I'm Finally Back!

I'm back! I'm sorry for the unscheduled absence. I really needed to focus all my writing ability into school this semester. I decided to be stupid and take four courses. Including a forth year poetry class. I have run out of words to put into a poetic form. So I'm just going to ramble.

First off, my new job has been great. After the first couple weeks, I was really able to relax. I'm getting the hang of everything. Still not as comfortable as at Starbucks, but I know that'll come with time. I'm still kind of scared of messing up, but much less than before. I'm also no longer the bottom of the totem pole. There are two people below me now, one of which I think is just seasonal. And the person hired before me is basically on the same level as me when it comes to knowledge now. So I'm getting really comfortable with helping them out. I no longer feel like I should be the one asking question.

I still don't have a name tag though. I think they forgot... I should probably say something...

Anyway, Christmas is coming up soon too! I get to listen to Christmas music about five days a week at work, so I'm really getting into the spirit. Half my shopping is done, and the other half I have plans for.

But mostly I just can't wait to relax. I only had one final, and all my school projects are in, so I have nothing left for school is semester. I can stop worrying. It kind of feels weird...

I did it!

School is killing me. I'm starting to regret taking four courses. It sounded fine. Until I remembered the five hours of commuting...

But this isn't going to be a rant about school. In fact, I came back from my little break to announce that I put my two week notice into work today! I got a new job working at a games store in my area. I'm really excited, because I've been a regular there for about a year now, and I've gotten to know the people and the environment. Not to mention it'll be a breath of fresh air. I'll admit, I'm nervous, and I've had my hesitations. I know what I'm doing at Starbucks, and I know I won't mess up, or if I do, I know how to fix it. I'm nervous to be the new person again, and to not know what I'm doing. But that's the fun of it, right? I'm a fast learner, so I'm sure I'll pick it up quickly. It'll be different from my previous jobs, where I've been in food service. But if anything, I think it'll be easier transitioning from food service to retail. At least now my hands won't dry out from dunking them in sanitizer every five minutes. And I get to wear nail polish! Okay, all hesitations are over. Any problems that come up will be worth it.

It's Just Not Fair

Ugh. I hate being a woman. Nothing ever goes right. If anyone has been following this blog for a while, they'll know that I can get really bad cramps. I finally admitted that I had to do something about them when school started, so I started taking birth control. I was told, by everyone I talked to, that I would have no more cramps. They would just magically vanish. I would still get my period, but it would be scheduled, and short. No pain.

And of course, there's pain. Just as bad, if not worse, than my regular cramps. The only thing that has changed, is that now my period is early. Yay. It's not fair. I have so much homework, I have a round trip of about five hours three days a week for school. I have work sixteen to twenty four hours a week. The absolute last thing I need right now is to be in so much pain that all I want to do is curl up next to the toilet and throw up.

And that's how my day has been going. Back to homework!

Friends!

Another school year has begun. I'm already done with it. I was looking forward to school starting, but for some stupid reason, I decided to wear high heeled boots today. I have a two and a half hour commute to school. My feet were killing me by the time I got home. Never again... But I'll probably end up forgetting the pain in a few months, and decide that it's a good idea. At least they're cute...

I had my creative non fiction class today, and it ends up, I'm the only one, other than the teacher, with experience in this subject! Yay, plus one for me! Now I just need to come up with enough material to write about. At least my life has become a little more interesting within the last few years.

The homework has been piling on though, and I've only had two days of classes. I have tomorrow completely off from school and work, so I'll be working on as much homework as I can. I'm also supposed to be going in to try and get a drop in appointment for a driving test. I secretly hope there won't be any. Those tests just keep getting more and more stressful. They should be easier, but the more I fail, the worse I think my driving is. I know it's not getting worse, but that's the only explanation I have for failing so many times.

On a happier note, I actually have a friend in one of my classes! And I don't just mean someone I talk to from time to time in one class. We actually went to elementary school together, all the way up to graduating from high school. We live in the same neighbourhood, so we can bus all the way back together. It's weird, that somehow we both ended up in a school several cities away, a rather obscure and small school that most people can't remember the name of. And that we ended up in the same class, even though she had been going there longer than me. Happy coincidence, I suppose. At least now I don't have to bus home alone when it starts getting dark out earlier.

I'm Sorry!

I'm really sorry for the impromptu break. I always intended to come back and type up a quick post, but when I finally got around to it, I never seemed to have anything to say. Nothing to fill up a whole post, at least. I think a month away from has been good. It's allowed me time to build up for an update.

Although, not much has happened in this time. I stepped down as manager at work, since the original manager came back from her leave of absence. It has been... Trying. I was hoping she would let me keep running things, or at least help out for a bit, but she's just the same as before. I had to show her how to do a few things, as she had forgotten, but then she wouldn't let me do them. She took hours to finish simple tasks, and I'm convinced she does it on purpose, because she doesn't want to work in the kiosk. I know I've said it many times before, I just don't know what to do about it. I don't think there is anything to do. If she's just slow or incompetent, there's nothing we can do. If she's deliberately taking her time just so that she could sit in the back on a computer for longer, I can't prove anything.

When I had to show her how to set up for inventory, and how to do it to make it much easier (So that she doesn't have to start work at 3:30 in the morning to do everything), she was ignoring me, checking e-mails and doing everything that I had already done. She re-printed out everything, and tried to show me the new updates. I still don't think she knows what she's doing for inventory, but at least she's doing something. I can finally sit back and relax. If everything goes to shit, I can just shrug and say it wasn't my fault. Everyone already knows that my manager doesn't let me do much to help out, so even if they blame me for not doing anything to fix any problems, well, I can just blame her again, but I have tried. I ran that place for thee and a half months with only a years experience as assistant, and I did it better than she has done with five years of managerial experience.

But school has started again, and I'm going to be working my butt off with four classes; one second year, two third years and one fourth year. I'm nearing the end! And I'm really hoping by the time I finish, I'll have a job I enjoy more. I'm still working on it. A new bookstore opened up in the mall near my house, so I'm going to apply there.

I also just got back from a mini vacation with my boyfriend, so I'm all nice and relaxed. I wish I could relax for a few more days, but I know that would just turn into a few more days, and a few more, until I spend every day sitting in bed or on the sofa watching TV and browsing the internet. No matter how nice that sounds, I guess I should continue with my life. Back to reality!

This Driving Thing is Not For Me

Nope, third time is definitely not the charm. Of course, it would have been, but my tester didn't ding me for every tiny little mistake. Like apparently not turning my wheels in the right direction when preparing to make a turn. I'm turning. Of course my wheels will be in the right direction when I make the turn!

So I'm annoyed. Very annoyed. Apparently I did great this time around. No dangerous incidences, no rule violations. Nothing that would actually fail me. Except the five times I didn't do a shoulder check over my right shoulder, and the two times I didn't do a 360. Oh, and not being perfectly spaced in my back up parking job. Even though it was a beautiful parking job.

At some point, you have to just blame the tester. The first two tests, my failure was definitely my fault. I know what I did wrong, and I agreed. I made efforts to correct thought failures, and I did them perfectly this time around. And still failed.

For perspective, I'm driving a standard, and it's pouring with rain for the first time in a few weeks. The roads are a little slippery, but not too bad. At one point, I was on a shallow hill (think a bully run on a ski slope), and because there was a car behind me, I put on a bit more gas than I usually would so that I would not hit the car. Unfortunately, because of the rain and the wet roads, I just burn out a bit. I got going, no skidding, no hazards, no hitting people. Everything was fine. No one was in danger, and no one should ever be in danger just because I burned out a bit. But of course, I get dinged. Because it's not perfect.

