will now return to a forgotten blogging sign-off.
Music: "Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles (from the newest release Love)

Potpourri

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 08:28:00 +0000

Like the category on Jeopardy!, this post is a collection of odds and ends, a medley, if you will.

I am working on my resolutions post. I resolve to finish it by year's end.
Neil is re-blogging. That is, he once blogged, and then didn't, and now he's blogging once more. He has a way with words that is clever and funny and very enjoyable. Read it.
The Oilers LOST AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!! And again. And again. BAH! I want to cry. I am at a loss for words. It's ridiculous, almost. I have a feeling that a trade is going to happen soon-ish, one or more of our forwards (+draft picks,+prospects) for a defenseman. And HOW ABOUT THAT MISPLAY on Thursday night???? Dang. That eased the frustration, momentarily. Even if you don't follow hockey, watch that clip. You'll appreciate its hilarity. Patrik Stefan - remember that name.
My new camera is on its way. Hip hip!
My soccer game on Thursday night (at 10:15 - ludicrous) was a total bust. I am so out of shape. It's beyond laughable; it's just sad.
The new and theoretically FINAL semester begins on Monday. According to my calculations, that is soon. I really really REALLY do not want to go back.

End transmission.

Bah. Humbug!

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 09:47:00 +0000

So, I haven't been blogging with the expected, increased frequency, but it's not like it matters because no one really reads it anyway. Nevertheless, some updates:

I baked my cake and ate it, too! Last Friday morning I received my last final grade, delighted that it was an A+. I baked my cake that night. It turned out quite horrendously, ironically - if graded, it would have undoubtedly received an F. The cut was bad, the icing was worse. But in the end, it tasted delicious and served its purpose, and that's what really matters.
Christmas came and went. I was pretty much none the wiser. I was neither excited nor festively primed for Christmas. My family abandoned our traditional large family dinner, thereby substantially reducing my yuletide potential to pretty much nothing. I have also been generally grumpy/not happy for reasons unknown (hormones, I suppose), and rather childish, in fact. I won't go into too many details to save me from looking like a totally juvenile prat that cares not for the so-called true meaning of the holidays and Christmas, but let's just say that I didn't get what I wanted while my spoiled (and I mean spoiled) youngest sister got EVERYTHING she wanted (including an iPod and a digital camera), and then some. I know, I'm a horrible person.
My Beloved Oilers are frustrating me beyond belief, especially with the situation in the Northwest Division. They're 2-3-0 in their last five, which sucks. Their defense (both defensemen and defensive strategy) is crumbling, which sucks. Roloson has lost his mojo, yet again (and being hung out to dry by his defense itsn't helping, either), which sucks. I've actually watched more Calgary Lames' hockey than Oilers' hockey in the past while. It was nice to see them lose to San Jose and then Vancouver two nights in a row, though the Vancouver wins certainly convoluted the Northwest standings a little more. I'll stop here, because I really could go on forever.
As always, I am worrying about my academic future. Not only am I not excited about the coming semester (though it will theoretically be my last for the time being), I have ZERO idea of what I will do afterwards. Sometime before I return to classes I will spend an entire day researching my options, which number many. I won't even go into it now to save me from the pain of indecision.
I have been thinking about 2007 and some resolutions.... MANY resolutions. More on them later.

When Exam Hellfire Freezes Over

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 06:32:00 +0000

As I write this I am in my comfy jimjams and wrapped in a sleeping bag having just finished watching Little Miss Sunshine with my family (who loved it, as everyone should). I am content. Tired, but content.

Exams are finally over. OVER!!!!!! And while it feels nice (really nice), there is also this sense that it's not over. It was odd, the way I felt during this exam period. I put in a lot of hours of studying (i.e., on average, I'd say ten hours a day, though fourteen hours at school per day, at least), but I never felt especially ready for any exam. I never ever really felt that huge sense of relief upon completion of an exam, either. It's sort of like they just happened. And that was that.

