| Friday, March 30, 2007 |
| I am wanted |
 Well I got in to both universities that I applied at! Niagara Univeristy, in Niagara Falls, NY, and Empire State College in Saratoga Springs, NY, but classes can be taken online from the comfort of my own home in Canada. So, next I am just waiting to hear about what kind of financial aid I will qualify for..and then I have to make my decision as to which school I will go to by May 1st..yikes..!
Am I really ready for this massive life change? I hope so... I think so..!
The past couple nights I have felt like doing absolutely nothing. I don't know why, but I used to love going out in the evenings and now all I want to do is stay home. We've skipped our church small group like 3 weeks in a row.... oh well.
Anyway, I saw this poem at work today and wanted to post it on my blog. It gave me goosebumps. Enjoy.
The Nail Man, by Steve Turner
Which one was it that held the nails
and then hammered them into place?
Did he hit them out of anger,
or a simple sense of duty?
Was it a job that had to be done,
or a good day's work in the open air?
And when they clawed past bone
and bit into wood, was it like all the others,
or did history shudder a little
beneath the head of that hammer?
Was he still there, packing away his tools,
when 'It is finished' was uttered to the throng,
or was he at home washing his hands
and getting ready for the night?
Will he be among the forgiven
on that Day of Days, his sin having been slain
by his own savage spike?Labels: Empire State College, Niagara University, Steve Turner, The Nail Man |
posted by jamie @ 12:35 AM  |
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| Tuesday, March 27, 2007 |
| .!. |
y.a.y.h.u.s.b.a.n.d.c.o.m.e.s.h.o.m.e.t.o.m.o.r.r.o.w!!!
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| posted by jamie @ 1:23 AM |
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| Sunday, March 25, 2007 |
| A day in the Life |
I don't have anything clever to say right now so I guess I'll just tell you what I did today. Why? because it's my blog and I can do what I want :)
woke up at 10:20am
watched Dogtown and Z-boys (so good!)
did dishes and cleaned counter tops
went to the gym for 1.5 hrs
went to superstore (hell) and got groceries
talked to my dad on the phone (in TX right now)
talked to my mom on the phone (in Ohio)
ate dinner
Watched 1/2 of Mona Lisa Smile while surfing net
And that leads me up to right now, where I think I will finish posting, veg for a bit, pick up the living room, veg some more, and go to bed.
Maybe tomorrow I will post something more interesting, but for now I will leave you with a picture I took at Nancy's wedding shower. I made it all cool-lookin. And what makes it even cooler is the fact that steener is giving the finger without realizing it...hehe
peace. Labels: chaos and order, coffee, jamie |
| posted by jamie @ 12:09 AM |
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| Friday, March 23, 2007 |
| Bye Bye Husband |
Craig left this morning for Cambridge, because his Grandma died and he's going to the funeral. This is the first time we've been apart since we were married..awwwwww!!!!
Here he is this morning..I had to take a picture even though he didn't want me to.. hehe...
Well I have a sort-of dilemma. When we got married we didn't do the whole save a piece of cake thing.. cause I think it's kind of weird...but for wedding favours we gave everyone a little thing full of M&Ms that said "Jamie & Craig" on them (my mom's idea - love it!!). Well we had one bag left of these little M&Ms and they've been in the freezer for the past 8-9 months...and I really want to eat them. I mean, is that okay?? They're like, special M&Ms, but how long can they really last? I don't know what to do....
I think I'll eat them. |
| posted by jamie @ 8:00 PM |
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| Thursday, March 22, 2007 |
| On Addictions Pt 2 |
I've been thinking about this lately and I think that food addiction is one of the hardest to get over. With all the other addictions (drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, etc) you are supposed to just quit and never take them up again..but with food, it's not like you can quit eating. Not only do you have to eat to continue living, but it's offered at every get-together, every party, nearly every meeting. You can't get away from it (In N. America I mean..obvioulsy there are parts of the world who would kill to have that 'problem' - this is not that kind of post).
