I Need Booze

The first of two term research papers has been completed, and it's a veritable tome at 21-pages.

I would type out a post, but I've typed so many words lately, and stared at this damn monitor for so long, that I can barely subject myself to such a thing.

It is done. I am glad. Let us dance.

Currently: Enjoying a Crown and Coke over a few turns of Rome: Total War.

My Substantial Girth

Still mired in the complexities of my term paper, I've decided to tackle my data-budgeting needs by utilizing a peculiar device which has remained relatively unknown throughout my academic career: the almighty hi-liter.

I always thought it absurd to glance at a fellow competitor/classmate's notes and be blinded by a sea of neon fluorescence. If every word on the page is hi-lited, then you might want to refocus your studies on what's really important.

Anyways, Nicole emerged from the depths of our apartment with this ginormous hi-liter that, apparently, "served [her] well through two years of university. So don't wreck it." Quite honestly, its sheer size is a sight to behold:



Magnificent!

Currently: Enjoying a fine cup of green tea.

"Oh, no, I've gone cross-eyed."

"Best synopsis of the class...however, you forgot to discuss Garland. 9/10"

That's the comment that my SOC421 professor left at the end of my research paper synopsis. Try as I might, I can't help but chuckle out loud whenever I read it. The 12-16 page paper, on some aspect of crime and punishment, revolves around one very specific requirement - that the theoretical basis of your argument is supported by a chapter in Garland's book.

I'll be honest, I still hadn't chosen a chapter from the text at the time I handed in my synopsis. You might argue that my BS glands were in overdrive to produce anything at all. The final paper is due on Monday, so that's no longer the case (I'll be utilizing his chapters on Foucoult, and to a small extent, Marx) but I still can't help but look back and chuckle.

Currently listening to: The Weakerthans - Plea From a Cat Named Virtue

Deflowered

Try as I might, I seem to be cursed with the horticultural touch of death. Hardy plants, raised specifically to grow under the most extreme of conditions simply wither at my touch. I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing wrong, but nothing I try really seems to help any of my indoor plants survive.

What's frustrating is that these plants can do so well in, say, Safeway, or Home Depot, but the moment I buy one and take it home, the death process begins instantly! Some minimum-wage lackey with an errant garden hose outperforms my gardening skills by a significant margin.

Damn my lack of a green thumb...












Currently: Uh, not pirating all the Weakerthans albums for my sweetie.

Gator Skin Cars

Oh, the things you do when you're supposed to be studying:

Session Start (hungrypotato0853:beevatron2000): Tue Mar 08 21:08:01 2005
[21:08] beevatron2000: hey sexy
[21:30] hungrypotato0853: Don't even START with that!
[21:30] beevatron2000: with the what?
[21:31] hungrypotato0853: One of Nicole's friends was over here the other day, on my IM, talking all sexy and dirty to Jeremy.
[21:31] beevatron2000: hey this is Jeremy and I thought it was you
[21:32] hungrypotato0853: Ah, yeah...so...this is awkward.
[21:33] hungrypotato0853: You wearing any pants?
[21:33] beevatron2000: do you want me to be wearing pants?
[21:33] beevatron2000: penis
[21:34] hungrypotato0853: Switch your Weakerthans tickets to Thursday. I'm too lazy to get mine exchanged,
[21:35] beevatron2000: but it might be more difficult to get all our tickets changed
[21:36] hungrypotato0853: I suppose that's a sacrifice YOU'RE gonna have to make.
[21:37] beevatron2000: yeah we'll meet you there thursday.
[21:38] hungrypotato0853: No, no, no...I told Nicole that I was already gonna exchange ours for Friday, so I'd better get my ass in gear.
[21:39] beevatron2000: sound good because i had no intention of change my tickets. How you like them apples?
[21:39] hungrypotato0853: 'bout the reaction I expected.
[21:40] beevatron2000: so we're on the same page sexy
[21:41] beevatron2000: april is going to be a busy month for me
[21:42] beevatron2000: I'm moving, I have four concerts to go too
[21:42] hungrypotato0853: Aren't you supposed to start making kids too? Wasn't that part of your April plans?
[21:43] beevatron2000: yep I'm going to have to knock up alexandra soon
[21:45] hungrypotato0853: 'bout time, too.
[21:46] beevatron2000: I'll name them all Kris, all eight of them.
[21:47] hungrypotato0853: Kris
[21:47] hungrypotato0853: Chris
[21:47] hungrypotato0853: Kristopher
[21:47] hungrypotato0853: Christopher
[21:48] hungrypotato0853: Kristoffer
[21:48] hungrypotato0853: Christoffer
[21:48] hungrypotato0853: Well, that's at least 6 covered.
[21:48] beevatron2000: maybe we'll just eat the other two
[21:49] hungrypotato0853: Pfft. There's good money in selling those things.
[21:49] hungrypotato0853: You could get yourself a nice car or some gator skin boots.
[21:49] beevatron2000: gator skin car
[21:50] hungrypotato0853: That's awesome.
[21:50] beevatron2000: there all the rage in rome
[21:51] beevatron2000: you and nicole should get in on this baby selling.
[21:53] hungrypotato0853: Well, you know how it is. Why milk the cow when you can buy cheese at the store. That kinda thing.
[21:54] hungrypotato0853: Actually, I'm not really sure what I just said...
[21:54] beevatron2000: hey sounds good to me
[21:56] hungrypotato0853: Anyways, I suppose I have some studying to do, so I'd better get back to it. If you need help moving, I think I changed my phone number, so don't bother calling.
[21:56] beevatron2000: cool

Currently listening to: The Weakerthans – Psalm for the Elks Lodge Last Call

"No, you see, we fixed the glitch."

