I've decided...

...that I need to do educational stuff this fall instead of wasting time. Here's the basic plan:

1. Get my algebra knowledge up to scratch. That means going over my polynomials pages and (hopefully) finishing the written work and the practice test. I hate the written work. It's vague as hell.
2. Learn chemistry right from the beginning. I had started using my textbook (Chemistry Demystified - I also have the physics one), but then I stopped because I got lazy and I thought I had cheated on the chapter one practice test.
3. Japanese. I'm so out of practice.
4. Writing - specifically, essay writing. I think I'm going to start a narrative essay first, about one of my favourite karate teachers in the universe, Mr. Bishop. Shit, I miss him like crazy. He and Mr. Perrins (the EVIL ONE who was such a bastard to me when I had my tooth extracted) parted ways a few years ago, and Mr. Bishop owns a dojo (karate school) in Grimsby. If we lived closer, I'd so sign up at his dojo, but it's just too far away. Damn!
5. Biology. I want to finish my truly awesome anatomy colouring book - I screwed up on colouring in some vertebrae, but it's too late to fix it. Oh well, it doesn't matter.
6. Reading. I want to read some classics, like Orwell's 1984.

I have this seriously weird itch to go back-to-school shopping, only I can't think of anything that I need. I already got pencils a couple of weeks ago, when we went to Staples after church in that horrific weather. But surely there's something else I need... right? Oh! I know! Medium-point Sharpies! In loads of pretty colours! I have some coloured Sharpies, but they're in an Ultra Fine Point - which is okay, but I want to get some in a bolder point for doing big, obnoxious drawings. I don't draw much, but I'd like to get back into it.

Speaking of drawing, I came across a portfolio of my childhood drawings. Boy, was that a flashback. Some of them aren't too bad, actually. I'd like to get a new sketchbook for making fashion sketches, though, because my sketchbook is full of juvenile drawings. Then again, I got it several years ago at Wal-Mart. Mom says I should get one at Curry's, which is a nice art supply store. I'm not sure if it's a franchise or not - I've only seen one Curry's. I love them, because they carry good markers, nice paper, and even origami paper. Pretty super, if you ask me. I think I'll go on Flyerland and see if they have a Curry's flyer. Maybe I'll convince Mom to get some new paint for her own use. She'd like that. She's been saying that she wants to paint again, and what better time than the present, eh?

On the subject of art, I want to make some collages. We have some National Geographic magazines that nobody reads anymore, and an issue of Glow (the Shopper's Drug Mart magazine), and somewhere in the Abyss of the Flyer Bin is an issue of Famous, which is the Famous Players cinema magazine. Maybe I'll find all of our drawing books and try to draw human beings again. I seem to be better at drawing inanimate objects.

I need music...

There. Music. I love YouTube.

I also want to try cooking Japanese cuisine, like onigiri and sushi. I joined the Bento Artists group on Ravelry because I love the idea of making cute lunches. I know I probably won't need to make myself a boxed lunch for a while, but it would be neat to practice by making a bento the night before and stick it in the fridge, and then I don't have to frantically ask myself, "WHAT THE HELL SHOULD I HAVE FOR LUNCH?!". hehe. I'm borrowing a couple of Japanese cookbooks from the library, which are nice, but they're mostly Western-style stuff.

Wow. I've written a lot.

I'm also going to work on my existing stories. I need to do some research for my crime story first, though. I like writing it, though, because it's different from what I normally write - urban fantasy. Sometimes it's refreshing to write something a little more real, a little more logical. Maybe it's because you don't have to imagine as much. I mean, with a crime story you still have to imagine, but you don't have to make up magic or anything. It's all stuff that can happen anytime, anywhere.

I feel a lot better today than I have for the past few days. Probably because the weather is nice and cool. I still can't wait until I can wear jeans again.

That's all, folks :)

Human beings should not be up this early

I think it was 20 minutes to seven when the dogs started whining. Lovely. They were all being dumbasses, too, which didn't help. Humans shouldn't be up that early. Or dogs.

