I’ve been in Florida this past week, which is the lap of luxury. Warm weather, a pool, grandparents that spoil me rotten- I really can’t complain about anything.
It was an uneventful flight, made in good time, no real problem with customs beyond the usual demands to rebag my teeny carry on bottles of cosmetics. I sat next to an adorable little girl and her father, the scuba diving instructor and ex Israeli paratrooper (with pics!). The father tried to sell me scuba lessons, which I’m sure I’d enjoy if I wasn’t broke and a haphazard swimmer. I should have tried to sell him my babysitting services. Fair’s fair, and the wee pook was cute.
Florida itself is a world unlike mine. Instead of snow, there’s spanish most on the trees, long roads, huge big box stores and lush, fresh from the plant produce. Coming from seccular Canada, ‘Testa-mints’ and billboards adonishing me to go to church are exotic and cute. My grandparents aren’t explicitly aware I’m an atheist, which is awkward because it feels dishonest, but I think my grandfather is aware I’m leaning non-religious seeing the ‘heathan’ jokes. Of the pair, my grandfather seems more modern in his moral views, since mentioning my boyfriend sleeps over when the snow’s bad distresses my grandmother (oops!) but I get the reverse impression from my grandfather who keeps reminding me I’m an adult and get to do adult things.
He also tells me to be a radical to counter extremism. I’m a radical moderate-atheist-feminist. I’m not sure that’s what he meant, since my political pet issues involve protecting abortion, keeping religion out of law, and increassing female participation in politics. Not that I personally could get elected dog catcher, but I’d like to help other women achieve politically until the gender of a candidate becomes of as little importance as their eye colour.
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Happy romantic holiday, one and all. In light of this occasion I both bought myself french pastry and I’m baking bread. Actually the latter is because I would like to have something to eat. It’s a rather time consuming processthough. You mix up the bread, you let it rise, you punch n’knead, you form into loaves, let rise (again) and bake. I’m using the James Beard, idiot proof version, which I shall share. I made it work as an eight year old, so anyone can do this.
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Heart – by Phalene on Polyvore.com
If money were no object and I could buy all the clothes I wanted, I’d be wearing this outfit to a chocolate & fruit brunch with friends, where we would exchange homemade cards and small gifts wrapped in pink, white and red tissue. Or maybe If the thaw continues and meet a special gentleman for a muddy walk in the park.
Another midterm- It never ends. I’m pretty tired, and I’d like to have a bit more spacing between tests, but at least this one is slightly overlapping the first in material. Four chapters, and I’ve got about an hour and a half, plus an hour before. Le sigh… At least I studied plenty last night.
In another 10 minutes or so I’m off to an appointment with my peer mentor. I don’t think it’ll be very productive, as I’m tired and crabby, as well as having a bad hair day. I’m also not sure where my almight dayplanner is. I’m not having fun.
Rent is paid. The grip of winter is firmly on the country, but not uncomfortably so, like the large white hand of a parent on the tiny paw of a child. There will be snow up until the end of March, most likely, though the last few weeks will be slushy and boggy. Theoretically snow through April would not be freakish.
Valentine’s day, with its bright red warning colours, approaches. Mothboy IV put hands over ears and drowned me out with singing at the mere mention of the holiday, having told me last month that now power on earth could compell him to participate. I honestly don’t know any guy who doesn’t act like V-day is the annual castration festival. Perhaps I should be glad to be expared the expense, since I don’t believe in unilateral gifting (and surely I could have found something he’d like!), but I think I’ll just end up buying myself flowers and making a batch of heart shaped cookies or something.
Anyway, back to looking at pictures of the brain for my midterm. They look just like really fatty ham.
I’m very happy I get to go to Florida this spring break, to see the grandparents. I’m also off to Ottawa next week to fence in a tournament. I would have much rather done the ‘Women in House’ thing, a program that would have matched me with a politician to learn about how things work on the federal level, but I think I’m over booked. I content myself by saying that I can always try next year, which I hope I will.
On another front, my GPA is crap and I’m having trouble focusing -again-. This blog post is being typed up betwixt intermitent studying. After breakfast I have to settle down and read eight chapters of psychology. I want an A on each and I have two midterms in this subject, on Monday and on Tuesday, with a total of ten chapters to familiarize myself with. The topics are, thankfully, pretty familar, as they’re mostly focused on neural anatomy, my favourite subject, but I want to know this so I’m familar enough to make good grades.
I’m a trifle nervous about where I’m going with my studies. Can I get the marks for law school? I’m not sure, because while I’m intelligent enough (I suppose) my performance is sporadic. I’m also not a genius, which is humbling and reassuring, given those I know with such gifts, and I’m easily distracted. I’m also not sure if my lack of math is really screwing me from my true passion. I couldn’t give two hoots about the social side of psychology, but give me the physical stuff to mess with and I’m as happy as a pig in a clean wallow in a moderate but comfortable climate.