The International House of Spicer

My Final 'Single' Post

2008-06-06T04:43:00.002-05:00

Wow, I am not going to be winning the blogger of the year award, am I? I definitely have not been so good at churning out the material. But believe me or not, I am actually not planning on 'retiring.' I actually do want to be a pretty regular blogger. With that said, I am probably going to be taking another week or so hiatus. I think I have a pretty good reasons this time because. . .

I AM GETTING FREAKING MARRIED!!!! DUDE!!! It will be teh ROXORZ!!!!

Yeah, I am a little pumped. Mixed with a little bit of nervousness. It will be pretty awesome. We will be having the ceremony and reception in the Toronto area. There is going to be a mix of Western and Chinese style in the wedding. The reception is going to have some delicious traditional Chinese food which is going to be a lot of fun. I'm interested in seeing my relative try to handle the chopsticks. It should be a pretty fun time. Best of alll, I am marrying the most amazing girl I know in the entire universe. Sounds like a sweet deal to me.

Honeymoon is going to be very short since I am still in school and Emily is not done work yet for the summer. We are going to spend the next few days at Niagara on the Lake at the Vintage hotels. That should be quite the wonderful experience.

To be honest, I don't really have much more to say because there isn't a lot more on my mind. For some of you, I'll see you tomorrow or maybe tonight, and if you aren't going to be there, be sure to have an absolutely marvelous weekend on me.

BOOYAH!!!

Happy (this past weekend was) Easter

2008-03-24T08:41:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone had a really delightful weekend. Maybe threw in some quality family time, too. I had a really fantastic weekend as I got to give a very special person their first ever Easter Egg hunt, I got a delicious turkey dinner, I was able to throw a successful Easter hunt for the church kiddies, and I had some quality time with some friends I rarely see. All in all, this one gets two thumbs up.

I am hoping this can be the fresh start to me actually blogging again. We will see if you hear anything from me again for the nest 37 days or so.

I Thought This Semester Was Going To Be Different

2008-03-11T05:45:00.003-05:00

Apparently, I was wrong. So much for sticking with New Year resolutions. I had hoped to blog on a semi-daily basis this year, as well as be way ahead in my assignment. I have failed on both accounts. Once again, a horde of papers are attacking me on all side and I really only have myself to blame for it. These next few weeks should be pretty wild and not in the Disney G-rated way. There will be lots of violence. Maybe some crying.

On the plus side, I have a house and a cat. Or more accurately, Emily has a house and I'll be occasionally squatting in it. But the cat, I lay at least half claim to him. Probably his right half because I find the ear on that side particularly intriguing. I could spend hours gazing and contemplating its wonder. Well, not really. I haven't actually given much thought to the cat's ears. Though I do know he has them.

Anyway, back to my pathetic attempt at combating the horde.

Merry Christmas!!!

2007-12-24T16:47:00.000-05:00

I have survived the weeks of attrition that was this past month of essays, exams and applications. I can now resume to seeing my world through rose coloured glasses. Of course, it is always easier to have a cheery outlook when it is Christmas time. I love this time year and always have. Though, as a chid I couldn't even get a wink of sleep on this particular night since I was so anxious for the arrival of Santa. I can now get a few more Zs during the night but I still get almost as excited as I once did. It is just a very happy and pleasant time when you really get to enjoy and appreciate your family. Though of course, it is always good to spend time with the ones you love but Christmas just seems to have that magic feeling about it. Everything just seems to be that much more special and wondrous.

I hope everyone has an absolutely wonderful and merry Christmas. Be sure to let the ones you love know how much they really mean to you.

If I Had A Time Machine

2007-12-04T22:43:00.001-05:00

I'd go back to the beginning of this semester and kick September me in the nuts.

My Life As A Recluse

2007-12-03T21:41:00.001-05:00

This week, I basically plan on hiding out in the Laurier computer lab in an attempt to finish my stress inducing and incredibly unpleasant papers. Once I hit my famous 'writer's groove', I am sure things will even start to become enjoyable. I will probably continue to either be invisible or very 'non-wordy' over the next week or so. I do promise oodles and copious amounts of verbiage once my Fall semester is officially done on December 15th!