I would like to see every driver have to go in and take their full license road test again every ten years. That would definitely weed out the actually dangerous and stupid people. Not the poor souls who don't look over their shoulder a few times, and who burn out a couple times. Even as I was taking the test, there were two people who didn't use their signal. And not even for minor things. I was sitting at an intersection, waiting to turn left because there was a car sitting across from me. He had no signal on, so I assumed he was going straight. Nope. He turned left. And I wouldn't be surprised if I got dinged for waiting too long at the light.

And then at the end, when the tester was telling me what I did wrong, she actually said I was going too slow in a residential area. Okay, I understand, if the road is clear and there's not really a risk of kids running out, or hidden driveways, I can go a bit faster. But she actually said that I should go 40, and judge for myself when I can go faster or slower in a residential area. Bear in mind, the roads were slick, and the particular road I was on when she asked me the speed limit was small, with cars on both sides, on a hill with patchwork paving. It was not a safe road, and not one I would feel comfortable going 50kph on, even with perfect conditions.

During the test I did a decent parallel park. I had to restart and do it again when I couldn't the first time. I made sure to always check over my shoulder, and in all my mirrors before I pulled out or backed up.

When I did just the plain backing up part, I looked around, and carefully backed up. There was a car poking out of a driveway that was in my way, and even though she didn't tell me to stop, I did. I was aware that there was something there.

When she asked me to pull over and open my door, I shoulder checked, and looked in my mirror to make sure that no one was coming, then opened my door.

I used all my signals, though I may have forgotten to turn it back on when I had to correct my parallel parking job.

In other words, I did all the most important things near perfectly. But I guess they have to meet their 'fail' quota for the day, and I was just one of the unlucky ones this time.

At this point, I've stopped caring. I hate driving. I have since I first opened the book to study for my L test. I will never be the type of person that likes to drive. It will never relax me, and I will never willingly drive a long road trip unless the destination is worth it. If it wasn't expected of me, and if our transit system wasn't so bad, I would be more than happy to never get behind the wheel of a car again.

I'm not normally the person to just give up, and I'm not in this case either. I will very grudgingly continue to drive, just because I have to.

Third Time

I have my third N test tomorrow. I'm really hoping the saying 'third times the charge' will work out for me. I practiced my parallel parking yesterday, so hopefully that'll go better. I think I should be fine... Maybe. There'll always be things that can mess me up, I just have to hope that those things don't pop up tomorrow. What I'm most concerned about are playground zones. Now that school is out, I'm not completely sure what are playground zones, and what are just school zones. And now they've thrown summer school into the mix, but that might be over by now, but I'm not sure. There was summer school at the school near my house, but it seems to be over now, but I'm not sure if that's the case for all schools, or if they're scattering the days that there's summer school.

Okay, maybe I'm just a little nervous. I guess I just have to go, feel confident, and hope I get a nice tester.

Time to Move on

Once again, sorry for the lack of updates. Nothing much has been happening, so I have to collect all the happenings before I can report anything.

First things first, school seems to be back on track, mostly. Just one more little bump to get over, which I will hopefully be able to do by the end of this week. If that's the case, I'll be taking four classes this semester.

And with four class, that means less work. It's been confirmed that my manager is definitely coming back. Most of my coworkers don't seem too happy about this, but at least this means that I'll get a bit of a rest between her coming back and school starting. Even if she didn't come back, we would have had to find a new manager by September, so I was never really worried. I'm just looking forward to taking a small vacation soon.

And when she does come back, I'm going to start looking for another job. I know I should be happy that I have such a well paying one right now, with a good position and a bit of power. However, I don't like coffee. I never have, and it's becoming clear after two and a half years, that I will probably never like coffee. Although I can make the drinks like the Flash on steroids, and I can deal with just about everything else, I have very little passion for the drinks we serve. When a customer asks for my opinion on a drink, or has questions about our different coffee roasts, I answer the best I can, but it's still just a guess, and the customer isn't getting the service they need. I am trying, I swear! I've read all the information on all our coffees, several times, but it's like math; in one ear, out the other. I think at this point I need to start aiming toward something I actually enjoy selling, something I can actually get passionate about, and talk about with enthusiasm with customers.

I'm going to work in a liquor store.

(I don't drink, and I hate the taste of just about all alcohol)

Red as a Cherry

It has been a very hectic and tiring week. And it was awesome. I can't remember if I mentioned it, but I went to Slide the City on Saturday. The even near me was sold out, so my friend and I went to one about three to four hours away. It was a beautiful drive there, since it was over cast and not too hot. The place that we went is basically a desert, so I was expecting unbearable heat. As it was, until about four or so, it was chilly when the wind picked up. Although, I was standing in a massive line up wearing a bathing suit for several hours, so apparently it was a comfortable enough temperature.

We arrived around 11:30, and got to the slide around noon. We didn't actually get to the top of the slide until close to 2. We were waiting in line for nearly two hours. It was in this time that I got a sunburn. Apparently spray sunscreen is not what we should have been using. You can't see where it goes on, and it doesn't really spray in a cone, like I expected. So I have a random pale spot on my chest where the sunscreen actually went on, and the rest is cherry red. My back and shoulders got hit pretty badly too. It's at the phase where it's itchy, but still a little too painful to itch, especially on my shoulders. I think in a few more days it'll start to feel better, when it starts to peel. For now, I'll just keep applying aloe vera three times a day...

So we got there on Saturday, and left on Sunday afternoon. Another three and a half hours home, then a couple hours to rest, and we were off to a bar for our friend's birthday. After the bar we went back to my boyfriend's house for an after party. Everyone really wanted to play Cards Against Humanity, but we ended up playing beer pong for a couple hours... beer pong takes forever...

Three days off of work, and it was actually more relaxing to be at work today, other than my work shirt irritating me burns. Still, I had a lot of fun, it was just tiring. Now I can't wait for a nice day off of work, with no socializing, no travelling, and certainly no going outside.

School Troubles. Again.

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I've been busy with work, and with not much to say. I do, however, have a massive rant today! And guess what, it's about registering for classes. Again.

I don't know what is wrong with Kwantlen. But every time I try to register for classes with them, something is wrong. This time, it doesn't seem to be registering any of my transferred credits from my previous college. That means I can't even get into a second year English course. The only pre-recs I need for any second level English course is two first year courses. I have four now, but only one is from Kwantlen. I've been able to get into a third year English course before at Kwantlen, so I know this is a recent problem.

But I'm not too concerned about English. I can take those courses whenever. It's the problems with my Creative Writing courses that will set me back another year if I don't get them solved soon. I talked to an academic adviser about a month ago. We went through everything together. I contacted the people I needed to, and she e-mailed the people she needed to. And once again, they let me down. I'm able to get into a forth level Poetry class because the one person I had to contact pulled through for me. Everything went smoothly for that.

But apparently the person my adviser contacted (and she did, I was there to watch it), didn't pull through. In fact, they seemed to mess something up. Because now apparently I have no credits from my last college. Even though I'm looking at them right now...

So I have a headache. I hate registering for classes. This system is horrible. And I have no faith that it will ever get better. Or maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm jinxed and every time I try to register, something just has to go wrong. That must be it. If everyone was having this much trouble, then I'm sure they would have fixed it by now.


Right?

Okay, probably not. No faith. None at all. Stupid system.


UPDATE: I was able to get into one of the third year courses I wanted. Now I'm even more confused. So the block transfer went through, but only for one class? I still can't get into the second year English courses though... I really hope someone actually replies to my e-mails. This is just so messed up.

Surprise!

