Daffodils, Forsythia, Goslings...

What are signs of spring?

After school today I have an appointment at the contact lens clinic. I was supposed to wear my contacts, but I forgot to bring them this morning. This meant that I needed to run home at lunch and put them in. Let me tell you, it is beeeeautiful out there. The forsythia bushes are bright yellow, and I saw my first goslings of the baby animal season. So cute :) But now I am sitting in front of the computer again day dreaming about being able to enjoy this beautiful day. Soon Laura Soon.

The past two-three days have been extremely busy. Sunday night I was working on my paper until around midnight. Monday at school 9 am - 6 pm (working the entire time) and then spent the night doing my taxes (I owe $903, booo-urns!). Yesterday was worse, at school 9-6 took an hour off for dinner and worked from home from 7 pm - 11. Fun stuff. I'm finally making some headway with my paper though. I'm just waiting for some last minute results to make my last two figures and then I'm mostly done. I'll hopefully be done before I have to leave for my appointment. My goal is for El Cap (anyone get that?) to be able to proof read it tonight. I guess we'll see.

Other than that, just frantically trying to get stuff done before my trip with weekend. Thinkgs I still need to do (a) finish paper, (b) print off taxes and mail them, (c) contact appointment, (d) pack, (e) get Jenny's stuff organized... she's spending the weekend at her BF's apartment... note: Jenny thinks AF is her boyfriend, not mine. It's actually pretty cute :) She loves him. I also have to figure out what is next on my reading list and bring it out west with me. I love reading :)

3 down 1 to go

This collection business is grody. Yes, I just said Grody.

I got this forward, would rather do it here than harassing you all with an e-mail.

Place an 'X' by all the things you've done, or remove the 'X' from the ones,
you have not, and send it to all of your friends (including me).

This is for your entire life:
(x) Smoked a cigarette
(x) Drank so much you threw up
( ) Crashed a friends car
( ) Stole a car, even a parents
(x) Been in love
(x) Been dumped
(x) Been laid off/sacked (Lifeguard days, my employer amalgamated and closed the pool I worked at... I'm still bitter ;))
(x) Quit your job
(x) Been in love at first sight (or thought you were)
( ) Snuck out of your parents house
(x) Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back
( ) Been arrested
(x) Gone on a blind date
(x) Lied to a friend
( ) Skipped school
( ) Seen someone die
(x) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico
(x) Been on a plane
(x) Been lost
(x) Been on the opposite side of the country
( ) Gone to Washington DC
(x) Swam in the ocean
( ) Felt like dying
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
(x) Played cops and robbers
( ) Recently colored with crayons
(x) Sang Karaoke
(x) Paid for a meal with only coins
(x) Did something you told yourself you wouldn't
(x) Made prank phone calls....
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) Danced in the rain
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sun rise with someone you care about or love
(x) Blown bubbles
(x) Made a bonfire on a beach (I didn't make it, but I was there!)
(x) Crashed a party
(x) Gone roller-skating
(x) Ice-skating

Any nicknames? Laura Jean, Lj, The Jones
Mothers name? Jane Elizabeth Jones (nee Edwards)
What is your favorite drink? Hot Chocolate, Chai tea, dt coke, oj, and water
Regrets? some days grad school, but I'm mostly a happy camper
Tattoos? sun on my inner left ankle
Body piercing? 1 hole each ear. Used to want my eyebrow, but I'm over that now.
How much do you love your job? meh, wish I were working most days. Too much to stress about in grad school
Birthplace? Belleville ON
Favorite vacation spot? Africa :)
Ever been to Africa? yeppers! see above :)
Ever steal any traffic signs? Do campsite signs count (like the bright orange ones in the back country?)
Ever been in a car accident? Nothing major
A, B, C, D, DD cup size? D. Ugh.
Salad dressing? Light ceasar, creamy poppy seed, sundried tomato and oregeno
Favorite pie? Hmmm... Apple or Lemon Meringue
Favorite number? 1
Favorite movies? Shawshank redemption, Princess Bride and Sound of Music
Favorite holiday? Christmas
Favorite food? Steak. mmmmm....
Favorite day of the week? Saturday
Favorite brand of body soap? Bath and Body Works. Luxurious!
Favorite TV shows? Project Runway, CSI, Amazing race
Toothpaste? Arm and Hammer Extra Whitening
Favorite smell? Cinnamon
What do you do to relax? Read
Message to your friends reading this? Stool samples are gross... beware of the water in Africa
Farthest place you will send this message? Ummm? I don't know, depends on who reads this? BC???