I think my struggles in binge eating and food 'addiction' have sparked an interest in me in the whole eating disorder world... Well, let me clarify...I'm not interested in having an eating disorder.. More like I could see it being a focus when I start my Psychology degree. I've been researching online here and there, and there's this whole movement out there called "Pro Ana" and "Pro Mia". The definition for these terms differ depending on the site you are looking at. Eatingdisorders.com describes pro ana as "An abbreviated form of 'pro-anorexia.' A pro-ana web site is one which promotes anorexia nervosa as noble and beneficial." But if you go to most pro ana sites, the people generaly deny that they are "pro" being anorexic, it's more that they just want to educate and support people going through it, without judgment, etc. I did find a site though where young girls were asking on a message board which tool they should use to help them throw up after they eat. I also saw a post about how to erase the history on your computer so your parents wont see that you were visiting pro ana sites.
Well, I think I'll write more on this later. If you are interested in learning more about this, pro-ana-nation.com is a pretty good place to start. I feel the author of the site describes it well and is very honest about her own struggles. Very interesting..but it's all very sad. The whole thing is, really. Labels: food addiction, pro ana, pro mia |
| posted by jamie @ 12:23 AM |
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| Monday, March 19, 2007 |
| Thoughts on The War |
I heard on the news that today is the 4th anniversary of the War in Iraq.
Wow.. I have never had a strong opinion either way on this war. Heck, I didn't even vote in the last presidential election (gasp!). Maybe I'm a bad American.. or wait, does the fact that I didn't vote for Bush make me a good American? I don't really know. I guess it depends on who you talk to or which celebrity you'd rather listen to.
 Remember when the whole Dixie Chicks thing went down? They were one of the first in the spotlight to publicly say they were 'embarrassed' by Bush (I think those were the words..) Well, I remember how what seemed like a majority of the country freaked out, calling them anti-American, radio stations breaking and throwing away their CDs... That seems like another life time ago to me, because now you rarely see someone in the media not saying they are embarrassed because of Bush and the decisions he's making.
I feel like I cannot form a solid opinion, because I don't trust where it's coming from. The media truly does declare what's good and bad, or even cool and uncool...take for example, the Mac vs. PC adds.. I mean, how do you not watch that and begin to think of a PC as a nerdy looking old dude? And now it is definitely cool to be anti bush and anti war. I'm not saying either are good (again, I'm not ready to form my opinion yet), I'm just saying I want to be careful not to be swayed by what popular culture says is good and bad.
My fear is that we'll never be happy, no matter what the US Government does. If America wouldn't have gone into Iraq, would the world have said we were wrong to just leave it and not go help? Selfish, even? What about if we went in, and then pulled out in the middle because things weren't getting better. Would the world say "how dare you go in and stir everything up and then just leave?" I fear that staying through to the bitter end might be the worst decision, if you are judging by popular opinion.
But again, I have no opinionLabels: 4th year Anniversary, Bush, US government, War on Iraq |
| posted by jamie @ 9:06 PM |
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| Sunday, March 18, 2007 |
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Did you ever have one of those moments where you see something really funny on TV, but you're watching it by yourself and have no one to share it with? I just had one of those, while watching SNL tonight. Craig's working at Britannia so I'm home by myself. Anyway, they just did a skit making fun of Oprah's "the Secret" episode, which was pretty funny.
Also, Chris Rock did the opening skit and I want to quote him because I also laughed at this...
"Is America ready for a black president? I say why not! We just had a retarded one!"
hehe...
was that innapropriate? I don't even know anymore..Labels: chris rock, Oprah, SNL, The Secret |
| posted by jamie @ 2:54 AM |
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| Friday, March 16, 2007 |
| I'm in the System |
I did it. I got my fingerprints done finally.. this has been the part of immigration I have been avoiding, mostly because the Police Dept is down near Main and Hastings and I just didn't want to go do it.  But I did it woo hooooo!!! One step closer to becomming a permanent resident... Labels: canadian immigration |
| posted by jamie @ 8:40 PM |
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| Thursday, March 15, 2007 |
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Hey everyone,
check out Nightline tonight if you get a chance.. supposedly they will be talking about the whole Wild at Heart type thing with a group of men in the church. I saw a clip of it on Good Morning America this morning. Might be good! |
| posted by jamie @ 11:39 AM |
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| Tuesday, March 13, 2007 |
| Left, Right, and Wrong |
Well I sent off my second university application, this time to a school in NY where you can take the classes online if you want. This one seems really neat because I could take classes from home and not have to commute across the border each day! Plus it's about 1/5 the cost of Niagara University. So now I just wait and see, and will probably make my decision based on how much financial aid each school offers... Either way I think it will be fine.
