NaBloPoWhat?!

Oh, yeah. Fail. Sorry guys! My computer kind of blew up a little bit and I haven't had internet at home, in addition to feeling kind of exceptionally crummy, so that whole blogging every day thing just crashed.
I should be doing homework right now, so this is all you get. But I'm fine. Alive. Just letting you know.
At ease.
PS - thankful that I can get internet at school :)

The Way To Make It Work

I've discovered over the years that I am very good at planning things out: budgets, timelines, to-do lists, really life in general! Unfortunately, where I fall flat is on following through on all these brilliant plans.
I sat down tonight to plan out the next week, down to hourly accounting and all sorts of goals, with all my appointments in there for good measure. I look at it, and everything feels pretty achievable, but then I fall just a little bit short of those goals. All of a sudden it's all overwhelming but instead of tackling it in those bite-sized chunks into which I've broken it down (How do you eat an elephant?) I simply become entirely daunted by the enormity of it all and hide away intellectually and emotionally. I'll sleep or read or watch mindless TV, and that just feeds the stress machine and makes me even more angry with myself and to feel even less like I can conquer the mountain (or molehill!)
So what do you do when the t0-do list threatens? I've found this list pretty useful, in theory, but have a hard time applying even that. What works for you? Lay it on me!
Oh, and today? I'm thankful that I'm going to bed. Now. Here's hoping for a really good and restful sleep! Cheers!

New Moon

Well, Robyn, Jen and I went to see New Moon. It was pretty fun. Because of the huge demand, we bought our tickets yesterday, and then still showed up two hours early to the theatre to join the line, though thankfully we didn't have to wait long before they let us in to sit down. I didn't even have to break out the playing cards ;)
Once we actually got in to the theatre somehow I lost my ticket, and had to borrow Jen's so I could leave and come back!
I don't have a ton to say about the movie, so you needn't worry about spoilers. It was definitely better than the first one, though still pretty cheesy, with lots and lots of shirtlessness, and while Jacob looks darn hot, it's also a little weird, because he's only 17! So I felt a little guilty counting his (8) abs. Only a little though ;)
What I will say is that it was fun to go with people who were keen enough on the film to go with Jacob and Edward t-shirts. As I said before, Robyn's totally team Jacob, whereas Jen is 100% team Edward. Me, I'm still on the fence - they're both pretty much babies anyway - so I'm sticking to Team Gerard Butler. The fact that he wasn't in this movie is totally irrelevant of course. I almost wanted to slip away to see Law Abiding Citizen - I hear he's shirtless in that one too.
So today, I'm thankful for eye candy (what? I'm allowed! lol), silliness, and hanging out with the girls. All in all, it was a pretty good day!

Adventure, Day One

Well, the driving was worst between Merritt and Kamloops, actually, in my humble opinion, though that may just have been me getting used to winter highway driving. Because I couldn't sleep, I ended up leaving home around 4am, arriving in Langely around 8:30, so I hung out around a local Starbucks until it was time to meet the lovely Karen at 10.It was wonderful to see her - my only complaint was that she wasn't able to bring the girls because they had to be in daycare! We'll have to set up a full family date soon!
After brunch I headed over to Robyn's, where we dashed into downtown to take some pictures - more of those to come - and there was a great deal of geeking out over our cameras.
Then, we headed over to the theater to pick up our tickets for New Moon tomorrow night, browsed around Lush until we had scent-induced headaches, and then went off in search of dinner. We both really wanted to hit up the Olive Garden, and while we knew there was one in Langley, Robyn was sure she had seen one closer to home. After a rather convoluted drive and several changes of directions, not to mention rush hour and crazy city drivers, along with heavy rain, enormous puddles, and oh yes, a thunderstorm - we arrived only to find that it was... a Bread Garden instead.
The hunger and sleep-induced hysteria definitely set in then, because I don't know the last time that I giggled that hard. So, we gave up our quest for mass-produced Italian food, and instead headed for a local place closer to home - and it was delicious! The portions were absolutely huge, which had us excited - the leftovers are in the fridge awaiting our pleasure at lunch tomorrow!
More adventures to come, I am sure! For now - I am thankful I arrived here safely in spite of dodgy roads, and I am very thankful for my dear cousin, Miss Bobyn.
<3

Road Trip!