Stool Sample Grossness

Okay, so I don't know how much I've posted about this, but ever since I got back from Africa I've been having waves of nausea that last anywhere from a week to a month. I got tested back in the fall for Malaria to rule it out, and have just kind of lived with it since then. This week after feeling off for over a month and feeling terrible when I've been excersizing, I decided to make an appointment to try and get it sorted out. So now, I have a huge bag and I have to collect 4 stool samples, and I had my first rectal exam. Not fun, but all in all, it was better than a Gyny exam. Now I just have to collect my samples and wait for the results to come in. Oh, and I have an order for an ultrasound. never had one of those before.

Guess that is it for me. Not much going on, trying to get my results in order for this conference paper, but the runs are taking a long time. Damn computers.

Oh, one exciting thing - I get to dogsit the bailey this weekend. I'm pretty pumped about it. I miss having a dog.

Time flies

Literally. 4 months ago today I met AF for the first time. 3 months ago we became an official couple. Weird since it feels like just yesterday, but feels like we've been together forever at the same time.

Easter weekend was good. Thrusday night we went to a get together at AF's climing gym. They are closing at the end of the month so were having a big last hurrah where you'd see everyone one last time. It was okay. We went back to his place and watched the Butterfly effect. It was a pretty cool movie. I remember when it was in theaters I wanted to see it, but it got bad reviews so I didn't go, but I'm glad I watched it. I thought it had an interesting premises. Friday was off to B-ville to visit with daddy dearest and D which was pretty nice albeit a short visit. AF didn't come with me this time. I dropped him off at his mum's house so he could spend sometime with his sister before she headed back to Tehran for a visit. Saturday after dinner it was back to Waterloo.

Sunday we walked around downtown and were trying to grab lunch somewhere, turns out a lot of the restaurants were close which I found funny since a lot of them would have been open on CHRISTMAS day. Oh well, we ended up heading back to the plaza and having a late lunch there. I was planning on doing some marking last night, but by the time I drove AF back to his apartment, did my dishes and what not, it was close to 10 so I just headed to bed. This week is going to be pretty busy with marking and working on this paper for the california conference. Should be able to get it done though.

I feel like Poo

yep. That is right. I'm feeling under the weather yet again. Not cool. Will I make it through the day? that is yet to be determined. I will wait a bit and see if it passes. Hopefully it does. I was just in the bathroom and man, do I look like shit right now. I have these huge circles under my eyes. Looking at me, you'd think I hadn't slept last night, but I got close to 8 hours in. Meh. I'll see what the next hour or so brings. Might go home early and have a nap and finish up what I'm working on this evening.

Last night I finished the book I was reading. Something Borrowed. It was good for Chick lit. Trying to decide if I want to get the sequal to it (Something Blue) or if I want to read something serious again next.

The Bain of My Existence

Yep. Foiled by units yet again. Gar. Not a happy camper right now, but when am I ever happy about these stupid freaking units. Oh well, on the good side of things, yes, it renders what I've done on my model since around 11 am sunday morning useless, but also wonderful since my model now runs start to finish in like 5 minutes. Yipee! (before, it was taking like 5 minutes real time to model 1 minute simulated time - not cool! This means I'll be able to a) get the right results and b) fix problems a lot quicker).

Not much else going on here. I got my extension approved for Batelle, I have a week longer than we were assuming I'd get which means I might actually have a life and be able to enjoy this nice weather we are having a bit. Oh, yes, and get my marking done before the end of exams. Always a good thing.

Taking a moment

My model is running away in the background on my computer right now. And taking up a huge portion of my CPU I might add. I just wanted to take a minute out of my busy day to gush about my man. I realized this weekend that I love him. Yep, that is right. For the first time in 6 years Laura is in Love. Fun stuff. When I'm with him all my worries kind of melt away and when I'm in his arms there is no place in the world I'd rather be. He's even starting to bring me down a notch in high-strungness which is really saying something for anyone who knows me. I'm normally the type of person that has to be doing something every minute of the day and I don't tend to take time to enjoy the little pleasures in life. Enjoying good conversation over breakfast, relaxing for a day with nothing planned just enjoying what happens. Not really my normal style. Anywho, so yes. I love him... now if I can just get over my primal fear of telling HIM then we'll all be good. I decided not to say anything this weekend since he has his exam tonight and I didn't want to distract him. Well, that is my excuse anyways. Okay. Back to writting this fun little paper. Ciao kiddos.

And the stress is mounting again

It's noon on A Sunday and I'm modelling. Lots of fun. My damn program is taking so long right now. I had to increase the time step big time because some of the stuff is depleting way fast (read huge negative concentrations). Crapola I say. Okay, now that I have that off my chest.

