Riu Ocho Rios in 7 days!!!

This is a picture of the hotel that Barry and I will be staying at in Jamaica. We leave Toronto on January 7 and return on January 14. I'm so excited, I've never been to an all inclusive tropical resort before. The furthest I have been is Florida. Barry went to Cuba a few years ago and has been wanting to go south again ever since. Maybe once I'm done school we can make it a tradition to go somewhere every year. Once I start teaching I'll have March break again, and we can go then.

Here is a link to the hotel's website, it's a new resort, only about one year old and I'll let you all know whether or not it's good when I get back!!! http://www.riu.com/ochorios/index.htm##

New Classes Starting on Wednesday

I've taken six classes this term instead of five. I need one extra class, and I want to take it sooner than later. Classes start on Wednesday, but I only go on Wednesday and Thursday before I leave for Jamaica. I have Friday's off this term. Anyway, here are my classes:

ENGL 306A
Introduction to Linguistics
Introduction to linguistics and the principles of linguistic analysis through an examination of English phonology, forms, syntax, and discourse.

ENGL 315
Modern Canadian Literature
This course focuses on the varied ways in which 20th-century writers of poetry and prose participate in the shaping of Canadian literary culture, with emphasis on the literature of the middle decades.

ENGL 363
Shakespeare 2
A study of the plays written after 1599-1600, including Julius Caesar.

FINE 112
Modern Art, 1874-1945
A study of the culture of Europe and North America from 1874 (Impressionism) to 1945 (Nazi propaganda) with particular focus on the visual arts. Topics such as primitivism', Cubism, 'abstraction', artists' reactions to calamitous world events such as World War I, and various methodologies, including semiotic and Marxist analyses, will be explored through reading and writing assignments.

FR 152
Basic French 2
A continuation of the work done in FR 151.

HIST 254
Canadian History: The National Period
This course examines Confederation, the rise of political parties, Canadian external relations, western discontent, the impact of both world wars and political and economic changes in Canada since 1867.

Christmas Eve Bonfire

Thanks to Global Warming, we had a bonfire on Christmas Eve. Crazy.

It Pays to Blog!

This year I posted my Christmas list on my blog. Every year my mom asks me to make a list so she has an idea of what to buy for me. Well this year I got so much stuff from my list it was crazy! Even my aunt Debbie bought things for the stocking that one of her kids had. (Was that Nathaniel or Noah?) Anyway, combined with my birthday, here are all the things I got that I asked for. There was also a bunch of stuff I got that I didn't even ask for! It was a great Christmas!
~a kitten
~luggage
~garbage cans
~slow cooker
~garage door opener
~sewing machine
~martini glasses
~aveeno daily moisturizer
~lovely perfume
~camera case
~Dove pink nutrium soap
~Dove deodorant
~School supplies
~Jewelry (not earrings)
~Socks
~Sims 2 expansion packs
~Glass fruit bowl
~King sized bed spread
~New pillows (Beauty Rest)
~Father of the Bride
~Friends Season 3,4,6

Thanks everyone for a great Christmas!!!

The Pressure of Blogging

So I sent an email out to my family, telling them about my blog so they could keep up with my life. Unfortunately, no one commented on my blog so I had no idea that anyone was reading it. Hmm. Apparently, I have not been keeping my end of the bargain because I haven't updated my blog since November 23. Now I admit that is a long time to go without an update, but I didn't think there was anyone to update for!!! I will try to do better from now on. I'll begin working on a Christmas post right now. ;) NOW THERE WILL BE TWO POSTS IN ONE DAY!

Video of Poe!

I have been trying to figure out how to put a video on here, and I finally did! I'm so excited! Now I can put my kitty on here and you can all see her in action!

Pictures of Poe

POE

Originally we had thought of naming our new kitten PUMA, but we may have changed our mind to POE. She is a tortie, and apparently Edgar Allan Poe had a tortie cat whom he adored. Also, Poe is the name of the ghost on Zelda (video game) and Barry liked that aspect. There is the problem of the teletubbie named Poe, but of all the teletubbies, I think she was the best anyway. Who knew it would be so hard to name a cat? I can't imagine what I'm going to go through when I have children. I guess I'd better start thinking of names right now!

Our new Kitty!!!

Today we went and got a new kitten when we were in London for my birthday dinner. We don't have a name for her yet, but we took these pictures. Isn't she cute?

