The · Simple · Pleasures · in · Life

This journal is Friends-Only.

It is Friends-Only because my job is a profession and I feel more comfortable keeping my personal life separate from my professional life.

I always welcome the possibility of new friends, so if you'd like to check out what goes on under the Friends filter in this journal, please leave a comment to this post. I realize you don't really know what you're getting yourself into since you won't have the opportunity to read and see if you like it, so I suggest you try me out for a trial run. If you decide to drop me after awhile, I will completely understand. I hope you give me a chance. :)

Well, I have returned, you'll be happy to know.

Unfortunately, I'm in a bit of a grumpy mood, mostly to be attributed to my mom, who herself was in a grumpy mood because she's really feeling the stress of the upcoming special event (History Road) next weekend. Rightfully so, but she needn't take it out on us (or in this case, the road, as she was driving us back to the city). Selby's also stressed out because she has her ballet exam tomorrow, which is also some rightful stress. It just doesn't seem like anyone is really happy around here lately.

The weekend, though, was pretty good. Spent it mostly just relaxing, as usual. My dad and I rented Quills, a movie that's been out for awhile starring Geoffrey Rush, Kate Winslet, Joaquin Phoenix, and Michael Cane, about the Marquis de Sade. It was really quite interesting, with some great acting from all parties.

Sunday night was Selby's year-end dance show for Citie Ballet. She was quite wonderful. She had a big cheering squad: me, my mom, my dad, my dad's sister Susan, her two daughters Jess and Bridget, my mom's brother's wife Lynda and daughter Amanda, Selby's friends Colleen (lewy), and Kelly, and Cameron (my friend Sarah's little brother, who is also friends with Selby now). We took up a whole row in the auditorium! My favourite one of hers was a modern dance that expressed the question "Where does humanity end and technology begin?". They danced like robots! It was thrilling.

An interjection: This is one of my favourite songs in the world.

Anyway, after the dance show, we drove Cameron home and went back to Wetaskitown. This morning, we slept in, and then mom drove us back to the city. She had to pick up some stuff from the printers up here. And Selby had to buy a new bodysuit for her exam tomorrow. And then we came home. And that's about it.

Nothing excessively interesting.

Oh, I wish I had someone to do this with: http://fountainday2003.tripod.com/2003/index.html
I'd love to dye a fountain pink.

Near the end of my dad's commute every morning, there's a store that sells those giant balloons that you blow up and put up on roofs and things to advertise your business. The store that sells them always has one up on their roof. A little while ago, it was a giant white daisy with a yellow face that had a smiley on it. The whole family was driving somewhere and we went by it, and my dad confessed that whenever he goes by there, it makes him so utterly happy that he just has to smile to himself. He just called me.
"A big, huge yellow bunny, Erin!!!"
"What?"
"On the roof! A big bunny!"
"Ohhhh (that's me cluing in as to what he's talking about)! Does it make you happy?"
"I'm smiling right now!"

Oh how funny. :)

Please keep in mind that I am very out of practice. I'm not looking for perfection, but just a pretty good work of short fiction. I'd appreciate comments, please! Even if you hate it, pretend you don't. :) Just kidding. Tell me if you hate it! I'm going to link it and also copy & paste it behind this LJ cut. The formatting is probably pretty crappy in the copy & paste.

A Friend You Haven't Met (will open in new browser window).

( A Friend You Haven't Met )

I am actually feeling somewhat better. It must have been all the cold medicine I threw at myself last night. It's amazing the difference a good night's sleep can make. I think I am going to drink some more Neocitran this morning, though. I'm going to get my hair trimmed and coloured at 2:00 today. I think I have decided on a lighter brown than I have right now... a bit closer to my natural colour. Most of you agreed during my poll. I'll have to ask my stylist, Julie, though, because she always knows what's best. I love my stylist. She's awesome.She looks like that Spice Girl, Victoria, but dresses kind of punk/skater. And she's so geedee nice.