I'm heading down to the coast tomorrow to see my sisters and my adopted cousin, Robyn. I'm pretty stoked! I'm not 100% sure what we'll be doing, but I believe it will involve going to New Moon with her Edward-obsessed roommate...though Robyn's more likely to root for Team Jacob (she says because then she could have puppies!)
I also know that the weekend will involve some sort of photo-adventuring, as we did last time, which got me some of my favourite pictures of Bob, like this one...


and this one...



Oh, and Robyn also got this cute one of me (if I do say so myself haha!)


So hopefully, we'll have more adorable photographic evidence of this weekend! I'll keep y'all posted. Meanwhile, i think I'll take myself to bed - 5am is going to come mighty early!

Boom

This is kind of how it feels in my head right now. I'm going to take some drugs and lay down, but this might be the only blog post y'all get today.

I've been shot!

H1N1 and the attendant vaccine have been very hot topics lately. I've heard a lot of paranoia about rushed vaccines and how they make you sicker than if you got the actual flu, or other illness consequences. Honestly, though, I think a lot of the panic is just that, and often not well-reasoned. While I don't think the medical establishment is flawless by any means, I think the complete lack of trust that some display is a bit silly!
I have a personal medical adviser in my mum, a nurse with over thirty years experience. When we had to get immunizations in school, I used to make her come in and give me the shots - those public health nurses were none too gentle! She told me last week that she thought I should get both the H1N1 and seasonal flu shots, largely because of a childhood vulnerability of asthma. I talked to my doctor about it yesterday and he advised me to go down to the flu clinic at the mall. The lineup was a bit daunting at first, and the staff member watching the line said the wait was about an hour. Thankfully, it only took me about 15 minutes to get to the nurse, who ended up being a lady I know from church whose sons I have cared for in the nursery. She assured me that she was very gentle and it wouldn't hurt too badly, and it didn't. My left arm's a little sore (I got the H1N1 vaccine in the left and the seasonal vaccine in the right, because H1N1 supposedly hurts more so it was suggested to have that one in my non-dominant hand) and I popped a couple Tylenol earlier, again on Mum's recommendation, but overall I am feeling just fine.
Today, I am thankful that I was able to get the vaccine in a timely manner, and for free, to boot!

My eyes will turn square any day now, according to the mother-lore of my childhood...

Lately, against what is probably wise time management, there are a few TV show's I've got into this season. Up until this year, I only ever watched Heroes. Lately, it's been pretty confusing, but a few things are coming together and starting to make sense in tonight's episode.
It continues to be my Monday night staple, but I've also got into Lie to Me. How could I resist a show based so heavily on psychological principles? I missed it tonight though, so don't go tellin' me what happened! Thankfully, as with Heroes, if I miss it, I can catch up on GlobalTV.com.
One of the reasons I'd previously avoided "getting into" any shows was the impetus to be home on that night, at that time. Having so many of them available online frees it up. I've been watching The Daily Show online for quite a while now, due to a lack of anything more than basic cable, and a love for Jon Stewart's witty and sarcastic analysis of current events.
Then, of course, there's the new musical/comedy craziness that is Glee! The show and its soundtrack are an awful lot of fun, and I've commented on that before! That one gets catch-up online too.
Finally, there are my Thursday night shows: Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice. The last few weeks, my Thursday night class has been let out early so I can watch them "live" but most weeks I have to get Grey's from ctv.ca. My baby sister's the one who got me into Grey's, so I guess I'll blame her for that particular addiction haha!
So, all that adds up to about 8 hours per week. I guess it could be worse! As long as I can put it off with the online versions until my homework's done, and all that (yes, Mum :P ) I think it's not unmanageable.
So today, silly as it is, I'm thankful for being able to watch shows online - making my entertainment time work around my life, and not the other way around!
What about you? Do you have any shows you get into, or any that are particularly addictive? Alternatively, are there any shows that you just don't get, or actively annoy you? (I've never been able to get into Reality TV - especially Survivor!) Do share!

Okay, so maybe "Sabbath" was yesterday?