For the second time in my life, I have planned a surprise party. And this one went off much better than the first one. I guess being manager does help with my organization skills. I guess have more friends, and reliable friends, also helps.

My boyfriend's birthday was on Wednesday last week, but since he was working until Sunday, we didn't get to do anything. He also hasn't had a birthday party in years. So now that he has a girlfriend, I decided that he needs to. At least for the first birthday that we're together. Everyone was more than happy to come, even help out if needed. Even his mom was in on it. She was there to open the door and help with the cleaning for a bit. One of his best friends was able to distract him to make sure everyone was there before him. When he showed up, he was definitely surprised. I was half expecting him to have found out somehow.

Other than a few balloons and sparklers, it was just a regular party for us. Some video games, pizza, and lots of alcohol. I never thought I would actually be part of a party with alcohol. At least it's a small group of friends, and no drama. Even with a few blips, some spilled drinks and a bit of broken glass, everything went great. He actually enjoyed himself, despite it being a birthday party. Maybe he'll even be willing to have one next year.

And now onto the next birthday party. Only two more to go. And Canada Day... July hasn't even started yet. So social...

Sick Again

I'm sick. Again. It seems like I'm the only one that ever gets sick at Starbucks anymore. Which is good for everyone else, but really annoying for me. The biggest problem right now is that we're trying to train the new people, so I have to be at work. Not to mention it's Inventory this weekend, so I have to be there for that, and for two days after it. It's going to be a very long week...

On the plus side, my boyfriend loved the shirt I made for him for his birthday. We were even able to hang out for his birthday before I get really sick. Unfortunately, there is a chance that he'll get sick now too... Oh well, I warned him.

I also went in for a drop in appointment for a driving test. I got in. But I failed again. This time was just because I couldn't do a parallel park. I could blame it on being sick, but I only had a sore throat then, and it wasn't too distracting. The spot I was told to park in was pretty bad, mainly because it sloped down next the curb, so the car would keep going faster than I intended. I guess I also haven't practiced for a while. So before the next test, I'll need to do some more parking. My backing up job was perfect though! And it as in a spot where there were no cars on either side, which I find it much harder to do, because I can't see the lines very well. I was pretty proud of that, and even took a picture to prove it.

Dentist...

How do people work five day weeks? It was such a relief to get off work after just four days straight. Of course, I was on my feet for the majority of all those shifts. At least I'll get a good nights sleep tonight. Then off to the dentist tomorrow... For some reason that feels worse than work. I hate the dentist. My teeth hate the dentist. My teeth hate me. I think my teeth just hate everything. I buy them the best toothpaste, the best mouthwash, and floss. And they still have cavities every time I go... So I've been putting it off for a while now...

But I'll get through it, and the inevitable cavities that'll follow. Then onto birthday parties galore! And inventory... But I'll think about that later. For now, I'm just going to relax.

I Guess Summer Isn't That Bad

I'm done with summer. Can it be fall yet? I like fall. Less heat, less sun, less bugs, less work. More school, but I can handle that.

Although, June has been fun so far, and it looks like July will be pretty good too. I have four birthdays within a few weeks, and Canada day. Lots of time with friends! Even the cost of presents hasn't been an issue this year. 

Once again I'm considering making shirts. I've been doing them a lot more lately, as presents for people. They're getting more intricate and detailed. The most recent one even has two colours. The next one I'm planning might even have three, and need multiple stencils. I'm pretty excited for the end results. And after the stencils are made, the rest of the work is pretty easy. I guess I should look into an etsy shop or something....

Strange Empire Review

I've recently gotten into a new show on Netflix, called Strange Empire. I don't normally care for the kind of 'cowboy vs. indian' style show, but this one is actually very good.

The basic premise of the show is that travelers are ambushed by 'indians', and all the men killed. This forces the women to accept help from a seedy man that had previous been burned by them. The acting is great, and the characters' personalities are both unique and perfect for the show.

I would recommend this for an adult audience though. The setting is Jamestown, where a whore house has been set up. While the plot doesn't revolve around this, it is one of the more base structures of it. The plot is more character based, which is what I enjoy.

Overall, it's a good show that does not rely on sketchy setting or nature problems, but rather on human problems. There's no fantasy or sci-fi, and is very much on the realistic side. Just a warning, there is adult scenes, including violence and partial nudity.

Summer Update

I know I've said it before, but I think I'm finally getting the hang of this manager thing. I was finally able to meet with the new district manager today, and she seemed to like me. I hope... Either way, it went fairly well. Minimal changes, and just a few small things to work on. Now I just need to keep going with all this...

And tomorrow I have a meeting with an academic adviser. Hopefully it goes better than my last one. Though really my last one messed up so badly, I don't think anyone could mess my schooling up any further. But we'll see...

Disappointed, but Hopeful

I was hoping to post some good news, but it looks like that might have to wait a few more weeks. I failed my N test. It still makes me cringe to think of that. It makes my head hurt and my mind start punching itself. It makes me want to hide in a room and ignore everyone. For anyone that knows me, they will understand how much it means when I say that I cried.

I don't fail. Not with important stuff. That's not to say that I'm an over achiever. I'm one of those lucky people that can kind of coast by with minimal practice or studying. I do fairly well with school and work. When it comes to crunch time, I will hate myself, but I can normally keep calm enough to get through everything.

I stalled my car before I even got out of the parking lot. I forgot to take the emergency brake off. Luckily, my tester seemed pretty easy going. If I had not made one major mistake, I would have passed, despite occasionally forgetting my signal, or to shoulder check. The really embarrassing part, is that this is the exact same mistake my sister made.

I was near the end, driving through back streets. These back streets are weird. It'll be a complete through road, until one intersection, where there will be a stop sign. This wasn't the problem. I knew there was a stop sign there, so I stopped. I looked left, right, left again. I didn't easy forward though, and there were trees blocking part of my view to my right. So I went.

And this is where that easy luck failed me. Normally luck corrects my mistakes, but I think by this point I had used it all up. Well, most of it. I didn't get hit, I didn't even scratch my car, or any car! However, there was a car on the through road that put me into a dangerous situation. Had it been going faster, I would have been hit.

At the end of the test, the tester told me that he was impressed with my gear shifting, which was probably the most surprising to me. I made sure that I never shifted gears in an intersection or while turning. The car sounded horrible. But I guess he's probably heard and seen worse.

What I am most proud of is my backing in. From my previous posts, everyone should know that this is what I was most worried about. When we got back to the parking lot, there were very few spots available. I picked one right next to a large van, because the only other ones were either too close to the entrance, or they were in the corner, where I couldn't get into. Even worse, the owners of the truck were sitting inside it, watching as I was backing up right next to them. I actually managed to pull in, with minimal correcting, and with no contact with other cars (or people). It was straight, if a little tight. I blame that on the fact that I was parking right next to a massive truck though, which was really close to the line. I really with I had thought to take a picture, to prove that I did it.

So after my hour or so of self loathing and wallowing in my pit of pity, I think I can finally come to terms with this. Driving is not my strong suit. I don't like driving. It's not something I can be proud of. I know a lot of people believed that I could do it, but I learned years ago to never trust people in this way. The nature of friends is to comfort and support. Even if they had an inkling of doubt, they would never say it. And I'm okay with this. I don't feel like I let anyone down except myself. And I know that my friends will still continue to comfort and support me.

Next time guys! I swear. I can only get better from here.

Unreliability is Just the Worst

I hate unreliable people. I really, really hate them. It's not too bad when it's something casual, like hanging out with friends, but when it comes to work... Please, anyone trying to get a job, or even has a job, you will be everyone's best friend at work is you actually show up for the shifts you're scheduled for. You'll even be liked if you call a week ahead for a day you can't work. But two days before a shift that can't be filled? Big no! Especially if your poor manager is dealing with inventory and a driving test at the same time!

