Bullet'd (Ow! My skin!)

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

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!

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

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

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

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.

McGeough Must Die

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!

Oilers and Other Disappointments

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.

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????

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.

Sucktober and Hockey-ness

October 2004 was a definite Sucktober; it takes the cake in terms of suckiness.
October 2005 started as Rocktober, but progressively became a moderate Sucktober.
October 2006 is shaping up to be a throwback to 2004.

I am quite certain that I have never had such a difficult course load. Additionally, I am quite certain that I have never had such a crappy midterm schedule. Granted, I never have more than three in one week; they are just perpetual, never-ending, seemingly infinite. Plus, I have one at 8:00 in the morning the day after Turkey Monday. How? HOW? That's not fair. It's turkey time, not study time. It's really all making me feel quite disenchanted about school and my future and life in general. I spend all my time studying, it seems, and no time actually having fun or thinking of serious issues (like next April). Bah. BAH.

In other news, the NHL has commenced its regular season. Finally. I am elated. Overjoyed. I watched the Oilers' first two stints against the Flames. Their season-opener was rather impressive, I thought. In the off-season there was a whole hazy cloud of speculation about the new Oilers' potential, ranging from finishing twelfth in the West to finishing first in the Northwest. Now their depth and offensive talent are being praised. I'm not a psychic nor a true hockey pundit, so I'm not even going to give my prognosis. It's too early to tell anyway. Last year they won their first three, took a nose dive, and look where they ended up. I'm just going to cheer. And hope that Hemsky shoots more often. Good gracious! I think I have a super fan-crush on Hemsky. I get all fluttery when he's on the ice. And I love his line.... him and Sykora have got some crazy Czech wizardry going on there. With some of that Raffi thug business. I wish the Lupul-Horcoff-Smyth line would gel a little better. I feel Horcoff has not really been in it yet. He showed a flash of his brilliant speed on Saturday night, but he also made more than a few stupid passes in the neutral zone. And what's with that five-forward powerplay? Yipes. It's too gutsy for me at this stage of the game. It might work well if the powerplay started with an offensive zone faceoff and they had Horcoff or Stoll out there to win it. But all the times I have seen them try it they spent half the powerplay retrieving the puck from their zone or making bad passes at the offensive blue line. All in all, I have been very pleased, though, happy that they are back on the ice.

Also, since my dad is a mondo Habs fan, we watch as many Habs games as possible. The one on Friday night... golly! Those Sabres really brought it to them. Watch out for those Sabres. I think they are going to do very well. I'm glad Montreal got redemption against the Leafs on Saturday, though. Granted, they probably should have done it in regulation, but still. Plus, I hate the Leafs. Always have. Always will.

That was a little babbly/scrambly. I just get so excited about hockey.

I'm still working on the Lost post, though I fear its completion will not come until mid-November. At least by then I will be able to talk about the WEIRD new season. This series gives you question after question left unanswered, which is oddly really good. There is lots of room for speculation, which just intrigues you further. It's the only show, apart from The Amazing Race, that I can foresee watching with any real fidelity. Unfortunately, I just don't have much time for the remainder of shows I planned on watching.

Okay. Enough. Happy Turkey Weekend, my fellow Canadians.

I'm so hungry, I could ride a horse.

My internet at home has been especially fickle over the past week, so I haven't had the opportunity to blog. Yes, I could blog at school where there are many a'computer with unlimited internet access, but there is something about blogging at school that doesn't seem right to me. So, here are some mostly unrelated musings over the past week:

• I have finally finished watching the second season of Lost. Not that anyone besides Mr. Bergman will care, but I am currently composing my praise piece. I suspect it will be a lengthy post, and considering all the school crap I have to do, I'm not sure it will be done in time for the Season Three premiere. But I will try.
• Speaking of school, I still have not completely changed my attitude towards it all, but I think I am slowly getting into an academic groove. It helps that I have a weekly lab quiz for MMI. I have a particularly good feeling about this week, too. It's going to be productive. It has to be productive. I have my first midterm next week.
• That last bullet had some very short sentences. I'm not sure I like it.
• This whole boys-wearing-ultra-skinny-pants trend really isn't doing anything for me. It just makes their legs look too skinny, almost chicken-like. Most girls don't wear their pants that tightly.
  
• I am progressively getting more and more angsty about next May and what I will be doing. I persistently try my method of just not thinking about it, but its effectiveness is waning. Last Friday night I had a breakdown of sorts... alone... in my room. I cried, and then I slept. What the heck am I doing with my life?
• I have the feeling that there was something in particular that I wanted to say, but I've forgotten it.
  
• Oh, never mind. I remember. OILERS!!!! OCTOBER 5!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!! Also, this is a most beautiful alliance of two of my most favourite things in the world: Oilers and male attractiveness. Too good.
  
• My Spurs veritably SUCK this season. I watched them get waxed by Liverpool over the weekend. It especially sucked because I have somewhat of a soft spot for Liverpool (mainly Gerrard), and on some level it sort of felt nice to see them win. BLAH. I cannot wait until Berbatov and Lennon are back.
  
• I wish I were a wizard. Hogwarts-trained. Graduate of the House of Ravenclaw. Maybe even Head Girl. I'd work at St. Mungo's. And have loyal and heroic friends like Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Not that my real friends aren't loyal and heroic. They're just not wizards.
  

Hollaback, yo.