I think that I'm going to have to go grocery shopping today too. Not much in this house to mangiare.

Oi. I still sound a bit pubescent.

And now, ( Ten Reasons Why the US Should Not Invade Iraq )

I went to the University Rutherford library today and studied for a few hours. I finished one chapter (one more to go) of my Environmental Studies.

I made supper tonight. I made: ( Tortellini and Sausage Soup )

Selby and I watched the World AIDS Day stuff on MuchMusic tonight. MM VJ George Strombouloupoulous (the hottest one ever) and Prevail from Swollen Members went to Zambia and did some interviews and it was highly interesting. I want to marry Prevail. He is so incredibly sincere.

Selby was talking to kliq tonight and they were talking about the hell that junior high school was. And she told him about how there was a rumour going around about me from grade 6 to grade 9 that I was a lesbian. I didn't find out about it until grade 9. kliq laughed and said he couldn't imagine how that conclusion could be drawn about me, and Selby responded by pointing out that I tended to dress in plaid shirts (I was into Nirvana, okay?) and that couldn't have really helped the situation much. :) Anyway. Memories. :) Glad I didn't get screwed up over that one. :)

Got crafty again tonight. :) I'm loving the craft stuff. :)

Well. Good news, Edmontonians. If you want to come hear me sing with the University of Alberta Mixed Chorus, you may do so for free on Monday, December 2, 2002 at 4:00pm at the Alberta Legislature. We are singing for the "Lighting up the Leg" ceremonies, where the Premier does a public "season's greetings" and pulls the switch that turns on the impressive Christmas Lights on the Legislature Grounds. It's actually quite awe-inspiring. The ceremonies start at 4:00pm, like I mentioned, in the Rotunda (right when you enter the main doors - the big dome-shaped room - fantastic accoustics). There are some speeches, then some singing, and then everyone goes outside for the actual light-switching-on-business, and then the Alberta government foots the bill for some cookies and hot chocolate back inside. You might even get to shake Ralph's hand, haha. :) Anyway, I'd love it if you come if you are free. :) To everyone who lives somewhere else: you're missing out!

On another choir-related note, I had rehearsal tonight and we practiced the University of Alberta cheer song. It was written in the 1930s and is in the style of every old-fashioned cheer song, but let me tell you. I am one to point out my own dorkiness and so here it is: the cheer song invokes incredible school spirit in me. It even chokes me up sometimes! Read:
Ring out a cheer for our Alberta
A song of praise to varsity
For the splendour of our mountains
Our praries green and gold
Ranked beneath whose glowing colours
Thy legions march enrolled

Our memories will live forever
Beloved University
We will fight for thee and cheer
And ever hold thy honour dear
Our alma mater U of A

(Green and gold, Quecumque vera
Guide us through each coming era
Guide us on through battle gory
To a new and greater glory)

-repeat first half-

Anyway. I just wanted to confess that here. :)
Good night, sweet dreams. :)

Today, in EAS, the class broke up into faculties to discuss how human impacts on the environment can be integrated/how it is dealt with, within each doctrine.

Us in the Fac of Ed had a good chat about how it's important for teachers to create the groundwork for young people to have the tools to form their own opinions about stuff like that. One of the guys in the group turns out to take my bus right after the class is over. We both got on the bus right before it was leaving, so we were standing at the front. So we talked about the stuff in class (biologist, it seems, take offense to anyone else's opinions on the subject of environmental science) and Education in general. He's cute - I've noticed him in class and on the bus before. Halfway through the ride, someone got off, and he sat down (he was sitting and I was still standing). And then, of course, just as our conversation was getting interesting, I did something completely embarassing.

I've spoken in here before about how I was born without the mechanism that allows me to stand in moving vehicles.