I need water...

M'kay. I have a glass of water now. Mom's watching Oasis HD, and she was all, "Look at these Brazilian hunting dogs! They look like a cross between a Jack Russell and a Tasmanian Devil!" At least, I think they're Brazilian. I'm still tired.

I went to the library yesterday, and guess what? The self-checkout was working for me! But the other one wasn't working for Dad. I went over to see what was wrong, and I saw that it looks different than the one I was using. I mean, the whole terminal is the same, but the displays on the screen are different. Odd. I picked up a Jane Goodall DVD, the first InuYasha manga, and a Dire Straits compilation. But I probably already said that in one of my other posts, haha.

I wonder if that Green Day CD is in yet. I couldn't check my account earlier, because they were doing catalog maintinence until, like, 7:40 or something. I think I can check my account now.

Other than that... nothing's going on.

I have shamelessly slept in again

I think the reason why I slept in until after 11:00 was because of a weird dream I had. I can't remember all of it, but it had something to do with these two kids trying to get a certain amount of money (I think I may have been 'seeing' the dream from one of the kids' point of view), and one of the kids - the girl - lived in this cottage-of-sorts, if I remember correctly. And I think she had a grandmother that was a splitting image of Edith's mother in 'Allo! 'Allo!. And I think that, for some strange reason, Father Guido Sarducci was in the dream. He's an SNL character. Google it.

I guess that's what I get when I watch old seasons of SNL...

I have to go through my shirts today, because there's one tank top that is definitely going in the garbage. It's an old, ratty Old Navy tank top that my sister gave me years ago, and it's getting very threadbare. I also have a royal blue Old Navy tank top (again, a hand-me-down from my sister) that is getting a little small, and a green tank top that I never wear because it's ugly and doesn't fit well.

I also plan on burning a copy of that Green Day CD. I need more music in my iTunes library, and something to blast when I'm pissed off.

Just felt like posting again

Today has been okay so far. But it's only... checks computer clock... 9:23 AM, so there's still... counts on fingers... 15 more hours. Dad's at work, Mom not being bitchy right now (thank GOD), and I have a headache. But that could be due to loud music.

Today I've been on a Green Day kick, but I've also listened to some Boston - all via YouTube. Now I'm waiting for 'I Will Follow' by U2 to buffer. I seriously need more music. Good thing Dad's gonna let me burn a copy of Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown. While I'm at it, I may also burn other music - Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, and perhaps that Stevie Ray Vaughan and Albert King album that Dad downloaded using the free MP3 downloads he got with the old HP computer. That's a good album.

I won't bother writing a list for my parents for my birthday, but a few weeks ago I started one for Grandpa. I guess he'll be wanting a list soon, so I should probably run through it and make some changes and stuff.

I have to go to the library today, because SNL is overdue, and The Mighty is due today. And I have a Dire Straits CD to pick up. And a Jane Goodall DVD and the first InuYasha manga.

Crap, I forgot it was a holiday Monday

I hate holiday Mondays.

I hate them because, if someone decides to start an argument that makes you want to walk out the door and go somewhere, anywhere, most places are closed. The library's closed (the library by our house is always closed on Mondays, though), the local businesses like the coffee shop are closed, Zarky's is closed, almost everywhere is closed. Except, perhaps, for Tim Horton's. I'm not sure if they're open on long weekends.

This long weekend has, like most, royally sucked. Mom just went into Bitch Mode today. I've no idea why she did, but she did. All I know is that she stomped up the stairs and into her room and slammed the door. When I went downstairs to get water or something like that, Dad was washing dishes and asked me to dry. After a few hours, Mom came down and watched TV for a bit. After I'd gone back up to my computer, she started bitching Dad out. I don't know what she was bitching about, and quite frankly, I didn't care. I just wanted her to shut the hell up.

I wonder who flipped her bitch switch - me or Dad. Or maybe it was both of us. But I'm past caring. The worst part? Dad gets to work tomorrow, and I have to put up with her. Lucky him.