I type the words 'Fall Semester' yet it does not look anything like fall. We really got hit with a mother load of snow or at least, a lot of snow for the area at this time of year. Though, usually at this time year we have no snow, so it isn't a monumental achievement. Now, lets see if we can actually have a White Christmas (I can't remember the last time such a things happened).

HoHickey, the papers say 'hi' back. See, even if I don't really enjoy them, they are very courteous and polite.

Bye November 2007

2007-11-30T23:30:00.000-05:00

I will not miss you. You were mean. Though one could argue my own deep love for procrastination was a major reason this month was such a nasty and brutal beast. But why shift the blame back to me? It is much more fun to pick on a month that can't defend itself. Now if this month was April, I wouldn't be passing any blame its way. Nobody messes with April. She's a tough month. But November, he is a patsy. Though I shouldn't be too hard on him because after all, he has given me lots of birthdays which in turn has given me lots of gifts. I like gifts for those people who have way too much money and looking to blow it somewhere. I always am willing to be a recipient of mass giving. You could consider it a 'I survived my teacher's college applications' present. Anyway, I've got some essays that feel rather neglected due to all this love shown to the applications. Don't worry, I'm here for you, my precious papers.

The End Is Near!!!

2007-11-29T18:00:00.000-05:00

No, I am not prophesizing the apocalypse or the rapture. Afterall, my initials aren't JVI. Rather I am foreseeing a much rosier and joyous future, one that is absent of teacher's applications and school papers. Of course, the complete end of all school duties is still approximately three weeks away. At least, I now have some hope that I will be able to avoid a complete mental breakdown. I hear sanity is a nice thing to have during the holiday season. I will consider this newfound hope, my early Christmas gift. Anyway, I thought it would be nice to let my loyal readers know that I indeed still breath. I will now go back into seclusion.

For All The American Readers. . .

2007-11-22T16:55:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Today doesn't mean anything special for the majority of the world but you Americans get to stuff yourself, enjoy a parade, do lots of shopping and watch tons of football. Sounds like a pretty fun day to me. Of course, we did that over a month ago minus the shopping thing since our Thanksgiving wasn't invented as a strategy to encourage consumerism. I think ours was designed as a new way to piss off the First Nations. Plus it is nice to have a holiday thrown in during the fall season.

Anyway, enough about the long gone Canadian holiday and back to rooting for that American version!!! For all my friends from the United States, have an absolutely fantastic turkey day and a great time with your family. As for all non Americans, enjoy your typical Thursday but you can still have a great time with the family even if it lacks the splendour of being a holiday.

Now, For A Completely Different Approach

2007-11-21T20:13:00.000-05:00

I don't know how many people are already aware of this, but a USC student created a video game called Darfur is Dying. Essentially, you can pick from a family of displaced Sudanese who must try to care for his/her people while attempting to avoid the Janjaweed militia. I personally haven't decided exactly how I feel about this. On one hand, it presents an incredibly important issue to a demographic that may not normally be exposed to it, due to being apathetic or cynical to traditional news media. On the other hand, I have fear it turns a serious crisis into entertainment and also risks trivializing such an important issue. Then again, it is really critical to try to effectively use all forms of media out there in order to reach as many people as possible. Especially in regards to a serious dilemma like the conflict in Darfur. I obviously have a lot to say about this issue alone but I'll save it for when I don't have numerous essays and teacher's college applications mocking and threatening me.

Happy Anniversary Tim & Carolyn!!!

2007-11-20T22:21:00.000-05:00

I don't know if today is the actual date or not. I do know it is somewhere around this time period. Maybe it is the 19th? I also think today might be another Carolyn's birthday. Or at least, it is pretty close to this date too. What do you mean that is what a planner is for? I thought its purpose was to keep track of what time the Office is on. Not that it matters anymore with the writer's strike.

Happy wishes to Tim and Carolyn Teakle and I am sure you will have many, many, many more splendid years of marriage. As for Carolyn Ho, I don't even know if you check this ever, but Happy Birthday to you, anyway.

I am going to bed because a man isn't supposed to average 4 hours of sleep a night.

Definition of Irony

2007-11-19T23:07:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, I am giving a presentation on coping with stress.