Remember that time I tried selling my body to science and partly into the case study it was cancelled because the drugs being tested caused severe liver damage in dog test subjects? Well, being part of a Sociological discussion panel was nothing like that experience.

Basically we were pre-testing a survey questionnaire that a professor at the PRL was hoping to begin in a few weeks. Without revealing the confidential nature of the session, it focused on 24-3o year olds and their reasons for living at home or on their own. I was the second youngest group member of us 8, and only 1 of 3 members who were currently living away from home. That, to me, was a bit shocking. Every university graduate there was back to living at home, or had never moved out. I had the unique experience of moving out at 17, moving back home after a few years of independence, then heading back on out again.

Other interesting aspects of the study were questions pertaining to adulthood. Do you consider yourself an adult? When did you start seeing yourself as one? What factors do you think are necessary? It's increasingly vague in our society just when you "officially" pass from one development stage to the next. There's no intricate ceremony that, tadah!, instantly transforms you into an adult. Is it when you move out? When you graduate from school? When you turn 18? When you get your first real job? How about as soon as you start a family...or enter into a dedicated relationship? It's interesting to ponder. Do you think your parents view you as an adult?

The feedback and criticisms from our panel aided the professor in making any necessary changes to his survey, and it was awesome to see the development which goes behind such an undertaking. More importantly, we were each paid in cash money, pizza, refreshments, and delicious cookies for our input.

Currently: Wishing that I had not taken a Robaxacet, thinking it was an Immodium.

Jamaican Holiday

I highly suggest, for those of you who enjoy tasty beer experiences, that you track down a 6-pack of Red Stripe beer. I picked it up from the liquor store while I was returning an empty keg for the deposit money, and I've been pleasantly surprised by how good it actually is.

To a certain degree, the taste is like a slightly less sharp Heinken. Most appealing of all, however, are the stubby-necked bottles that this brew comes in. Exquisite!

Currently: Enjoying a midnight beer with my midnight grub, as my anger and frustration of 3 hours ago subsides.

The Chosen One

It seems that good things come to those who network. While applying for a position at the Population Research Lab, I'd chosen to use Professor McVey as one of my professional references. He'd actually retired, but due to staffing shortages, he'd been asked to come back and teach Spring/Summer Term courses. He's still teaching as we speak, so it appears that his temporary re-employment has been extended.

The other evening I received a call from one of the directors at the PRL, asking me if I'd like to partake in an upcoming focus group. I assumed this was something that a large portion of the staff was being asked to do, and since I was new to the job, she was just getting around to adding me to that list.

On this account, however, I was wrong. It appears that I'm only one of six people chosen for this assignment. This paid assignment.

I was hand-picked by the research coordinator, due to my glowing letter of reference from Professor McVey! I'll be aiding him in testing, and making suggestions on, questions he'll be using in an upcoming survey about students and their decisions to move out or stay at home, their opinions on what "adulthood" entails, etc. Another focus is on socio-cultural differences.

What can I say...I'm honoured to have my class performance come full-circle and aid me, no matter how small the degree, for my chosen field of study.

Currently: Making some midnight Hamburger Helper to celebrate!

The Gluttony and The Pain

The Olive Garden is a very dangerous place to go when you're looking for a "bite" to eat. I've yet to enjoy an actual dinner within the confines of the restaurant's walls, because I don't tend to make it past the unlimited breadsticks and soup/salad they bombard your table with. I've concluded it's useless to fight the urge to devour round upon round of these items, as they're decidedly damn delicious. Once you satiate your cravings for garlicky appetizers, and your actual ordered meal arrives, I believe it's only proper etiquette to sample everything on your plate (one bite will do!) before handing it back over to the server to package up for home.

In order to work up that appetite I was fortunate enough to play a few games of ball hockey, which somewhat resembled a few rounds of NHL Hitz 2003. For those of you who know that particular game, then you'll instantly understand that it was a goal-scorers afternoon. I was lucky enough to win 2 of the 3 games, but there wasn't anything pretty about it. November 28 was the last time I played, and as the lapse between games increases, it seems my body's ability to recover afterwards drastically decreases. Ooohhh....

Currently: Thankful that the neighbour knocked on the door and pointed out that my keys were still hanging in the lock.

Functionally Rewarding

The University of Alberta is like a second home to me. I base this association on the staggering portion of my young life spent within its confines - over 1/4 of it, to be precise.

In a somewhat satisfying twist of fate, I can now also call this institution of higher learning my workplace. It's a mutual agreement, whereby I endlessly scavenge a great deal of money to retain enrollment, and they harvest my analytical skills for a somewhat incomparable wage. Nonetheless, I am proud to be working within the Department of Sociology's Population Research Laboratory as a Surveyor and potential Research Analyst. A job, unexpectedly, which directly relates to my degree of study. The correlation is strong. The line direct.

I completed my first shift this morning, at it was far more rewarding, far more academic than my wildest expectations. An actual, professional, working environment filled with respect and trust!? Marvelous!

Currently: Hoping that Nicole won't have to be "put down" because of her bad hip.