My head's been aching on and off, too, which doesn't make matters better. My arms have, too, but that's from knitting and typing. I think the headache's from the weather, because I get weather change headaches all the time.

Another cruddy weekend has come to an end.

Friday: we go to Michaels, PetSmart, Giant Tiger and Indigo. I got yarn at Michaels, we got dog food and cat food at PetSmart, we got many things at Giant Tiger (including a t-shirt for me that says, 'I'm sorry. I forgot you're an idiot'), and we got nothing at Indigo (we didn't even look at the bargain books! I should've wandered over there...). Mom threw a childish hissy-fit over a burger.

Saturday: Mom and Dad went to the market, I stayed home and eat buttered toast and watch old episodes of SNL. Mom watched with me when she got back. Dad was supposed to go to poker, but I guess it didn't happen. Mom made some comment about how 'we COULD have gone to the movies'. I say, "Well, you two could have, anyway. I would've stayed home." She says, "I meant your dad and I anyway." So nice to be included.

Sunday: Dad got ticked because I was in his seat, so I told him to find something to watch on TV instead. On my way up to my computer, Mom said, "Definitely not ready for college this year." Hey, mom? !@#% YOU!!! I'LL BE A HELLUVA LOT BETTER WITHOUT YOU NATTERING AT ME EVERY !@#$ING MINUTE!

Also, I have just realized that I haven't had anything to eat, and that I'm getting hungry. Will it be a sandwich or a bowl of cereal?

I suddenly want to knit wristbands now. I think it's because the pressure of deadlines is off my shoulders now that I don't have any more HPKCHC assignments. I want to make wristbands for two reasons: a) instant gratification, and b) I want to practice duplicate stitch, and something small like a wristband would be great for that. Actually, there's a third reason: c) because I have a crapload of acrylic to use up, including a lot of Patons Astra. I was originally going to make preemie sweaters with the Astra, but now I think I'm going to use nicer yarn for preemie sweaters and make hats and wristbands with my Astra.

He totally deserves a hat for Christmas

Last night Dad picked up burgers from Licks. Mom wanted their new Maui Wowie burger, which has pineapple and back bacon on it. She told Dad that it was a pre-dressed burger, so Dad told the person taking his order to put on whatever goes on a Maui Wowie burger.

Big mistake.

When she saw what happened, Mom freaked out. And I mean, really freaked out. Screaming at the top of her lungs, she was. I got mad and tried walking out of the room with my burger, but she screamed at me to sit down, so I did. I wolfed down my burger, even though Dad yelled at me to slow down. I didn't even enjoy my burger because I was just so mad and wanted out of the room. When Mom said, "Sam?" to get my attention, I looked up, and she automatically classified my look as a glare and said, "Never mind, I'LL do it!" and got up to get paper towel. And then proceeded to bitch me out for apparently glaring at her.

After I was done my burger, I tried eating my fries, but they just tasted like grease, so I dumped them in the green bucket - green buckets, for anyone who doesn't know, is our city's compost buckets. They ask us to fill the green buckets with food scraps, small bones, pet hair, etc, and then we dump the buckets into the larger green carts and set them to the curb with the garbage and recycles. So anyway, I dumped the fries in the green bucket and went upstairs with my Coke and went on my computer.

Later I asked Dad to take photos of my HPKCHC projects - Mom took some photos, but there was no way I was asking her to download them for me, and anyway, they were only photos of my washcloths, and I needed a photo of my Irish Hiking Scarf. So Dad took some photos of both my washcloths and my scarf. Now I think I should knit him a hat or something. Wait, he already has a nice Thinsulate hat... maybe I'll make him a long scarf. The only scarf he has is the cowl that Mom make him. Although I'm sure he wouldn't mind having an extra hat. Maybe I'll make him one with earflaps. That'll be good for when he's digging out the driveway in the winter.

The upside of yesterday was that I got some Vanna's Choice in Ravenclaw colours, so now I can make a house scarf. I'm talking to Mom now (last night I said very little to her), but I'm still mad at her over the burger thing.