My real objective for this whole semester was to be able to bake myself a cake shaped as a 4.0. This, of course, has that one stipulation stating that in order to bake the cake, I must obtain a 4.0 GPA (i.e., straight As, A+s, or a combination of the two). So far, so good. I have an inkling it's going to happen, and this pleases me immensely.

In celebration of the end of exams, I first purchased and watched Little Miss Sunshine, had an afternoon nap, and went to the Oilers game. Although they lost for the second time in a row to the Avalanche (grr), it was still a VERY exciting game. 7-6???? That's crazy. I probably wouldn't have felt as bad about the loss if some of those Avalanche goals were nicer. What was with Roli and that wrap-around thing? I think the best part, or parts, about the whole game were Hemsky's two SWEEEEEET assists on Sykora's goals. DANG! I was so utterly excited when Hemsky was back in the line-up last game because it meant that I was going to be able to see him play in real-time. And while his game started of poorly (down to the fourth line??), it finished brilliantly. He dangled it!!!! DANGLED IT!!!! It almost makes me want to cry with joy. Almost. I also got to hear, in real life, the song that's always played right before the Oilers first power play of the game. Whenever we're watching the game on TV, my sisters and I get all excited about it and dance to it. However, since I was by myself at the game last night without any alcohol to release my from my inhibitions, I sadly did not dance to it there.

Christmas is just in a few short days. I did not have many shopping obligations this year, so I pretty much finished it all in one day, with enough time to spare to see The Holiday. Don't see it if you're male. I'm not really feeling the yuletidiness at the moment... my family has yet to erect the tree and I don't even know if I have a huge turkey feast to look forward to. Plus I'm still recuperating from lame exams, so I feel mostly like sleeping all the time, not being festive and whatnot. Maybe I just have to put on the Christmas CDs, and watch Home Alone, The Santa Clause, and The Grinch to set things in the right direction.

I suspect that since I have all this free time on my hands that I will be blogging with increased frequency, but if, for some reason, I forget about it for a while, I wish everyone who reads this Happy Holidays!

Ugh

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 05:35:00 +0000

There remain just three days of classes before The Final Exam Hellfire breaks loose. This makes me nervous and grumpy, among other things. The next seventeen days are probably going to be the longest of the year. I will go to school and study for up to twelve (and maybe more) hours per day. I will consume inordinate amounts of caffeinated beverages. I will sleep as little as my body permits. I will write exams. Life will suck.

To add to this general misfortune, my Beloved Oilers probably won't bounce back from three straight losses. I'm sensing an extended slump. No Hemsky. No Smyth. And apparently no Roloson - mojo's MIA, again. I can only hope that by the time I'm done exams they will be back on form (I'm going to the game on the 19th...by myself).

Alas, this post is pretty pointless. Blogging for the sake of blogging.

Tschüss.

What a Dreamboat

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 05:17:00 +0000

He's an Edmonton Oiler.
He scores goals.
He has a sweet Eastern European accent.
He's ridiculously good-looking.

He's Petr Sykora.
And I love him.

My Beloved Edmonton Oilers engaged in the always-exciting Battle of Alberta against the enemies, the Calgary Lames, and despite being clearly outplayed, we squeaked by with a win. Deservingly, Sykora was the first star, having scored both Oiler goals, including the gee-dub-gee. And while I am obviously thrilled with this Czech, I am unfortunately disappointed with his fellow countryman and linemate, Ales Hemsky. Sure, he also got two points against the Flames, but he's really been, in my opinion, subpar. SUBPAR. His neutral zone play has been abysmal. He's finally starting to shoot a little more, but that isn't saying much since he loses the puck more often than not. I just want him to dangle it. Dangle it and score. SCORE!!!

And what's with Stoll? It seems that he's been kicked out of the faceoff circle about a zillion times in the past few games, and he's been relegated to the fourth line. Tsk tsk. A few games ago, centering the fourth line wouldn't have been so bad, but that little spark they had sort of fizzled. Ah! And when the fourth line was out there with Bergie and Greene???? Eeek!