I had my Fort Mac interview on friday. The first question he asked me was "Did I think I would want to work in Fort Mac?" I answered truthfully that I hadn't given it much thought, I'm not going to be ready to work until the earliest september, and that right now I'm adsorbed in my research. He seemed to accept that, and I'm supposed to give him a call in August if I'm interested. I asked him a few questions about the area and what not. Something to think about when the time comes, but I don't have to yet thankfully!

Other than that. The first half of my weekend was good. Friday night I was at AFs and some of his friends came over. It was nice for him to get to visit with them since he hadn't seen a few of them in a while. Saturday we just lazed around most of the day and I came back here last night. I have too much work to do and he has his exam on monday in his C# class so we both have to get work done.

A sigh of Relief

Ahhh... but don't let me sigh too long as it'll be getting busy again in no time flat... like tomorrow. So after two long days monday and tuesday, I finally got to relax a bit after my presentation yesterday. Monday I was at school 9-7, got home, had dinner and worked from 8-10:15... Tuesday was a little better - at school from 9-6, had dinner relaxed for a bit and worked from 8:30-11:00. Ah, what an exciting life. But I presented on Wednesday afternoon. I was a little nervous and a little frazzled (damn over head projectors), but I finished on time and didn't have any hard questions that I had to answer so that was good :). I'm so not winning the presenters award, but then again, I was hardly expecting to either!

When I got back to my office in the afternoon I had an e-mail from NL, the girl that stayed with me last may for feild school. Turns out she's in town for a WHI course and wanted to get together (I just got back from lunch with her and burger). It was nice to hear from her again. When I got home from school there was more kind of good/kind of scary news waiting on my answering machine.

Komex in Fort Mac wants to interview me. Tomorrow. Okay, I know I did give them my resume, but at the time it was more for practice than anything else. I also gave it to the Komex Calgary office, not Fort Mac. I'm not sure I want to live out west first off. Second off, Fort Mac? Would that really be a place I would want to live? Meh. I'll do the interview, but I don't think I'll except a job should they offer me one. Also, after 5.5 years of being unattached and not caring where I end up things are a little different now. I don't want to be one of those people that throws their life away because of a guy, but honestly, I don't think I'd have a problem getting a job in Waterloo or Guelph, or in the worst case, somewhere in the wasteland that is the GTA, I don't think I need to go to Alberta to get a job. Meh. This is too stressful. Why did AF have to go and complicate my life? Don't get me wrong, I really like this guy, but I guess this is a case where it is just easier to be single and have no stings tieing you somewhere.

Other than that, I'm at home marking today. It is taking me forever! Gar. I hate marking. I think this will be my last TA. I don't mind marking math, the text takes so much longer.

I hate Time Change

Well, I'll be happy whtn it is light tonight at 8 pm, but I really don't like the whole waking up an hour earlier deal. Hopefully I'll be adjusted to the new time soon, but let me say getting out of bed this morning did suck.

My weekend was pretty good. Friday night I went to AFs apartment and hung out. Saturday was my crowning glory.

Saturday was just perfect :) I haven't had a weekend day to completely relax and do typical weekend things since... well, probably last fall or possibly, early January. So we lazed around his apartment in the morning and went to Old Navy and Future shop in the afternoon (I got several new tank tops since all my old ones are either stained or have lost their form. For 2/$15, you can't really go wrong, and a couple of pairs of sandals... one to wear around AFs apartment and the other to wear with my summer skirts. Again, at $16.50 for the nice pair... you can't go wrong.) Saturday night I made my first ever roast chicken, and I am pretty happy with how it turned out. If just took a really long time to get up to the right temperature. I'll have to remember that next time I decide to make one. We also watched my favorite movie ever - the Shawshank Redemption.

Sunday I was up early to make AFs mum a birthday cake to bring with us. The day pretty much disappeared somehow. We had a great visit with his mum and sister. His sister is going to Tehran for a visit in a couple of weeks and she was so excited. We were joking that she should take me with her since AF and his mum have no desire to go back. I got back home at around 9 pm and did about 2 hours of work before going to bed. Fun sunday night activity, let me tell you. Oh well, I took off early friday so I really should have done more than I did.

The next three days are going to be crap for me since I'm presenting at the UW conference on Wednesday, but after that I should be able to relax a bit. I might stay at home on Thursday and Friday to mark since I'm developing another huge stack of assignments on my desk. I'll definitely be glad when my TAing is over. It just adds so much more to be stressed about.