And rant over. On another note, I'm still freaking out about my driving test. I've talked to a bunch of people, and they all said pretty much the same thing; shoulder check, stay at a consistent speed, watch out for playground zones, and be careful when the tester asks you to pull over for a hazard check. Oh, and don't freak out... Still, I'm feeling a bit better. I'm still horrible at backing up, but I've never actually done it with cars on either side of the spot. I think it might be a bit easier, because I'll have something to tell if I'm straight or not. For now, my dad just stands where the edge of the car would be, but he's just a point, not a line, so I can't tell if I'm straight in the spot. However, I can barely see anything out of the back of my car, because the windows are small and I'm kind of short (well, average height, but the car is big.) So I'm kind of nervous that I won't be able to see the car I'm parking next to until after I have to turn. And of course, the car I'm driving on seems to have a horrible turning radius. I'm not sure if it's normal, but when I crank the wheel, it only goes around once before stopping. This doesn't seem like much, and the car makes a wide turn. 

But we'll see how it goes. At least I'm more confident about inventory at work. I was given a walk through, and I've been promised help if I need any, so I think I can do this. It's just going to be a very long week, especially if I have to fill in for someone who is the cause of the above rant... 

Adulthood

My driving test is coming up in a week, and I'm kind of freaking out. How do people learn to park! Why do people back into parking spots? You're just making it a requirement for us to do so! And I've done barely any practicing, because I hate driving and I'm trying to avoid it like the plague, but I have to grow up and be an adult.

Being an adult is hard. Can I just go back to being a kid now?

"We'll Break His Legs!"

I made a new shirt! And by made, I mean I bought a shirt from Value Village and painted on it.

I made one for my boyfriend for Christmas, and it turned out great. The next two I made after that were only okay, but the most recent one turned out amazing. So well, in fact, that it received a great response on Reddit, and now apparently I'm tagged as the "real life Nora Valkyrie."

For any RWBY fans out there, it's a Nora shirt. On one side, it says "We'll Break His Legs!" For non-RWBY fans, it's a scene from the show where Nora offers her suggestion to break a bullies legs after she finds out that her friend is being bullied.

The shirt had such a great response that I'm considering making more and trying to sell them on etsy. Of course, I have to check about copyright and everything, not to mention I have to consider the responsibility. It takes about half an hour to make one shirt, and a few more hours for it to dry. In addition, I would have to buy the shirt and paint, and pay for the shipping costs. I've wanted to try my hand at selling nerd shirts for a while, but it might be harder than I actually thought.

But hey, maybe if I have some time, and people really want it, I'll give it a shot. It'll be a pretty good way to earn some extra money.

Manager Update

Update on the promotion!

I don't think this'll be too bad. I know most of this, and most of the stuff I know is what I have to do weekly. Once I can finally chat with the district manager and merchandiser, I think I'll have everything under control.

Now I just need to change my name tag to read Starbucks Manager.

But the most important thing now, is that I'm actually pretty happy with my job. I don't mind going to work anymore. When I was first promoted, I have to admit that I was rather bummed. I wanted to job at a bookstore, or a nerd store. Somewhere that I would fit in a bit better. But I think I can put that off for another year or so, or maybe try to get a job in the fall.

Promotion

I'm so sorry for the long break since my last post. It's been Happy Hour at Starbucks, so I've been working a lot more than usual.

And it looks like this wont end for another few months. Because of unfortunate circumstances, I've gotten a promotion. This should be good news, but I only got it because of a medical emergency that my manager had, and I just happened to be the assistant. The last two times that I had a chance to be manager, someone else stepped up and saved me. I didn't have a chance this time.

I'm not angry, not really. I know it couldn't be avoided, and it's not my managers fault. I really hope she gets better soon. To be honest, I'm nervous. I've been assistant for a little over a year now, but I've always done the simple and easy things, like schedules and orders. Now I have to deal with inventory, paper work and being organized. I just keep telling myself that all managers need to go through a learning curve when they start. My first manager told me that everyone hated her when she first started, because she constantly made mistakes. And my second manager was thrust into the position with no previous training. It's because of her that I became assistant. And I know that the store managers will be willing to help out as much as they can. I think they all understand that this was a shock for all of us, and that I'm not all that prepared.

In addition, I think one of my coworkers will be willing to be trained as assistant. He's been working at Starbucks for nearly as long as I have, so he's just as qualified as I was when I became manager. However, he might not consider it to be worth it. I think I can convince him though.

As it is, I'm already making changes. I feel bad taking advantage of my manager's bad health, but there were a few changes that had to be made, mostly what concerned other workers and their happiness with schedules. I really hope that I can be good enough at this position.

So that's the big news of the week. I'll keep everyone updated over the next few weeks.

School Update

It's been nearly two weeks since finishing with my semester, and I've only gotten two grades back.

I manged to get a B- in my business of writing class. I was expecting at least a B, but I guess I kind of messed up near the end and forgot to add a couple things to my portfolio. I got the most important things handed in, but I didn't do as well as I hoped. However, this class was less about the grade and more about what I learned.

The Poetry class I took was far more important to the rest of my schooling. And I got an A-! I'm really proud of that. It's far better than I expected. I believe I needed a B or a B+ to continue into the fourth year, so I'm set for next semester!

And I'm stilling waiting on my grade for my English class. I'm not too worried about it. It's another class where the grade isn't essential, especially considering I was taking it for my minor, not my major. However, I believe I'll get somewhere in the B range.

Back into the Grind

It already feels like it's been forever since school got out. Maybe because I didn't have any finals, and everyone else is still going through them. Instead of finals though, I have work. After working only a max of 24 hours a week, I have a 39 hour week this week. I'm just over halfway in. The paycheck is going to be glorious...

Anyway, Now that I'm not talking about my class, I really don't know what to say. I've submitted a few pieces of writing to some magazines, and I'm just waiting for replies from them.

Oh! I got the best umbrella ever! I has a sword hilt! I got it yesterday, after many days of sunshine and clear skies. I really wanted a rainy day to try it out. And guess what we got today! Except. it didn't start until around 4, and I was at work since 9 this morning. Without my umbrella. Oh well, I'll try it out next time I leave the house when it's raining.

Writing Excuses

One of my favorite authors is Brandon Sanderson, and for many years he, along with Dan Wells, Howard Taylor, and Mary Robinette Kowal, have been hosting a podcast called Writing Excuses, all about writing. I recently started listening to it, and I'm hooked.

All the authors are knowledgeable about their craft, and about others. It's amazing to hear how often they can quote other authors, without any hesitation or indication that they're reading off of anything. They also use their own works quite often, including stories about their own mistakes and beginnings. It's great to hear, to bring them back down to human level from where we placed them as gods of the writing world.

They give great advice, often addressing listeners as new writers, as most listeners probably are, or if not, they understand the challenges of a new writer. The speakers sound natural and humorous, so it's easier to listen to than a lecture. Each podcast is also only fifteen minutes long, so they pack each episode full of advice and anecdotes, and concentrate exactly on what the subject is for the week. It's like a concentrated dose of a classroom lecture.

Their main piece of advice is always "keep writing". Like any authors, they know that the only way to get better is to always be writing. They say to scrap almost everything you first write, either because it'll only be practice, or you'll be too attached to it to make the changes that need to be made. Maybe what you scrap, whether it's a plot point, a character or a witty line, can be used later in the series, or even in another book.