Well, the concert went well! We had a relatively small turnout (Dad said he counted 38) but everyone who was there was great, and super encouraging. I think we played pretty well, and it wasn't too stressful at all (though I missed posting yesterday because of prep as well as hanging out with Mum - there's always so much more a) hockey and b) tea when I'm around her haha!) So I guess this week my Sabbath will be on a more traditional Jewish day!
We sold a few copies of the CD tonight, and hopefully it will be arriving any day now! I'm sure I'll have a little adventure driving around delivering them all over town. I'm hoping and praying they arrive here without any incident, and no trouble with customs and the like (the manufacturer had a Richmond factory, but it closed down about two days after I sent my CDs in, so they had to forward them on to California and that's where they're coming from now.)
It's been really nice to have Mum in town to help out with all this - I called her "my lovely assistant" at the concert tonight - and she's been great, making coffee and tea, plating snacks (a couple ladies from the church brought some, and I baked banana bread and brownies last night as well) and taking orders (and money!) for the CDs. It was also a lot of fun to go out to the hockey game at the pub with her, her friend Lee and my "cousin" Joel! The hockey game was all the more fun, of course, because we (aka the Canucks haha) kicked butt - 8 to 2 - much more fun than the local WHL team's painful 7-2 loss!!
Finally, another highlight of my weekend: Tizzy sent me flowers!!!

Aren't they pretty? Love 'em! (and her!!)
Well, y'all, sorry for all the parentheses, I know they're enough to make any grammarian cringe - but it's super late, and I'm exhausted!
Today, I am thankful for so many things, but namely this: the friends and family who have given me such tremendous support through the whole process of bringing this album to fruition. Oh, *giggle* and my flowers! :D

Yeah, it's bullet time again...

• I went to a hometown hockey game tonight. We lost 7-2. I think I'm bad luck :P Any time I go to the game we seem to lose! Or maybe it was just Friday the 13th. Or, most likely, they're not having that hot of a season! Still, it's probably good we didn't score more or I'd have screamed myself raw and that wouldn't be so good before the concert! There's a technique, I think, to scream without ruining your voice, but I don't know what it is.
• Mum and Bev got here safely after a bit of a crazy drive over the Coq in white-out conditions, driving past a 9-vehicle pileup. Yikes! I'm very thankful they're okay.
• I went to the massage therapist today. It was marvelous. I wish I could hire her 365 days of the year :P
• It snowed!
  
• Yeah okay that's it. I'm tired and I'm going to bed. :P
• Thankful today for Mum and Bev's safe arrival. <3
  

Girlfriends

I watched a cheesy girl movie tonight, and it made me cry, and wish I had more or just closer girlfriends. I've missed Emily since the beginning of the school year, as her program is super-demanding, and Tiffany's gone to Australia for more than a month - lucky girl! Sometimes I just don't invest what I should into my friends, or I try to be friends with the wrong people and it doesn't work.
Then, I have some good friends who are just too far away. I have my Tizzy, of course, but we're a little strange in that we've only actually met twice!! Going to visit her involves a passport and at least several days. Thankfully Belinda has moved a bit closer - only two hours away instead of more than twelve but it's still a bit much to drive especially as we're heading into winter (and neither of us really has the money for the jaunt).
And sometimes? I just hide, like I've been doing lately. Silly, silly girl. But tomorrow, my mum and my sister will be here, and they trump girlfriends any day. And I am very thankful for them.

Asneeze, father of Achou

I think I have the most ridiculous sneezes known to mankind. With every semester, every new class, every new person I meet, this leads into endless merriment on their part. I've had one person compare me to his sister's cat, others have said I sound like a mouse.
Others still have suggested that instead of the 3-10 little sneezes I just "let it out" with one big one. If only! Even first thing in the morning, sometimes I have great big sneezes, but they're still appearing in multiples. I think the record is something like 25. It left me more than a little dizzy.
On the plus side, it garners me a whole lot of "Bless you!"s! Some people feel the need to bless me after each individual sneeze. My friend Hyun (whom I got to hang out with tonight for the first time in eons, he and Russell, for practice for the concert, which was fun!) tends to count on his fingers while laughing at me.
I sneezed in class yesterday, several "sets", enough to have me wondering if there was something in the air! I was sitting in the back row (I often do, so my laptop doesn't distract others) and of course every head turned around to look at me. Apparently, my sneezes are a spectator sport. Oh well, glad I could amuse, I guess!
Today, I shall be grateful for the silly movie that gave me the title for this entry. 10 points to the person who first guesses what it is! I need to watch it again soon :)