But yes, I should actually stop complaining, because there's nothing to complain about when the Oilers are winning.... except for when every other team in the Northwest is winning. Okay, now I can stop.

Creepin'

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 02:31:00 +0000

I was looking through my tracking information today and it dawned on me the number of regular readers that have never made a comment here. I can say with certainty that I have commented at least once on every blog that I read with any regularity. Thus, it creeped me out a little that people are reading my blog and I have no idea who they are. Or, I know who they are, but don't know it's them. For example, there is someone who reads my blog from Calgary quite often. I don't think I know anyone in Calgary except my aunt, who definitely doesn't read this. There is someone in Edmonton who I'm assuming is not someone I know from school since they can read my blog in the middle of the day from the same location they read it from on weekends, which I am assuming is home. In the end, it's difficult to resolve what's more creepy: knowing I have regular lurkers, or the fact that I'm keeping tabs on these lurkers.

Maybe I'll try my hand at a little magic here....
Lurkers....REVEAL YOURSELVES!

A Most Prestigious Cinematic Production

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 01:42:00 +0000

As part of my long weekend recuperative activities, I went to see The Prestige this afternoon. I was impressed, though initially hesitant about its subject matter considering The Illusionist was recently released. I was assured, however, that they are not similar apart from the fact that they both feature magicians.

The story is probably the most interesting. It starts off believably, focusing on the illusory aspect of turn of the [nineteenth] century magicians Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) and Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman), who under the guidance of Cutter (Michael Caine) create more and more illusions to wow the masses. The "accidental" death of Angier's wife, Julia (Piper Perabo), however, turns Borden and Angier against each other, and a very extensive rivalry ensues, each man attempting to discover and better the other's secrets to their illusions. It gets especially interesting with the involvement of early studies in electricity as conducted by Nikola Tesla (David Bowie, who looks old and not very Bowiesque). I cannot say much more without ruining the creepy, twisted ending, but just know that it's pretty clever and justifiable.

It's sort of weird in that it's hard to distinguish which of the two main characters are worthy of your support. Throughout the majority of the film, I thought I like Angier better, but then my affection for him waned a little as his obsession with revenge went from somewhat noble to downright creepy. Borden was hard to trust, though as the story unravelled, you couldn't help but feel for him... a little.

Just as a note, Scarlett Johansson's role as Olivia Wenscombe, the magician's assistant, is played up a little on the movie poster and in the trailer. Though her character's role in the story is kind of important (as a double agent at the height of the rivalry), it seemed like Johansson was there more to look pretty than to act. And she has a super-fake British accent.

Speaking of accents, it was weird to hear Christian Bale with his "native" accent. I think that in everything I have seen him to date he's had a North American accent. And I really didn't get why Hugh Jackman's character had a North American accent, when it seemed like he should have had an English one (as most of it was set in London and his travels to Colorado seemed foreign).

And speaking of Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman, HELLO HOTTIES. Seriously. H-O-T.

One thing that viewers might find tedious would be the way in which the backstory was presented. It jumps around a lot, starting with the end and then filling in the blanks sort of deal. Sometimes hard to follow, yes, but ultimately it allows the ending to be presented to full effect.

So...... this was a pretty good movie. I would recommend that you see it, if not now, eventually. I would now like to see The Illusionist, just to see how it portrays the old-timey magician bit. I also want to read the book The Prestige, though I think the movie was based loosely on it.

Other Movies I'd Like To See:

The Departed
Apocalypto (with my Dad)
Stranger Than Fiction
Borat (just because......)
Night At The Museum
The Fountain
Flushed Away
Children of Men
Babel
Confetti
For Your Consideration (I watched Waiting for Guffman and Best In Show this weekend - too funny)

At Long Last

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 01:37:00 +0000

The happy couple together for the first time in three weeks.

It is difficult to express just how content with life I am at the moment. I am done with midterms. I have a four-day weekend to recuperate. I have finally been reunited with Mr. Fahrenheit, my boyfr- erm, laptop of two years. My life could only be better if the Oilers were winning more.