Marcia's Christmas List 2006

~ wire cooling rack ~ garbage cans ~ flour sifter ~ mixer ~ slow cooker ~ garage door opener
~ sewing machine ~ ikea desk ~ kodak printer dock ~ martini glasses ~ aveeno daily moisturizer ~ aveeno christmas gift package ~ clinique happy perfume ~ lovely perfume ~ camera case

~ new digital camera SLR ~ Scrapbooking materials ~ Ipod or mp3 player ~ (Satellite radio) ~ Dove pink nutrium soap ~ Dove deodorant ~ Gift certificates to spa ~ Dove hairspray ~ Hairstyling gift certificates ~ A laptop ~ School supplies ~ Flower pots ~ Gardening accessories ~ UW sweatshirt ~ Jewelry (not earrings) ~ Socks ~ New backpack (UW) ~ Frame for Middle Earth map ~ Sims 2 expansion packs ~ Arwen Barbie ~ Glass fruit bowl ~ Sparta berry candles refills ~ King sized bed spread ~ King sized flat sheet ~ Matching queen fitted sheet ~ New pillows (Beauty Rest) ~ CDRWs ~ CD label maker software ~ Black leather computer chair with massage ~ Photo paper for printer

Movies
***Sex and the city collection*** ~ Father of the Bride ~ Anne of Green Gables Collection ~ Gone with the Wind ~ Sound of Music ~ Wizard of Oz ~ Fox and the Hound ~ Bambi ~ Dumbo
~ Pirates of the Caribbean 2 ~ The Sword in the Stone ~ Little Mermaid 2 Disc Special Edition ~ Lord of the Rings The Two Towers Extended Edition Giftpack (with Gollum) @ Walmart ($26!)
~ Friends Season 6 7 9

Books - Hardcover is best

~ "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey ~ "Confessions of a Shopaholic" by Sophie Kinsella, and any other Sophie Kinsella books ~ "Mousekin's Golden House" by Edna Miller ~ "My Little Sister Ate One Hare" by Bill Grossman (hardcover) ~ "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold ~ "The Emperor's Children" by Claire Messud

Oktoberfest 2006

Yikes! I haven't posted anything in so long!
Oktoberfest was super fun. Here are some pictures!

SETTLERS OF CATAN NIGHT

Danny, Barry and I have been trying to start a tradition of playing our favorite game: Settlers of Catan for a while now. The original proposal was to play on Monday nights. But the game is so involved and we have such busy lives, it hasn't always been happening.

But tonight, since Danny was staying in town for Oktoberfest, we played a great game, and Danny won!

It is difficult to understand how addicted we are to this game (unless you are one of us - you know who you are!) Barry and I first played it on New Years Eve 2005 with our good friends Mark and Nancy. Since they discovered it, Mark and Nancy have slowly been introducing the game to each of their friends, and we have been doing the same. We now have a rather large network of "Settlers". In fact, most of the time when we are all together, we can't play because we don't have all the expansion packs!

Recently we also discovered that the game can be played online. JACKPOT!!! First it was just Barry and I playing, Danny refused to succumb to the temptation. But now he plays too, and he even watches Barry play while he plays! It's crazy.

Maybe this is a cry for help. We have a problem, and admitting it is the first step. If you would like to help us with our problem, go to this website:
http://games.asobrain.com/

My Nephew - who will be arriving in February - Congrats Amy, Tyler and Taylor!

I'm so excited, I just found out that Amy is having a boy! Now I will have a nephew, and my parents will have a grandson!

My cousin Peter must be happy, he's been waiting for another boy to come since he was born!

Amy and Tyler have pretty much settled on the name "JOHN" for their new baby boy, after Papa. I think that is awesome, and I think Papa really liked the idea too.

Maybe I can get a copy of the ultrasound picture to post on here.

just a note...

I changed the settings on here, so now anyone can comment, you don't have to sign up! ;)

Chaucer

Some of you may have heard me talk about the latest subject in my British Literature class: Chaucer. We began the class with Chaucer and we will be continuing with it until October 11, when our mid term is all Chaucer.

What is so interesting about this type of English is that it is very different from the English we speak now. Chaucer lived from 1340 - 1400. When I have told people how difficult Chaucer is, some have asked: "Is it like Shakespeare?"
No. Shakespeare's time was over 164 years AFTER Chaucer. Although Shakespeare may be hard to interpret at times, Chaucer's poems are written in a whole other language!