So far, my favorite piece of advice has been about beginnings. They say to not worry too much about your beginning, not when your first write it. Because that beginning that you first write will probably either get deleted, or get moved so that it's not longer your beginning. In fact, the beginning could be the very last thing you write. As someone who has always struggled with how to start, this is great. Now I just need to learn how to end things.

Gardens of the Moon review

I am still a couple hundred pages off from finishing this book, but I can already tell that I am hooked. I didn't feel this way for most of the book, however.

Gardens of the Moon, the first book in the Malazon Book of the Fallen series, is by far the most confusing book I have ever read. The author, Steven Erikson, even admits that it's confusing, and it's exactly what he intended. He didn't want to have to lead the reader by the hand through the book, and decided to plop them right down in the middle of everything. All the while, the time skips forward every couple hundred pages or so, and it's difficult to tell what side everyone is on, if they're on a side at all. I don't know whether to applaud his bravery at trying this, or toss the book across the room.

I'm glad I kept with it though. I have experience with books like this, and I trusted that it would get better. It did. A lot of this book relies on the reader to figure stuff out on their own. It treats them like an intelligent thinking being, and after my initial irritation, I really appreciated this.

One reason for this confusion is the narrator. It's so far in the third person omnipresent that it jumps from mind to mind within a single paragraph. Most of the time that I see this in a novel, it's sporadic and unintentional. It's when the chapter is in the POV of one character, but a few times we get the feelings or thoughts of another, just because it's handy for the plot or to keep the reader informed. In Gardens of the Moon, if there is a character mentioned, we know how it feels. This can be both very confusing, as most people are not used to it, but also very handy. We get most of our information this way, either from direct thoughts from characters, or by being able to see the connection between two characters. The narrator is so deep, that it's very rare to actually hear the narrator's voice. I would say that 95% of the story is told by the characters. This includes plot, for what is going on now, and what has happened thousands of years before the story even started.

Gardens of the Moon is meant for an advanced reader, one willing to take on a challenge. It starts off being very difficult and confusing, but once the reader starts to understand, the book is very enjoyable.

Eragon Review

Get ready for a whole ton of reviews as I try and catch up on them! First off, the Eragon series!

I've been interested in this book series for many years, but I finally picked it up a few month ago. It is a young adult novel, so I went in knowing this and expecting much less than I actually got.

Eragon, the first book in the series, was the first book by the author, Christopher Paolini, which he started to write at the age of fifteen. For a first novel, at the age that he wrote it at, it is very impressive. The writing itself improves as the series continues and the plot is developed and thought out (to an extent). The first book reads as if a teenager wrote exactly what they wanted to read, which since it's aimed toward a younger reader, is for the best. For anyone used to more sophisticated and elaborate novels, this series is not for them. It's an easy and enjoyable read, without the headaches that accompany the novels that require a flow chart to follow.

However enjoyable the book is though, it's also predictable. The series is heavily influenced by other high fantasy novels and tropes. It barely deviates away from the stereotypical creatures of fantasy: The humans, the elves, the dragons, the dwarves and the humanoid beasts. It reminds me a lot of Lord of the Rings in this way, but makes up for it with the plot.

The plot itself is not original. It's the basic "unexpected hero becomes extraordinary, and is expected to fight and defeat the villain". What makes it different is that this is not the whole story. When one thinks of dragon riders, if they have even heard of the Eragon series, it will likely pop into their head. This is part of the over arcing story, but under the front cover are unique characters, exciting adventures, and unexpected turns, all of which are tied up in a neat ending, which, I admit, tugs at the heart strings.

Eragon is a great series to read as a child or young adult. It rounds out the high fantasy that Tolkien started, but with a much more immersive world and relatable characters.

Fan Expo!

I think I have a new addiction.

On Saturday, I went to Fan Expo with my boyfriend. It's my first nerd convention, or any convention, for that matter. I've wanted to go to one for years, but I never really had the friends who would go with me. This year I had more friends, though most of them are poor and couldn't afford to go...

We got there around noon, which is about an hour after it started. The place was packed! I knew it would be busy because it was a Saturday, but once we go into the main part of the convention, which is where all the merchants and signings were, it was almost impossible to move. I guess it didn't help that a lot of people were dressed up,some in very large and extravagant costumes that made it hard to get around, or so good that people kept stopping them to get photos. That being said, I definitely dressed up too. Nothing too extreme, since my textile skills are sorely lacking. I just put on my Link costume, complete with the shield my dad made me for Christmas, and the hat that my boyfriend just made me. The costume was better than ever, and still easy to wear. I even had a few people ask to take pictures with me! One was an adorable little boy dressed as the scarecrow from Wizard of Oz.

We did more than just wander around though. One reason why I canted to go to Fan Expo was for the panels. Most of them didn't interest me too much, like the Q&As with actors from shows I don't watch, or tutorials on drawing for graphic novels. Although I'm sure they were interesting, my drawing skills are at the level of an elementary school kid... We visited one panel on cosplaying (costume playing), which was pretty cool. I'm hoping to work on my textile skills a bit, and maybe make a more elaborate costume for next year. The other panel we went to was done by professional authors.

This one was amazing, because these weren't really well known and popular authors. I had never heard of any of them before. And that's the truth about being an author. So many writers see authors like Rowling and Martin and think that's what their life will be, but in the end it's more like this. Writing a few books, making a few bucks, and maybe talking about your craft to a room of fifty people once a year. Not to say that's a bad thing. It's still better than working a customer service job my whole life...

The authors all said a little blurb about their books, then talked a bit about their lives and how they got to where they are now. Most of them were fairly new, having published for the first time within the last few years. One of them had been writing for twenty five years though! They also ranged in genres, from horror/mystery, to post apocalyptic, to children's literature. One thing I realized while listening to them was that none of them really knew how to describe their books in one or two sentences. They all just kept going, revealing more than a few spoilers. Now I know they're trying to sell their books to readers, not publishers, but it just reminds me of myself,and my whole class, how none of us really feel comfortable talking about our work.

There was only time for a few questions, as the panel was shorter than the rest. Something that came up was planning. The veteran author said that there are two types of writers. Planners and Pantsers. Planners are obviously the ones that plan everything out before they write. Pantsers (which I am one of), write from the seat of their pants.They come up with their plot and everything as they write. Apparently Stephen King is a Pantser. It's more difficult, but can also produce some really good work, because it surprises the author and the reader. Of course, there is always the very high risk of discontinuity errors and mistakes, so Pantsers have to be constantly rereading their own work.

I also got a book signed by one of the authors, because he was giving our free copies of his first novel. I'm not sure if he'll actually earn money from that, but my boyfriend was interested in the book, so he might buy the rest of the series.

We stayed at the Expo until it closed at 7, which seemed way too early in my opinion. There was just so much more to see and explore. I wish I had splurged and bought the three day pass, or even a two day pass. But I guess I'll just have to look forward to next year.

Business of Writing: The End (Almost)

It's getting to the end of the semester, and I'm supposed to be looking back at what I've learned, and how I've changed. A think a list is the simplest way to answer this.

1) Don't procrastinate. You do NOT have time to finish off a list of fifty things in the last three weeks of class, even if you do have things planned out.

2) Learn to do taxes. You won't have your mom or dad around forever to do them for you.

3) Learn what and how to write things off.

4) Homework is more important than Youtube, or Reddit, or Facebook...

5) Perhaps this blog is more important than you think. Maybe, just maybe, people are actually reading this...

6) Approach people, because they will not approach you. People don't bite... most of the time.

7) Don't compare yourself to your favorite author. You'll only feel bad afterward. Sure, aim to be as good as they are, but never compare.

8) Your CV will never get better until you stop moping about it and actually do something about it. Not all, if any, magazines will care about your current CV, so don't think it reflects your skill, or how they will view your work.