I need to rant a bit about something that I'd like all my American friends to hear. If you are not American, you can skip this if you want because you most likely don't have this tendency. I ver y very rarely rant about Americans, in fact I usually stick up for them (they get bashed quite regularly where I live). But every once in a while something is said by someone from the US and it just makes me cringe. The side of the road that you drive on, is not the "RIGHT" (as in, correct) side of the road. The British, Thai, and other countries that drive on the LEFT side of the road, do not drive on the WRONG side of the road. It is simply the 'other' side of the road. There is no authority we carry as an American that says our side is correct and anything else is incorrect. You may laugh, but I think this is a serious issue. By saying things like this, you perpectuate the stereotypes that the rest of the world has about us. And I seriuolsy mean the rest of the world.
Please stand with me and fight to break down these stereotypes.Labels: God bless America |
| posted by jamie @ 9:27 PM |
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| Saturday, March 10, 2007 |
| Fun with Paperwork |
I just spent an hour reading a bunch of my old posts from 2005... so fun to read and remember! I laughed at myself a lot over the things I was freaking out about..at the time they seemed so important but looking back, they just make me laugh..
Anyway, just thought I'd update you on my mountains of paperwork. I'm happy to report that I was able to get in at the doctor's yesterday for my immigration physical. Not the most pleasant, but when is a doc appt pleasant, really...? Also, this evening I spent a few hours putting together some of the forms I will need to send in with my immigration application. I worked on the "Spouse/common-law Questionnaire" where you have to show proof that your relationship is real and long term. So I put together a little collage from our wedding and made basically a newsletter type thing with photos of places Craig and I have been together, and family shots. Basically I have to prove that our family and friends know of our relationship and that it's not just to get a visa. Here's a pic of one of the collages... fun times :) I hope the Gov't thinks my wedding was pretty!Labels: canadian immigration |
| posted by jamie @ 2:11 AM |
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| Thursday, March 08, 2007 |
| Never go to ESSO |
I had another negative experience today.
I have an ESSO gas card, originally for $100. I have used it twice, and have both receipts to prove it. My last transaction on it left me $20.44 as a remaining balance.
I went to use it at the gas station today and the guy swiped my card, nothing happend..he punched some numbers, it beeped, swiped again...nothing... so the guy says, "there's no money left on this card".
Um, yes there is, I say.
Sorry, the machine says there isn't.
That's because you swiped it twice and messed it up, I say.
No I didn't.
Yes you did!
(insert me getting really frustrated and telling this guy exactly what he did, showing him BOTH receipts as the only possible 'proof' one could have in this situation, and him just saying "sorry, it says no money left, maybe try again later"
Trust me, there won't be a later.. I say. I get in my car and drive (on an extremely empty tank) to another ESSO. I go in, armed with my receipts, and ask them to swipe my card.
Sorry, no money on here.
I explain my story, staying calm. I show my beloved receipts. I explain that the card has been with me the whole time and there's no way I have used $70 in gas in one week. I ask, now drawing a crowd, what the heck the point of a gift card is if you can't trust the machines that tell you your balance? He says he cannot help me, and I leave.
Now what? Do I attempt to fight this as well? Add another form to fill out? Do I fight the man and make them pay me back my $20, or do I let it be and never walk into an ESSO again, all the while telling people for the rest of my life to never trust them? File a report on scamclub.com (a very cool new site)?
Tell me, what do I do? I am tired of fighting the man. It's serioulsy not getting me anywhere.
Or... is this part of what I was talking about in my earlier post, about how giving off negative energy only attracts it. I don't know... I just don't knowLabels: ESSO, gift card, scam club, scamclub |
| posted by jamie @ 1:02 AM |
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| Tuesday, March 06, 2007 |
| What NOT to do |
I feel completely buried in paperwork. I'm filling out forms for my perminant residency, a work visa, 2 university applications, and now I have added another form to fight fraudulant bank charges... ugh..