Home

I spent a bit of time at the church today practicing for the upcoming concert. Mike (music pastor) gave me a quick tutorial on the keyboard I'll be using, and I scrolled through sounds deciding which would work for my songs and whatnot. There was one called "Meet Thy Doom" which I wanted to use simple on principle of its awesome name, but it didn't quite suit my style ;)
After more than an hour of plugging away at the keyboard with the headphones on, I moved over to the piano, and it just felt so much more...right. Don't get me wrong, it's a great keyboard - donated to the church by a member who upgraded to an even better one haha - weighted and well-made and the sounds are good...but it's just not the same!! For me, to sit down behind a real piano (especially the beautiful grand at the church) feels a little like coming home. Also, as I mentioned to Mike: it's a whole lot easier to hide behind a piano. ;)
I'm thankful today that I got a chance to play, and to remember how much I love it!

Sabbath

After missing posting yesterday, I've decided that each week I'll be taking a Sabbath rest from NaBloPoMo, to keep myself from going completely nutso ;) Yes, I am making that decision retroactively. What's it to ya? heh.
As you can see in the picture, I'm quite enjoying a lovely cup of tea (with puffy eyes and bed head! and nostrils!), courtesy of my dear littlest sister. She works in a tea shop and gives little bags of tea once in a while, and it's a very nice treat. This morning it's a classic cream Earl Grey. Delicious!
Yesterday at church I got to see my other little sister, who's up visiting friends, and got a much-needed sister hug. There's nothing like it!!
This coming week is likely to be a bit of a gong show, with school demands and praying desperately that the album will arrive in time for the release celebration on Sunday, rehearsing and trying to do something in the vein of decor and ambiance and arranging for there to be some munchies for people (I'd at first thought I'd do all the baking myself, but quickly realized that's just a bit crazy, with everything else I have on my plate!)
Seeing Bev this Sunday helped remind me of the things that are really important though. I'll have a good chunk of my family around, and friends and others who care about me to help celebrate this milestone. And it's gonna be good!
I am blessed and thankful for the opportunity - and the command! - God has given us to take a Sabbath, to rest and regain perspective.

The Pit

It's so peculiar, I think, that I can work myself into such deeply woven thought spirals that I find it difficult to crawl back out again. I unwillingly play "bad tapes", as cognitive behavioural therapists would say. I slowly get better and better at ignoring the thoughts, at not letting them direct my actions, and not giving in. It would be preferable, to never get into that hole in the first place.
I have an image of that hole in my head, and if I had the skill to draw it, I know precisely what it would look like. It's like a well, deep and dark, cold and damp. The stones are slick and offer no purchase, no way to claw myself out of the despair.
Instead, I need something to stand on, a foundation to build my way out. From Psalm 139:

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

If I make my bed in the depths, You are there. Even in the veriest pit of despair, God will not desert me. From Psalm 69:

¹⁴ Rescue me from the mire,
do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
from the deep waters.

¹⁵ Do not let the floodwaters engulf me
or the depths swallow me up
or the pit close its mouth over me.

¹⁶ Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love;
in your great mercy turn to me.

¹⁷ Do not hide your face from your servant;
answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.

I've often wondered if King David suffered from a major depression or even bipolar disorder, because from what he wrote, I think he would understand. Even if David couldn't fathom how much this hurts sometimes, I must remember that Christ does, and that even when I feel crushingly lonely, I am never alone.

S-m-r-t

Yesterday was, of course, the fifth of November. When a classmate walked into our seminar, she wished me a happy Guy Fawkes Day (and I admitted that I only really knew about it from V for Vendetta) which prompted me to research something that was only a vague recollection. You know the little rhyme?

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,

I know of no reason

Why the Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot.

About ten minutes later, she asked me the date - and I couldn't answer her. I checked my cel phone, then did a major *facepalm*, smacking my forehead. Even with a helpful rhyme, we were just a little forgetful.