9) If you write something, it means something to you. Even if it's a fantasy piece that has absolutely nothing to do with this world, it still means something to you. Make sure people know that.

10) Even if it's just to bring joy and happiness to people, your work means something. (Note: I hate and struggle against the idea that speculative fiction is not real literature, or not real writing. Just because it doesn't always hold a message, or relate to real life situations, doesn't mean that it's not worth reading and writing, nor is it the easy form of writing.)

11) Learn to talk! If you can't speak up in a class of ten peers, how will you speak in front of an audience of strangers?

Lots and lots of words

I've been getting behind on my Business of Writing updates, so I'm going to try and catch up now.

I mentioned earlier about a conference I went to, and I should elaborate on that. It was a literary conference, comprised of multiple panels. Unfortunately, I missed the first one, because it was located a fair distance away, and my friend was driving me, so I didn't want to ask her to wake up super early to get me out there. The first panel that I was present for was rather dry. Everyone was reading essays, or papers, or sections from books. They were all accounts of epistolary stories, or histories. The subjects were rather interesting, but I have to admit that I zoned out quite a bit during the second one, and can barely remember what it was about. The third one from that panel was the most interesting, because it was about a certain sweater that is made by a First Nation group, and how it was incorrectly recreated without permission from the group, for the Olympics.

It was a good presentation to end that panel on, because after lunch, the next panel was by three First Nations presenters. And they were all so interesting, because they were talking to the audience, not reading off a piece of paper. They were telling personal stories, not research. There was even some singing and rapping. It was by far the most interesting panel that I was able to attend that day.

Of course, that's not saying much, considering I had to leave after that one. My friend had to be home by 4:30, and it was an hour drive back to her house, so we left at 3. I heard the next panel had to do with food, so I really regret not staying for that one, but there wasn't much I could do.

After that, we started learning about grants and CVs (Curriculum vites? I can't spell it). The grants weren't too challenging, we just had to go into more detail about our porject. And not just the plot synopsis, but details that we probably never really thought about until now, at least for me. The point of a grant is to convince a council to give you money to work on a project. We were told to talk about why we're writing out project, why it's important to ourselves and the community. Why people have to read it, and why it has to be written. Unfortunately, as a speculative fiction writer, I write for fun. Although I try to include deeper meaning into my work, it's generally for fun. I like to write what I like to read, and what I read is fantasy, dragons, magic, knights, kings, queens, grand wars and the fall of kingdoms. Now this really isn't important. It's not a tragic history of my life, and how I became the person I am today through great struggle and overcoming challenges.

So although I found writing about my project was fairly easy, I don't feel like it'll be earning me grant money any time soon... or ever.

It's the CV that got me, and I'm pretty sure most other people, worried and rather self conscious. A CV is basically a writing resume. It includes all schooling, publications, awards and interests. Just to get mine to a full page, I had to include a suspicious amount of line breaks and some small things that otherwise would not be on a regular CV, such as magazines I've submitted to (but not been accepted in). I thought my two little publications in my old colleges anthology were pretty good... Until I looked at some other CVs just from my class. I really need to get my butt in gear and get more actual publications.

Today we had a presentation on reviews. This was particularly interesting to me, since I have actually done several reviews on this blog. None of them have been for money, or even for the public, so I never considered them to really matter. I was doing them for whoever might stumble upon them, or maybe for any google searches. In fact, if I look at my traffic sources, I have a few people that found this blog because of a review I did on "A Murderous Procession". It's been a while since I've done a review, but I have read several books since my last one, so I should get back to them. Maybe I'll do one on Tuesday.

And now what I have planned for the next few weeks. I mentioned Fan Expo a few posts ago. I am definitely going to this. Just for one day, since ticket prices start getting expensive for more than one day, and my poor boyfriend can't afford much. And since I don't have much time to go out and do things, what with school and work, I'm hoping to get a lot of points for my List through online research and sharing. I've found a great resource through Reddit, which has a lot of publishes authors and editors, who constantly posts links to other websites that help to improve writing, or help to get published. It also constantly has AMAs (Ask Me Anything), with writers, editors, publishers and so on. While doing my research on Brandon Sanderson, I realized these are far more than just questions on the author's books or home life, but also on their jobs, and how they deal with the problems that all writers, or editors or publishers, face.

So that was a big update, sorry. I feel like I owed it, after all the other days I've missed. I'll try to update more on schedule from now on!

Three Weeks Left

Almost done with the majority of my projects! After today, I'll have both my presentations done for my poetry class. I have one, maybe two more essays for my English class. And a mock grant form due for my Business of Writing class. So close!

I've decided that I won't take a class in the summer, because I'm not completely sure if the only fourth year English class offered in the summer is one that I need. So I'll take to an academic adviser when I can actually get an appointment. At this point, I could only go for a walk-in, and I don't want to risk a major line.

Besides, it'll give me time to get a new job, and get some experience before I go back to school. I would absolutely love a job at Mind Games. Chapters would be great too, but I would be going from one major company to another. I kind of want to try a small company, and Mind Games seems perfect. One of the people working there already recognizes my boyfriend and me when we come in... She said that working in the summer is best, because it's less stressful.

Sapphics, the Unknown Form

So, I'm a little stressed right now. I kind of procrastinated on getting my presentation for my poetry class ready. It's due next week. I thought I would have enough time. Until I found out that apparently the sapphic is not a popular enough poetic form to be in any of the major poetry books. But a spoonerism is!

The very fact that my spellcheck thinks that sapphic is spelled wrong, but is totally okay with spoonerism, kind of tells you something...

And I have to make this presentation half an hour long... I have a feeling I'm not going to do very well on it. But tomorrow I'll go to my school library and check out the few books that might help. I'm crossing my fingers that they might even mention sapphics, let alone go into details with them. Even our class text book, which we can use but not include as a resource, just mentions it in passing. I have no idea how I'll get this done. Apparently no one cares about this form.

Anyway, back to research.

Lots of School

And another week without an update. Sorry guys! But nothing too much to report anyway.

I've been working on that list of tasks for my Business of Writing class. I got a few points from attending a conference, which I have to thank my wonderful friend for driving me to (I really need to get my N...). After I went to the museum that my mom is the curator of, and used it as an opportunity to fill in the 'go to an archive' task. Technically I have to go for research purposes, but I helped my mom do some archiving on clothing, so I learned a few things there... such as what a cotton apron looks like, and how to spell the work crochet. (Which I now just proceeded to spell incorrectly... Thank spell check!) I talked to my professor today, and he gave me some more suggestions, such as researching more authors, magazines and publishers. I'll do the best I can with my internet connection.

What I'm most excited about it Fan Expo. I was told that'll be worth about three points if I go all day, which I definitely plan on doing. I really want to check out the indie press corner, and the sci-fi/fantasy author, whoever that may be.

And on another subject, I got an A on my midterm portfolio for poetry! I thought I was going to get a B, maximum. I really don't have too much confidence in my poetry, but it seems to be better than I thought. I was even told to tweak a few poems, and submit them. I think I'll do that, and gain a few more points for my list.

And finally, I've decided that I will take one course this summer. I really want it just to get my U-pass, but I also don't want to be taking a fourth year English course while also taking multiple other classes. The course I'm planning on taking is only once a week, and at a decent time, so I figured I'll get it over with. The information on it is very vague, so I'm hoping I luck out and like the subject. It's based all on what the professor chooses to teach. The last time I had a course like this, I really didn't enjoy the readings, partly because they all seemed to centre around males... But my professor this time is a female, so hopefully it'll be different. It'll also be my second to last English course! Yay! And the final one I have to take is actually a second year course. It's required, and I wanted to take it this semester, but because my grades for the prerequisite had not been submitted yet, it said I had not finished it. And unfortunately that class isn't offered in the summer...

