A Long Time Coming

First off, I would like to apologize for not posting daily this past week.  Whereas I thought going back to school would present me with extended periods of time in which to blog, I’m instead finding otherwise.  So I think for the future, I shall commit only to blogging on as regular a basis as possible, but not with any specific time-frame in mind.

My first week of class flew by.  And I loved every minute of it (with only a few, limited exceptions).  My teachers are really awesome, and I can already tell that they have a lot of useful information based on their experiences in the field that they’re more than willing to share with us.  I’m also enjoying meeting all the other students in my class.  I wasn’t sure how much I’d like seeing the same people day-in and day-out, but so far I think it’s making it a much more enjoyable experience.  Already I’ve talked one-on-one with about half the students in my class (there’s 32 of us in total).  Plus it’s made for some great discussions on topics we’re learning, and lots more class participation.

So it turns out that in one of my classes we actually get to build a house.  Like physically cut wood and pound in nails and put up walls and all of that.  I am so excited.  Actually, I think this will be a really great learning experience: 1) we as designers can learn the realities of building so we are more willing to work with builders’ requests, and 2) one of my biggest back-up career plans is to become a construction apprentice and work on-site building stuff.

Yesterday was my first shift at the vet clinic.  I wasn’t sure how it was going to go (it took a while to actually figure out when I would be working, and when my first shift would be).  But I think I’m going to really enjoy working there.  It’s a really busy clinic, so there’s almost always something to be done.  And since I get bored really easily, that’s perfect for me.  Plus I’m not just sitting behind a desk answering phones all day.  On the flip side though, my heart pretty much breaks every time I walk through the back and hear (or see) the sick/injured animals.  I’m not a very emotional person, but I do think I’m going to have to find the very thin balance between keeping my distance (for my own sanity) and being empathetic and caring (also for my own sanity, but mostly in order to comfort the patient’s family).

Yawn

My first day of class went really well.  I enjoyed myself…and learned a few new things.  So things are off to a good start in that sense.  However, I have already fallen back on my old procrastination habit.  I didn’t do my homework for tonight until 10pm.  And it only took 15 minutes.  It’s something for me to work on though.

Getting up early sucked.  But I was pretty awake by the time I made it to school, so I’m hoping that this trend will continue (or else improve) as the year progresses.

I’m getting the impression that I may not be able to fit blogging into my schedule as simply as thought.  Mainly because I actually have people to eat lunch with.  :-)  So for now it looks like it shall have to remain a part of my evening routine, as I plan on paying attention in class.

Tonight’s a short post; I apologize.  I really need to be getting to bed for around 10pm/10:30pm.  Not 11pm.  The more sleep the better, although I did have a nap after school today which was awesome.

This is the designer that made the dress I wore to the wedding.  I think they’re worth checking out – they use sustainable materials.

Ooo….The Excitement

So much to write about…I just don’t think I’ll get around to it all…tomorrow classes begin, and I’m getting up at 5:30am.  Which means I need to be getting to bed early!

I’ve finally got my “new” laptop (essentially on loan for 2 years from SAIT) set up.  It wasn’t necessarily a pleasant experience, but it had to be done.  On the bright side of things though, my dad once again offered to buy me a LCD monitor to use with the laptop instead of the old CRT I had.  This time I took him up on it.  So in the picture you can see the new laptop on the top left (the old laptop is underneath it), and my new monitor on the right.  :-)  I think I’m going to have to rearrange things again tomorrow though, both screens are just a bit too far away from where I sit, and I really don’t want to strain my eyes.  I’m really looking forward to using a 2-monitor set-up though – it’s working great right now, I’ve got Facebook on the laptop screen, and my blog writer on the LCD.

 

This weekend I went to Kicking Horse in Golden, BC with Jason.  His cousin’s wedding was on Saturday.  It was fun, although the ceremony and reception showed me that I want a completely non-traditional wedding when the time comes for me.  Luckily, Jason seems to agree.  Us and our best friends, and someplace warm and far away.  And that’s it.  No reception or anything.  Actually, I could probably handle a larger wedding if I had to, but the thought of a reception actually terrifies me.  I have absolutely no desire to be the centre of attention in front of that many people.  Ick.  I’ll have to get some pictures from someone else (I left my camera in the townhouse).

Originally, Jason and I were just going to drive out Saturday morning, and come back Sunday morning.  But we ended up staying till this morning, and went mountain biking yesterday.  AMAZING!  I had such a blast.  It was a great deal – $125 each for a lift ticket, bike, padding, helmet and glove rental, and then the damage insurance.  We went with Jason’s brother Tom, so he was able to help us find some good trails.  Although I felt a little guilty since Jason and Tom were just flying down the hill, and they kept having to stop and wait for me.  Especially the first run – the second run I figured out that the bike was actually more responsive when I let off the brakes and gained some speed.  Who would’ve thought?!

The only downside to that is when I crashed, I crashed pretty hard.  The first run I basically fell over sideways a couple of times when I hit some rocks.  But I landed on some soft moss-like plants, and had a quick giggle and was good to go.  Second run though, I missed a turn and went over a berm onto some chunky rocks.  I managed to go over my handlebars into the bushes though, so it wasn’t too bad overall.  A couple bruises on my legs, but the biggest one is definitely on my bum.  No scratches though.  My giggle-fest lasted a good minute or so though for that one.  Then I went down a pretty big drop, which went well, but then I ran head-on into a log, and I went over the handlebars again.  Oops. 

I was pretty sore last night – my right leg hurt every time I moved it.  But today I’m a bit better, the pain’s a lot more muted.  Hopefully tomorrow it will be even less.

Jason and I definitely want to go biking again now.  We’re thinking we’ll try to head out next year with a group of people.  Should be awesome.

Anyways, as much as I’d like to continue writing (especially since I’ve got anything but writer’s block right now), I really need to be heading to bed.  Tomorrow is going to come much too quickly.