That's pretty much all I had to say.

McGeough Must Die

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Sat, 04 Nov 2006 08:45:00 +0000

You know, I've never really like Mick McGeough. The way he refused to wear a helmet until recently. The way he always looks a little too tanned. The way he wears the collar of his uniform. The way he lives up to his visually impaired monicker.....

I was having a perfectly splendid Friday until the 19:56-ish mark of the third period in the Oilers-Stars game. I had remained awake through both of my classes. I got paid extra for tutoring. I learned I earned a perfect score on a recent midterm. I ate a fine steak for dinner and took Baileys in my coffee. I even enjoyed watching the Flames-Bluejackets shootout, and despite the lacklustre play of the Oilers, I almost enjoyed a hockey game.

Maybe it was the Baileys, but I was almost moved to tears when that goal was called off. Tears! Me! TEARS!

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 02:59:00 +0000

Strong Sad and Frank (Donnie Darko)... and snow!!!

Even though they are teen and pre-teen, sassy and sassier, my little sisters are pretty cool. This year they carved their pumpkins with what I hope was inspiration from their wise, cool, and utterly awesome older sister.

Oilers and Other Disappointments

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 06:45:00 +0000

I did not watch the last two games on account of having another engagement on Wednesday night, and not ordering the Pay Per View on Thursday. Accordingly, I have little more than the scorelines to tell me that something is wrong with my dearest Oilers, but I am going to just put some other speculations out on the table.

Our forward heirarchy, so to speak, is totally botched. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love that Hemsky, Sykora, and Thoresen are lighting it up. It just is slightly unsettling that our so-called top line is not really a top line when it boils down to it. It is almost equally unsettling that our third and fourth lines feature players that were once second-liners. I dunno, this may be slightly trivial, but it all just seems off-kilter to me.

What is also frustrating me is that once relied-upon mainstays are MIA. Granted, Stoll got two against the Ducks and Pisani finally cracked his goose egg Thursday, but these guys were featured prominently in that beautiful wonderful and glorious playoff run. What has taken them so long? Are they going to be patchy point-getters for the rest of the season? I think I am most disappointed with Torres. Not that I credit his "demotion" to bad play (Thoresen was looking pretty slick), but he should get his act together. From what I heard, he barely saw the ice by game's end on Thursday. I think he's just not playing his role as a grinder, a physical force. THAT is that the Oilers have been really missing - a true, physical presence. Winchester (or "Winchy" as I call him) kind of seems forced into that role due to his stature. He "fought" that Duck on Wednesday, but certainly looked green. I don't know, though, perhaps in due time he will fit into the role.

The polarized success of our special teams is a REALLY BIG PROBLEM. Our penalty kill is so good it's killing the opponents' penalties. That is to say that our power play licks ass. Needless to say that we are missing a Prongerian/Spacekian manning the point. Or maybe we shouldn't have FIVE FORWARDS ON THE ICE. What's the deal with that? Has it worked yet? Not that I've seen.

Remember that time in that Austin Powers movie where Austin lost his mojo? Maybe that's happened to Roloson. What was it on Wednesday - six goals on eighteen shots? Yipes. Markkanen wasn't much of a replacement, either. We'd better get that mojo back. I'll build a time machine and go to the past when Roloson was apparently cryogenically frozen, before his mojo was taken, and personally stand guard until I know the mojo is safe.

Maybe it was just that long homestand. Maybe it lulled the Oilers into a false sense of security - "We're unbeaten at home, we'll never see defeat!" Maybe we're actually the team that someone predicted to finished twelfth in the West. Maybe I'm just looking too far into things.