Last Minute Procrastination

Just a quick post tonight, partly because I'm working on an essay (that's kind of due tomorrow...), and because I don't think my internet will last much longer.

I managed to finish my portfolio for class today, then proceeded to forget to print out multiple copies of my workshop poem. So I learned how to use the library printers at school. I have to say, they're less confusing than I thought. I managed to get back to class four minutes after it started. And I wasn't even the last person in. That being said, we got out early, because none of us were in school mode yet. That's what happens after reading break.

And that's my first day back at school. Now back to the essay that I should have started much, much sooner...

Sestinas...

Reading breaks are fabulous... I should really be doing more reading...

I actually only have three days off this reading break, because I was working on Monday, and I work Friday and Saturday... And I kind of wasted those three days off. I did do homework. I'm working on my poems, and all but one are coming along very well. I really hate sestinas. I really, really do. I just cannot get a nice flowing poem when I'm forced to reuse words. I cannot get a narrative without it sounding choppy and repetitive. And I'm having a lot of trouble just fitting imagery in, though the form isn't completely to blame for that.

And I still have an essay to write. I'm struggling over that even more. Poem has too much structure and form, but English doesn't have enough. The guidelines for the essay is to write an essay on a poem we've talked about. I know this is fairly normal for higher level courses, so be able to see a theme and write an essay around it. But we're not supposed to use outside sources, and I'm assuming it has to be on one poem, not a poet or a collection of poems. Ugh. Poetry. It'll be the death of me.

So I'll try and get at least the sestina done by Tuesday. What I have so far is already better than my previous one, but I know it's just going to crumble as I struggle to come up with new things to say... I never thought I would miss free verse so much.

Time to be Productive!

It's reading break! And I actually have some reading to do... Well, writing, but close enough. I get three days off of work and school, in which time I have to write an essay and a poem, along with some editing and compiling. I guess it's a good thing that my school decide to have its reading week two weeks after almost every other school. All my friends are back in school right now, so I won't get as distracted.

On another note, I applied for a job at Chapters! It's a three month contract job, so I was kind of iffy about actually applying for it. If I got the job, I'm not sure when I would actually start. The application is open until April, so I assume after that is when the job would start. That would be perfect, because it would give me time to finish school, and for us to train a new person at work, since my co-worker is leaving. I'm not sure if I would actually leave Starbucks, but at least being out of school will allow me to work more than a couple days at each location. So wish me luck with that. I like to think that my updated resume is pretty good, now that I can say I've been an assistant manager somewhere.

I guess I should also get onto submitting some writing to magazines too. I saw a few from some class presentations that might accept my work, so I'll check them out.

Internet...

Ugh, I might just have to smash my router. That way my parents might actually do something about it. So once again, I'm blaming my lack of posts on my internet. I swear! I tried to post on Tuesday, but my internet kept crashing. Let's see if I can actually get this post out tonight.

So it's a Thursday, so that means I had my Business of Writing class. Last week we actually got the day off to go off and do stuff. I accompanied my boyfriend to his school, because they have a massive library that I wanted to check out. I tried to find the periodical section... and failed. That place is massive. I did, however, find this interesting little display case that had the journals, notes and books of authors. I suppose they are probably authors that graduated from the school.

This week we talked about publication. It was... eye opening. We looked at journals to submit to though, and I feel a little more confident that I can actually get into some. My writing is mostly speculative fiction, so that really limits who will take my work. Most places like the down to earth, family friendly stuff. I like to write about the apocalypse, or other worlds. But that's not considered literature, so is rarely accepted into literary magazines. But that's okay, because I've become aware of the limited magazines that will accept them. I'll have to revise my stories and check up these magazines soon.

The prospect of getting paid to let someone have movie rights to my book is awesome though... I'm still going to keep dreaming.

Goodbye, Monty

2015 is starting off with a bleak beginning. I would take last year's start over this years, and least year I had the flu twice within the first two months. Near the beginning of January, my grandma passed away. Now the nerd community has been dealt a blow with the sudden death of Monty Oum.

He was the head animator for RWBY, a unique and unequaled small animated show. It took the overused and cliche idea of fairy tale characters, and wove it into a story that has never been told before. With the death of Monty Oum, it's hard to say if it will finish being told. 

Just a quick post today, to pay tribute to a fabulous man that was taken far before any of us were ready.

Word Rampage

I came up with a brilliant new way so say rant! Word rampage is my new saying whenever I start to complain. So look forward to that in the future, if I remember it.

Lots going on at school today. The writer-in-residence, Sheri-D Wilson, was there from Tuesday to Thursday, and I managed to go to every single event. Pretty impressive, for me. I was just lucky that I was at school all those days.

First off was her doing a public reading. It took place in the library, and I feel kind of bad for anyone that was actually trying to study, because damn, she is loud. In a good way, of course. I don't think the reading would have been the same if she had an indoor voice, and especially not with a library voice. So at this reading I realized that I loved her poetry style, and not just because of how she read it. It was real, and understandable. It wasn't trying to be mysterious, or to tie the reader's minds in knots. It was what it was, and it was beautiful.

The next day I sacrificed sleep to be at school by ten. That doesn't sound very early, but bear in mind that it takes me about two hours to get to school, and I like another two hours before I leave. So I was up at six o'clock... But I was at school for the workshop she was holding, and I'm really glad I decided to go. I thought it would be about writing poetry, and some tips and hints. However, this was all on spoken word, and how to read your poems properly. I am horrible at reading in front of people. I've gotten better in the last few years, because for some reason my ego has inflated ten fold (I have no idea why...) I can read loud and project my voice, and I can strut up to the podium or front of the class as if I own the place, but I still talk to fast. At the workshop, Sheri-D taught us all when to pause, and when to give emphasis on words. So now I at least know how to read my poems. Actually reading them, in front of people, is something else entirely. It's like knowing exactly what you'll write for an essay, or knowing all the formulas on a math test, but then you go and write it, and everything has just drifted away.

Today I had a one-on-one with her, which is one of the scariest things I've ever done (somewhere between going into a haunted house, and my first day of college). However, I found it was more the wait until that point that scared me the most. Once I was in there and couldn't back out, I really relaxed. Well, ten minutes in I relaxed. I had read a poem yesterday that she really liked, and we went over it in detail today, picking at every line. I definitely think it's a poem I can make longer and work on. At the moment, it's composed of beautiful lines, but no story. When I was writing it, I didn't really think story, I just thought theme. Now though, I see that there is a bit of a story to it, and I really want to continue with it.
We did a few other poems, but none of them were as in-depth, though she did comment on how she liked them all.I definitely need to keep working on them all, especially on length, but I'm still very proud. I still don't believe that poetry is one of my strong points, but I guess by thinking that, I will only get better.

And finally after class today there was a talk on the writing craft. It was mostly anecdotes and a few tips about Spoken Word, but it was still great. It's a shame that she's not a professor at my school. It would have been great to have a whole class with her.

So Many Books

I'm finally getting onto the list of things I have to do for my Business of Writing class! I think I explained it earlier. I have to do fifty things to get full marks, and some things can be done multiple times to earn more points. So on Sunday I dragged my boyfriend downtown to visit bookstores!

We didn't get to all of them, because there were two groups fairly far apart, and near the end we were just too tired from walking. But we managed to visit three, and tried to find a forth but figured it had closed down. I bought some graphic novels too! I was trying to find a copy of the 1818 edition of Frankenstein for my Romantic Poetry class, but couldn't see any. I guess I'll have to visit Chapters soon.