Yes. The bus lurched and I fell over onto this lady sitting behind me. At least I didn't fall onto him. But it made a big kurfuffle and I apologized to the lady profusely. I told the guy about my inability to stand and he offered me his seat. I said I was okay. Shortly thereafter, the guy sitting next to my new friend left the bus, so I sat next to him for the remaining few minutes of our ride. When we got off the bus, he said "I'm sure I'll see you on Friday" and I said "I'm sure you will." And then I ran away. :)

Well, now he's seen me be a total idiot. Glad to have that out of the way. It's nice to let new friends/acquantances know your incredibly stupid side the first time you meet them, right? Right??

Ahem. *hides*

katiera reminded me of something I saw yesterday: Two mallard ducks and their lady-friend wandering around campus. Do ducks fly south for the winter? If so, these three are late!! What a strange place to see them, too. They must have wandered up from the river valley.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how livejournal is my society. In place of real, tactile people, I have you guys. You 100-odd people are my friends and acquaintances. Most of you, I don't know "in real life" (to coin an early 1990s internet chatroom phrase). I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but it's a thing. When I talk to people I know "in real life" (is there a less goofy term for the meaning of that?), I tend to mention people who I know from livejournal: "I have a friend in New York who is honestly one of the funniest people I know, and she..."; Dad: "Who sent you that postcard from Alaska?" Me: "A friend from Florida."; "I have a friend who used to work with the band Incubus"; "I have a friend who is trying to get her green card"; "I have a friend who practices polyamoury"; "A friend of mine is in Switzerland right now visiting family"; and so on and so on.

I'm not sure if everyone who has an LJ and reads other LJs a lot does this too. But I tend to make livejournal into my life. I wonder how you all feel to know that I talk about you in this way? It's somewhat awkward when the person I'm talking to asks where I met this girl from New York. Meeting people over the internet is still so taboo. I say "Yeah, he messaged me over MSN" and they say "Ohhhhhhhhhhhh" very knowingly and almost sympatheticaly.

But what is wrong with getting to know someone new? What's taboo about discovering new things about people and their thoughts and dreams and ideas? You people mean so much to me, which brings me back to the beginning of this ramble. You are my friends. You're the people I talk to and share my thoughts and dreams and ideas with. You reassure me and offer me support and praise me. And I do the same to you.

I love you.

Got this from panthergrrl. This is from www.babynamer.com. Type your name in the right hand side box, and then when the next pages comes up, click 'drawbacks'. These are all the teasing nicknames they have associated with my name. Ones in bold are ones I've really been called:
Error
Eraser
Er Bear
E-flat
Baron
Ernie
Erin Go Postal
Erin Go Loco
Earring
Ewok
E-ball
Rin-Tin-Tin
Air in-Air out
Urn
Erwin
Air
Air Head
Errand
Air and Space
Erin go braless (by my aunt Susan, can you believe that? BTW, it comes from the Gaelic phrase 'Erin go bragh', which means 'Ireland forever')
Erin the Red Baron
Erin Shmerin
Urine
Er Head
Nair
Erin go put a bra on
Rin
Erin Bear

I went to bed early last night and had the best sleep ever. I feel so well-rested this morning.

Oh, when I went with Selby to drop resumes off yesterday, I used my $10 money card at American Eagle that I got when I bought my jeans last month. I got a t-shirt (normally, I don't like American Eagle t-shirts because they're so overtly branded, but this one had no identifying marks. It's blue and purple striped with buttons down the side of the neck, kind of between where the normal neck buttons would be and my left shoulder... get the idea?) for 49?. I told the salesgirl to keep the penny. :) So I'm pleased with that. I am going to wear it today.

Because of my headache (what is with all this not feeling well lately? Normally I am completely and perfectly healthy save a few colds over the year, which I am quite prone to) I didn't get much work done last night. I read a bit of Canadian Politics. Anyway, because of that, I have to work like a madwoman today. As soon as I get home from class today, I am going to work work work and not move from this spot in front of my computer ALL afternoon. I sure hope I'm in a writing mood...

Alright, so I'd better go get ready for schooling now. :)