My other disappointments are these:

My midterm on Tuesday night. I really should have studied for it a lot more than I did. But I was just so spent already. Hopefully everyone did as poorly as I think I did. And now I have the opporunity to hike up my cell biology boots and kill the next exam. I guess. Maybe.
There is yet no news on my computer. The last I heard it was sent off to some centre and there is the possibility of motherboard problems......???? I really just wanted them to unmelt my power adaptor from inside it, give me a new one and send me on my merry way. When this whole melty thing happened, I really did not have the chance to back up any of my files. The power adaptor was obviously shot, and my battery ran out sooner than expected. This means my entire iTunes library, about a zillion pictures, and most importantly, the draft of my Lost post are all potentially gone forever.
My indoor soccer season is about to commence. Normally this would be a good thing. But I have a distinctly uneasy feeling about this year. My team does not yet have a coach, nor a manager, the managerial tasks have been divided up amongst the team members, thereby increasing the chances of something being forgotten and whatnot, and only eight of the fifteen registered players showed up for our first practice. On top of that, fifteen players is not especially ideal. Each game you want to dress sixteen players - three forward lines, three defensive pairs, and a keeper. What's going to happen when people can't make games? We also have not set a practice day or days, nor do I think that everyone actually knows that our game schedule is indeed posted. Plus, this is all happening in French, a language with which I am not entirely comfortable, and that I have not practiced in months.
I think I am getting sick. I suppose it's fortunate that it's happening after I have written the bulk of my midterms, but it's still rather unnecessary. I woke up barfy on Thursday morning, slept all Thursday afternoon, stayed up all Thursday night, and now I have a stuffed nose and sore throat.

I'm too young to be old.

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 04:46:00 +0000

I'm pretty sure that when I was in first year I had the capacity to stay up into the wee hours of the morning studying and whatnot, somehow wake up early to get to all my labs, and still remain comprehensible. Now I find that I am just always tired. If I am not in bed by 11:00, I will definitely feel it the next day. I'll find it difficult to form proper sentences. I will require a nap and/or coffee by noon. My sluggishness, of course, plays at that vicious cycle of being too tired to work, which causes you to fall behind, which in turn causes you to have to work harder and sleep less and become more tired and BLAAAAAH.

The past three weeks have been pretty much the worst of my university career. Yes, I have learned a lot, but at a great price. I'm at school twelve hours a day, sometimes seven days a week. I barely see my family or friends anymore. I feel guilty for taking time out of studying to eat dinner. I have increased my caffeine intake probably tenfold. I get roughly five hours of sleep a night. It's making me feel old and worn out and not happy. And do you know what comes to mind? The Pope in that movie The Agony and the Ecstasy: "When will you make an end?"

Luckily, I don't get Michelangelo's wishy-washy answer, "When I am finished." I know that I will have a midterm-free week and a bit in just five days. I am planning to sleep a lot, to watch TV, and to perhaps heal my academic wounds with a little retail therapy. I could even finish that Lost post.

In other news:

Jasmine has updated her blog.
The Oilers are playing poorly and winning!
I'm trying out these new contact lenses. I haven't worn any in about three months, and I have become increasingly paranoid about contracting amoebic keratitis, which is associated with soft contact lens-wearers. I'm going the daily disposible route, considering I only wear them twice a week at most anyway.
My computer has nearly lost the ability to have its battery charged - its adaptor doesn't seem to be able to plug into it properly, or at all even. And it makes these weird noises when I touch certain areas of the touchpad. And it smells funny - like burning dirt and plastic. And okra.

Oilers.... WIN????

noreply@blogger.com (Krista) — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 06:49:00 +0000

My increased frequency of blogging is a clear indication that I have three midterms next week for which I have barely studied.
Okay. Oilers. Maaaaaaan. All day I rued the fact that this game was on PPV. I saw kids in their Oilers jerseys all over school, which got me all excited, and then all disappointed because I knew I was not going to see the game. So I turned on the radio at 8:00, listened to the first period. And then, for some reason or another, I stopped listening and tuned in later to find the Oilers down 1-4. Sadly, I figured they were bound to lose and stopped listening altogether, my regret for not ordering the PPV dwindling. And now I read that Oilers won. Smyth records a hat trick. In a record time. How delightful. How glorious. How, how, dang. I should have ordered it.