And on that note, I'm still trying to get a job at Chapters. Or anywhere... My mom still thinks I should stay at Starbucks, if only because of my pay. Once I go anywhere else, I'll be back down to minimum wage. I think it's worth it.

I'm also pretty far behind on this list. I need to go back downtown to go to the library, and maybe visit some more bookstore. I really need to go to some readings or other events, but it seems like they all happen on Wednesdays. When I'm in school... I was expecting they would be happening on weekends, when people are actually free to go to them... But I'm still trying to get weekends off so I can do some of these tasks. But unless I deliberately change the schedule so that I'm not working on Saturday, then I'm still working. In fact, in a couple weeks I'll be working Friday to Monday. And I would try to do some things from home, but it seems that every time I try and actually be productive, my internet crashes.

So that's my rant of the day...

Business of Writing

Alright, so this whole page thing didn't work out. Apparently Blogger is different from Wordpress... So, I'll just continue to keep posting my class updates as regular posts. Bear in mind, this post below was actually posted on Tuesday:

I'm going to start up something new! For one of my classes, Business of Writing, we need to keep some sort of learning journal. This can be on paper, online, a continuous Word document, pretty much any way we can think of that will actually convey our thoughts and what we are learning.

Since I'm already writing a blog, I figured this will be the easiest for me.

Well, as long as my internet decides to work long enough for me to actually get each of the posts up... We'll see how this works out.

But since my class is on Thursday, I will be more diligent about getting up a post on Thursdays. And Tuesday, of course. My current excuse is that my internet is utterly useless at this point. But I'll try not to complain.

So this page (as long as it works as a separate page), will contain posts (which should be different from pages...) that relate directly to my class. So if you're a regular reader that's not interested, I'm sorry, my interesting posts will be cut down to just Tuesdays... Or whenever I get them out.

If you are interested in reading more, I guess I should explain what you will be reading about. This class is meant to teach me how to earn money through writing. It'll show me how to submit work to publishers and magazines, how to protect my work, and how to get into the writing community. This latter one is what I will probably be focusing on a lot, since there is so much to say about it.

We were given a list of stuff to do, and we have to finish at least fifty things. Some things can be done multiple times to earn points, while other things are worth multiple points. It's not as hard as it sounds. Some things are nearly impossible, such as getting a job at a bookstore (though I'm really working on it!), while others are very simple and rather enjoyable, such as going to a bookstore. I've already looked up independent bookstores in near by cities, and I just need a day to go out and visit them, preferably a day when I can go with someone (I don't want to get lost alone...)

I would have started this list a couple Sundays ago, and even had plans to go out and get it started. Unfortunately, my grandma passed away the Saturday before, so I wasn't quite in the mood to be gallivanting around the city between bookstores. This Sunday though! I am determined to get some tasks done!

Taxes and Money

Regular Thursday update! See, I can do this.

So today in class we learned about taxes and write offs. And holy shit, I feel like a baby. Everyone is just nodding along with everything the prof says, asking the occasional wise question. And I'm just sitting here, thinking that I don't even know how to do my own taxes, or even how they work at all.

I'm twenty one. I live at home with my parents. My mom does all the taxes and stuff when it comes up. The most I know is that it's sometime around April, and I have to give her all the stuff to prove that I was in school. That itself sometimes proves difficult, because none of the administrators at school care about the students, or that they're struggling to figure out taxes. They're just like 'it's online. Go find it yourself'. (No joke, this happened. Except the person gave me a slip of paper that explained it all. But still!)

I guess I have a lot of learning to do in this category. I talked to my parents over dinner, and they were chatting about it a bit too, so I think I understand more. From what I understand, I can write off expenses made toward my career, or my progression toward my career. That would include my laptop that I bought earlier this year. However, since there are so few expenses that I could write off, at this time I wouldn't be doing much. I don't pay rent, or any utilities. My phone has nothing to do with writing, so I would be hard pressed to figure out how to write that off, and I'm already paying taxes for school... or is it writing off on school... Either way, my parents and I agree that there is no reason for me to get an accountant while I'm still in school, and not until I'm actually earning money from my writing. For now I'll compile my receipts and learn as I go, probably from my mom when she does taxes.

Wish me luck with that!

The Sickness Begins

And I am definitely sick now. I woke up this morning and thought that my stomach hurt because I was hungry. I barely got half way through a sandwich before I couldn't eat any more. It felt like I was going to throw up, but luckily my body has been nice enough to not reject anything. Yet.

So I took a nice long nap, woke up with a headache but feeling slightly better. I had some water and ginger ale, finished off my sandwich, and was beginning to feel a lot better, just a little drowsy. So I went out to dinner with my family.

My stomach hurts again. It's barely past 8 o'clock, and all I want to do is go to sleep. And I have to work at 8:30 in the morning tomorrow. I'm hoping I can get through the whole day, but I might have to leave halfway through if someone can take the rest of my shift.

The weird thing is, this happened last year close to the same time. If I start throwing up in the first week of February, I'm going to be freaked out. It'll be like Groundhog Day, but more like Groundhog Year...

Okay, it's past time that I stopped rambling. I'm going to bed. Hopefully a long sleep will leave me feeling better in the morning.

Black Feather Earrings

It's been a long week, and it's only Wednesday. I've had a sore throat for a couple days now, I was feeling really sick yesterday, and my grandma passed away on Saturday.

So yeah, not a very good start to a new year.

This was my final grandparent that was left alive, and I kind of expected her to live forever. She always showed such a resistance to death, even when it would have taken anyone stronger than her. I guess in that way she was the strongest. But of course, age weakens everyone, and no one can escape death.

She was nearly 89 when she passed, so she definitely lived a long life. With five children, she left a pretty good legacy, which I suppose I'm part of. I like to think I take after her, though I just can't get that no-nonsense attitude that she had. I wish I had the courage to say whatever I wanted.

My favorite pair of earrings came from her. In our family, apparently it's tradition to get the girls a bracelet when they graduate high school. My sister got one. But when it was my turn, I received a pair of black metal feather earrings. They are by far my favorite piece of jewelry, surpassing the ring I got in Florence and the necklace I got in Rome. According to my mom, my grandma had seen them and picked them out for me, with no one's help or opinion. She knew I would love them, and she was right.

Rest well, Granny. I'll pick up your torch and carry it with pride. We always need an artist in the family, and although I work with words and you with paint, I think I would have made you proud.

Time for a Change?

I am FINALLY starting my third year in creative writing and English. I've finished off all my extra courses, so now I'm concentrating everything on English and Creative Writing. By the end of this year, I hope to be done with English too.

I'm only taking three classes this semester, though I wanted to take four. The fourth one I couldn't get into, because the deadline to pay for classes was before our grades were in front the fall semester. Unfortunately, one of the classes I needed as a pre-req was in the fall, and it had not been counted as completed by the deadline. So... I guess I'm taking the next class in the summer or fall.

What I am taking is Advanced Poetry Forms, Romantic Poetry, and Business of Writing. All the classes have amazing professors, and I think I'm really going to enjoy them.

The one problem is that the Business of Writing class is going to take up a lot of my time outside of school. I already told my manager that I'm going to need weekends off, but of course, I've been scheduled for every single Saturday for the next three weeks. The catch? She rarely ever works a Saturday or Sunday. She only ever works them when there's inventory or a promotion set up. And she's normally off doing something else for most of the day, so she's really not working in the kiosk... I guess I have to remind her. She also scheduled me for a Thursday shift in a few weeks, which I definitely need off, because of school.

On a happier note, I'm looking for a new job! Anyone hiring?