Graduating Student Mess Dinner

If judging by the amount of work I have accomplished on my thesis, I can hardly say that I am/should be graduating this year. But on paper, I am suppose to. Well, I can, anyway. I think they give you up to five years to do a Masters degree. So on Thursday I made the 2 hour drive to Kingston to attend the Mess Dinner. There were about 70 people, a few of whom I kinda knew, but it was fun none the less. The food was fantastic, of course (well, come on, $50? It'd better be!). It was held in the Senior's Staff Mess, so needless to say, we were treated like royalty. I didn't have the proper mess kit, so I went in a gown. I haven't anything like it since the Rez Formal I organized in third year. Anyway, we had salad and soup and potato; plus chicken with unidentifiable yet scrumptious stuffing and little ball of potatoes. The grand finale though, was the chocolate mousse cake, which had the outline of a fork stenciled with chocolate powder on the side (you get what I mean, right?). The speech was mercifully short. The only variation beside uniform colour was the slade of brown hair, and tone of fair skin. All the young guys are engineers who got married after undergrad, on their way to 3.4 kids, and all the old guys are talking about 'the wife' and the growing up 5.2 kids + grandkids. I mean, they are not chauvinistic or anything. It is just that the military tend to attract a certain, pretty narrrowly defined type. Being back in Toronto this year, it is somewhat jarring to go to Kingston and actually be a visible minority. Anyway, they played all the marches of the regiments that were represented there, and I was the only one to stand for the Cadet Instructors Cadre, which was kinda cool. I could just see the other officers politely trying to suppress an incredulous smirk at our little circus ditty though. Heh!

I stayed over at my friend's house, and went to see my thesis advisor the next morning. I feel so unproductive and left out, seeing all the stuff that I am missing on campus. I so miss school. Also, I can't help but feel bad 'cuz I am getting no work to my prof. It's all up in my head - it just won't make its way down on paper. And it doesn't help that my notebook is still in repair, week trois now.

I filled out my bursary application today, and since it's online, it assigned me a student number and the program name shows up on it, even though I haven't been offered admission yet. But it just looked so good beside my name. If only wishing made it so.

Jan 23

Do you have a day that you keep remembering, no matter how much time has passed? You can recall that day with crystal clarity, and it means no less to you now, as it did then? A memory that will forever live in a rosy glass ornament on the happy tree? Jan 23rd is that day for me. Although I do feel a little silly for smiling everytime I recall it, 'cuz I'm sure that it doesn't mean anything special to him anymore. I think if I brought it up, he'd smile, but it won't be something he would remember spontaneously or independently without prompting. So I feel sorta like a hopeless romantic or a daydreaming schoolgirl for putting a smiley face on that day in my agenda.

But it makes me smile.

Hard to forget the day that resolved a big fight with your first love, even though he was just your best friend at the time. Hard to forget when he named his first music composition after it, and gave you the original score.

slacker blogger

I know it is not a requirement, and certainly not an obligation, but I like to use the frequency of my blogging as an indication of how 'together' I've got my life. And recently, it seems like I have all over the place. Of course, it's okay, I'm not freaking out about it or anything. It'd just be nice to be more disciplined about things, even things we do for pleasure.

My cousin, perhaps forgetting the fact that I work at a bookstore, brought me a Mitch Albom's "Five People You Meet in Heaven" for Christmas. I'd just finished reading Albom's "Tuesdays with Morrie" at work (during breaks, I was not slacking), so I was eager to read this one too. It is rare that I finish a book in one sitting, but "Heaven" is such a book. I wonder who would be my 'five people'.

In Good Company
Not as good as I had hoped. It was okay though, I guess. Umm, Topher Grace is cute (yeah, very extensive review, I know)

Golden Globes
I *love* award shows. Sadly though, 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' didn't win. Does this mean now I have to go check out 'Sideways'?

slushy, unseasonable warmth

It's been a strange couple of days. I think I should really quit my job and get serious with the thesis, but I also need the money to, well, live. I guess I'll wait 'til February. By then, if I'm still not getting anything done, then I'll have to make a decision.

My band started playing their competition music today, and miraculously, they sounded really, really good tonight. We are playing music from the Lord of the Rings. I am so excited about writing the freestyle sequence.

Had my second interview for the government job today. It was hard, but I think it went alright. Still, 2000 applications, 130 interviewed, for 32 positions? I think I have a better chance of getting into law school. Might be hearing from those soon too. Okay, I guess I'll just hold my breath for the next two months.

me Day!

I'm 23 today!

Give Generously

The Canadian Government will match your donations made before Jan 11th. Please give generously: CanadianRedCross

A Bright Beginning

I have always wanted to ring in the New Year at Nathan Philips' Square, and last night I actually got to do it. It was fantastic! Beautiful lights, friendly/happy people, and (most importantly), someone to kiss as you do the 'five, four, THREE, TWO, ONE!!"

Meeting the family was always going to be a crazy thing, and to put your significant other through that barely one week into the relationship is unthinkable. On the one hand I want my insane family to meet him so they can be happy for me, but on the other, I know that it was going to be quite an ordeal. Due to lack on planning on my part, the whole meet-the-family thing spontaneously imploded upon my date tonight. But it was okay. I just want to thank him for taking it so well. Dealing with my family is something I would never inflict upon another person if it can be helped at all.

All in all, an optimistic start for 2005!