(Slightly More) Readable Version

Beth at So The Fish Said wanting to see our handwriting. And I'm always up for anything that will help me fulfill the post quote for NaBloPoMo!

Directions

W
Originally uploaded by muirnait

In May, I don't really know where I'm going to go. I'm hoping to be done my degree. I'm trying so hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. My concert is coming up in a week and a half and I'm not feeling ready at all! I've also kept busy putting up the website and making the song clips for the discography page (finding free software, ripping my master copy, learning how to use the software, fade in, fade out...having the computer crash every time it accidentally became unplugged - a lot of words I shouldn't say and shouts of frustration!) My friend Emily did a fantastic job on the artwork, but had to step back before it was 100% of school commitments, so I had to learn how to use Adobe Illustrator very, very quickly! Thank goodness for Adobe's free 30 day trials :)
The next couple weeks will involve even more concert prep, trying to get people to come out! Also, those of you are so inclined, please pray that the physical production of the CDs goes off without any hitches and gets here in time!!
I'll be working to keep on top of school, which can be very demanding, of course. My house reflects the craziness in my life! But I've got to keep slogging on, meeting my big goals!
After May, I'll head to the Island for a while, unless some brilliant job pops up here. Hopefully there will be something good there! I'm praying to find something related to the mental health field to improve my chances of getting into grad school, for a Masters in Psychology to work with children and youth in mental health counseling. It just seems so ridiculously far away...gotta remind myself to keep on going in the right direction!

PS - today, I am thankful for flickr and all the friends to whom it introduced me!

GLEE!

GLEE!
Originally uploaded by muirnait

I'd like to take a minute expound upon my love of the TV show Glee! How could I not enjoy a silly drama-filled cheesy musical with classic showtunes and crazy mash-ups and an epic amount of sing-along-ableness. (Yes, I made up a word. Deal.)
I burned a CD of the soundtrack this morning and was absolutely cranking it in my car - and leaving a voicemail for my baby sister with the show's cover of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" and the message, "Journey fixes everything!"
Also, a few of the songs feature the awesome, adorable and brilliant Kristen Chenoweth whom I totally fell in love with back in her days on the West Wing: she was just so spunky! Her version of Carrie Underwood's "Last Name" is just a heck of a lot of fun.
Having that CD to sing along to in my car this morning was totally the highlight of my day, and so today, that's what I'm thankful for! The show's title is just incredibly apropos: it makes me feel totally gleeful!

No, Really

• So it occurred to me tonight, as I threw a handy sweater over my cold toes, that socks are like, sweaters for your feet. Foot sweaters! And how awesome is that?

• (No, I am not under the influence of any mind-altering substances. Other than the usual ones prescribed by my doctor, that is.)
  
  
• Search and rescue dogs are really amazing. Whoever first thought of training them to do that is genius. I hope they got some sort of award.
  
  
• I've been told that I'm incredibly random. I thought I'd use some bullet points to underscore that fact. They just suit the direction of my head.
  
  
• One of the reasons I wanted to pick up on blogging again was to stretch my writing "muscles"...but bullet points don't help with that much. Oops.
  
  
• Today, I'm thankful ... that my cat is so cute. Silly, I know, but she makes me smile, and I have actually said (out loud) in the last 24 hours, "Kitten, I am so glad you came to live with me."
  

It's that time again!

Ladies and gents, November is known as National Blog Posting Month, aka NaBloPoMo - wherein bloggers are challenged to post daily for the month. I might be just crazy enough to try it. I'm going to have a lot going on this month, with the release of my upcoming album, the concert celebrating it, midterms, my birthday, and just a whole lot of life in general, November's going to be a pretty crazy month.
I've definitely been slacking off on blogging in the last year or so, but I figure blogging through this month will either help keep me grounded, or drive me completely nutso. Let's wait and see which, eh?
Something else I'll shoot for, along with blogging every day in November, inspired partly by Jen's doing Schmutzie's "Grace in Small Things" and I'm not gonna be quite as ambitious, but I'll be trying to name at least one thing every day for which I'm thankful. Today, I choose this: I am thankful for days full of sunshine that make the coming winter seem a little bit brighter.
And that's NaBloPoMo, day one!