In order for you to get an idea, Here is a section of Chaucer's famous Canterbury Tales, the General Prologue (which is only an introduction to a huge work):
Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halve cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open ye
(So priketh hem Nature in hir corages);
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
And specially from every shires ende
Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke,
That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.

(General Prologue: lines 1 - 18)

I tried to upload an audio clip of this passage, but it wouldn't work. If you are curious however, you can click on the link below and it will take you to an audio page where you can listen.

http://www.unc.edu/depts/chaucer/zatta/prol.html

My Nieces

Right now I'm supposed to be reading my text book for Sociology, so I thought I would procrastinate and write a quick blog about my nieces, Kacee and Taylor.

I went to London on Sunday to visit and go to the fair with my sister Amy and her daughter, Taylor who will be two on October 2nd. I was a little disappointed that I wouldn't be able to see Kacee as well, since my brother didn't have her this past weekend. But when we got to the fair, we ran into her and her mom!

It was great, I got to see both Kacee and Taylor! Kacee was SO happy to see us, and gave me a big hug right away. When we left, she was quite upset and cried a lot. It's hard to have to say goodbye to her after a short visit like that, she doesn't understand.

The fair was fun, but Taylor didn't want to have anything to do with it. On the way there she was excited to see the chickens (we were worried that there wouldn't even be any chickens there!) but when we got to the chickens, she didn't want to see them. In fact, she didn't want to see anything! Every time we asked her something, like: "Do you want to see the cows? Do you want to go on that ride?" she would get very angry and say: "NO!"

Of course, after we left the fair, she asked: "chickens?"

When I told her that she had already seen the chickens, she seemed disappointed, and asked to see them again.

The only thing she seemed to like was the chicks that we saw, I think because we expained to her that they were "baby chickens" and they were tiny tiny tiny. Also, her mom is going to have a baby, so she can somewhat identify with that.

However, I think she is going to be somewhat disappointed when Mommy has a human baby, and not a dinosaur, which would be Taylor's preference.

LEONS...

Well, Barry and I have been waiting for over a month for our back ordered dinette set from Leons to be delivered, and today it finally arrived.... in pieces. One table and eight chairs to assemble from basically nothing.

Based on our recent experiences with Leons, I would have to say that we are not highly recommending the store to our friends. When our bedroom set was delivered, the dresser was damaged, one of the nightstands was falling apart, and the bench had been the victim of a tragic fork lift accident. As can be expected, Leons replaced the furniture that was broken (after one month of waiting) and gave us a slight discount on the dresser.

I guess our motivation for shopping at Leons was the prices they offer. We figured it was cheaper, and that was good. But after hours of assembling questionable and often broken furniture, I think we have decided that spending the extra money is definately worth it!

My Life List

Over the past few years I have become quite an Ellen Degeneres fan, and I very rarely miss her show. This season, she has begun talking about "Life Lists" and encouraging her audience to submit theirs. I did! Here it is:

1. Finish University and become a teacher
2. Become a published children's author
3. Get involved with a charity
4. Play the clarinet in a band
5. Watch every Oscar nominated film BEFORE the Academy Awards just once!
6. Go to Europe
7. Get married and have a family
8. Organize a film festival
9. Throw an Oscar party
10. Be part of the red carpet crowd at the Oscars
11. Look great in a bikini
12. Become a photographer

(*I'll be adding more things to the list as I think of them, but that's it for now!*)

New items: September 14/06

13. Be a good listener
14. Be a good friend
15. Be a good girlfriend

New items: September 15/06

16. Learn how to use tools properly to build stuff (or at least assemble stuff better)
17. Create a work of art
18. Conquer my fear of bees/hornets/wasps
19. Keep in touch with old friends
20. Maintain an accurate budget all the time!

First blog - first day of school

Okay, it's not really my first day of school, but tomorrow is the first day of the fall term. I've been going to school full time since January, but I have not experienced the fall back to school rush since I was in college in 1998. It's a little scary, but really really exciting! I went to the bookstore on Saturday to get all my books for the term, and almost $600 later, I walked out with 10 books. As I was looking through some of them, I was wondering how hard this term is going to be.

First of all, I'm taking French (YIKES!) which I actually failed in Grade 10. But if I want to be enrolled as a Rhetoric and Professional Writing student, I need two language credits. But as I was looking through one of my English books, I found this:

"Oft him an-haga are gebided"

WTF?

Maybe I have more than one language to learn this term!