 Speaking of fraudulant bank charges, let me take this time to issue a warning. Do not buy anything from a man named Kevin Trudeau, or a company called Natural Cures. This is a guy who basically claims that he can cure cancer and makes people believe he has the 'natural' cure for every single disease. Well, a while back, I bought his books ("Natural Cures They Don't Want You to Know About", and "More Natural Cures") when I was really in to the whole naturopathic thing. I bought them off a TV commercial (Stupid..I know..) for really cheap, which of course is how they hook you in. Then, after I gave them my credit card info, the operator mentioned that by buying these books I was being signed up for the Natural Cures newsletter. BUT, if I didn't want this newsletter, all I had to do was email cancel@naturalcures.com and say I wanted to unsubscribe. Apparently I could do this right away, and never receive the newsletter. So, of course I email this right away as I refuse to be one of those people they hope will just forget and continue to pay.
Well, 2 months pass, and the newsletter comes. I email again stating that I DO NOT WANT THIS newsletter, as it automatically charges my bank account $5.95 USD. Then, 2 more months pass, and another one comes. Another charge. This time I am not going to let them get away with it. I am pursuing legal action because I am so annoyed that this guy is such a scam artist.
Oh I forgot to mention- a week or so after I bought these books, I see on a 20/20 special that Kevin Trudeau is one of the worst con-men in the info-mercial world. YIKES! I guess he's been sued countless times and 'they' (?) have fought to try and get his info-mercials off the TV. But, he prevails and continues to mislead people buy making them think he has the natural cure they need, while charging them bi-monthly (note the bi is because if it was monthly people would notice more and fight against it) and hoping they forget.
So, this brings me to the present. Paperwork..tons of it.. ughLabels: 20/20, Kevin Trudeau, Natural Cures, Scams |
| posted by jamie @ 11:20 PM |
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| Saturday, March 03, 2007 |
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 What our house looks like every other saturday... |
| posted by jamie @ 7:43 PM |
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Well nice job everybody on the quiz. Thanks for humoring me :) Able Baker was my aunt and uncle by the way...pretty impressive job!
Anyway, so I had a bad experience earlier today. My doctor's appt. was scheduled this morning for my immigration application. In Cananda, in order to become a perminant resident I have to have a physical done by a government appointed doctor, and pay him $200 in cash..yeah shady that's what I thought!!
So my appt. was this little unmarked office on Commercial Drive, at 10:10. So I show up at 9:50 so that I was early and could make sure I had everything...and the lights were all out and the door was locked. So I think to myself, okay, maybe they open at 10. I wait.....10 comes, nothing.. 10:10 comes...nothing.. 10:20, 10:30.. meanwhile I am standing outside a locked door, in the freezing cold, trying to figure out what is going on. Finally I give up and go home where I call the office to leave a message saying I was there and they weren't...and lo and behold, someone answers the phone. So I explain to the lady my confusion as to why she is answering when I just waited in the freezing cold for a half hour.. Come to find out that the PHONE NUMBER WAS WRONG ON THE WEBSITE!!! Ugh!!! So this doctor has 2 offices, and they accidentally put the commercial drive's address with the Richmond phone number. And when I made my appt I thought I was making it for Commercial Drive.. I was soooooo angry... the lady's like "Yeah we need to change that" @#$&# right you need to change that!!!! Oh was I angry..
So now I have to make a new appt at the right office, and that could take weeks.. UGH!!Labels: Commercial Drive, Immigration |
| posted by jamie @ 1:32 AM |
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| Thursday, March 01, 2007 |
| Test Results |
Hey way to go peeps! Here's the standings so far:
1. able baker (Who the heck is this??)
2. Jason P
3. Jessi O
4. Ian D (pretty impressive since I haven't seen you in years!)
5. Rachel M
6. Janalynn M
7. Heather D
8. Leanne K
9. asa assa (who?)
10. Emily D (not sure how i feel about this)
11. Kristina H (Steener... very sad..) |
| posted by jamie @ 5:16 PM |
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