A Trillion Dollars Is A Lot Of Money

2007-11-18T16:36:00.000-05:00

No matter if you're pro or anti war in Iraq and Afghanistan, you have to admit that a trillion dollars towards those war efforts seems like an exorbitant amount to spend. To me, it seems the funds could go to so many more worthwhile places. You could pay off a huge amount of Africa's debt and finally really begin to seriously bring aid to that continent. Or the money could go to help the American citizens with improvement in health care or education. I know there is an argument that this money is going into protection for the western world. But when you look at the military being a multi-billion dollar industry, you start getting a little suspicious of the real purpose behind it. I am not trying to diminish the efforts of the troops or even attack the American army. I do feel that people really need to start reanalyzing war and its true purpose. Is it really leading to a protection of our rights and allowing for a greater good for humanity? Has any war ever lead to this? I look at the history of war and I am hard pressed to find a single war that did not directly or indirectly lead to another war or conflict or crisis. Of course, I am open to any rebuttals.

TGIF

2007-11-16T21:11:00.000-05:00

The blessed weekend is here. It actually hasn't been an overly crazy week but I am hoping to be able to get LOTS of work done this weekend. These next two weeks will be the definition of Captain Insano. Also tomorrow is the first Boys' Reading Club event, the theme will be comics and superheroes, so that should be lots of fun. On the business perspective, it is more experience to beef up those teacher's college applications. Alright, no more procrastination for me!

The Blog's Future

2007-11-15T17:06:00.000-05:00

Despite what several months of intermittent inactivity may show, I actually really do enjoy blogging. I do not ever plan to allow this blog to completely die or vanish. Of course, not everything is entirely under my control and if Blogspot goes bankrupt tomorrow then I would need to find a new home. Or if I ever get a tad ambitious, I may start up my very own blogging site. As for the state of 'The International House of Spicer', I hope and feel it will have a very long and vibrant life. Well, vibrant might be pushing it but I think I can at least pull off long. Anyone that has read many of my posts know that long is something I can do. I might lack creativity, grammar and talent but man oh man, can I go for an extended period of time. Oh blessed verbiage, it has been a friend of mine for eons. This blog will continue to produce a whole lot of words with the occasional deeper meaning or glimpse of wit.

When I started blogging, my intention was to never go over the minutia of my day. It isn't because I am a private person because most who know me, know that the opposite is the case. I also know that aspects of my personal life will always creep into this blog. If a really major event from life happens, and I think it has interest, then I will always most definitely share. But the idea of an online diary has never really appealed to me and this was never the intent of this blog. I am not sure if it has slowly began to lean in that direction but it is definitely not where I want to continue or remain.

I really enjoy writing. Above all, that was the reason I started up a blog a few years ago. One day, I hope to get some works published especially a novel. I knew blogging would be a good way for me to get used to actually writing for an audience. I also knew it would give me a decent idea regarding if people enjoyed what I had to offer.

As for subject matter, I have always been pretty intent on making sure it is a smorgasbord of writings. Actually, my hope is to continue to add way more different styles of writing. I see this blog as my chance to improve and harness my critical-thinking, creativity, literary, analytical and sandwich-making skills. My ultimate vision is include more politcal rants, more spiritual dialogue, more book or film reviews and more general musings of this world. On top of that, I would really like to start posting some short stories and poems on this site. I've been holding off on that just because stories and poems can often be such a personal and private part of a person. One often puts their heart into that type of writing. It can take a lot of energy to be willing to have people not only read but allow them to be critical of it. I've decided that if I ever hope to be published then I need to start somewhere. Eventually, expect some more creative writings to be here for you to critique, analyze and digest.

Now, after all that, I can't promise anything incredibly exciting, in depth or creative over the next few weeks. My typing will need to be focused towards the mountain of essays awaiting me to climb. Once this semester fades into dust, I will be able to focus on some groovey writings. No promises when I'll post a story but probably after I actually write one.

So, that is the planned future of this blog and you can now be excited, indifferent, scared or hungry. No matter your feeling, this blog will still be here like a loyal friend or a local Wal-Mart.

30 Years Wise

2007-11-13T23:41:00.000-05:00

My 20s are now officially over. They were good to me and I am sure I will miss them from time to time. I know I will have just as an exciting and enthralling a time with these 30s. Actually, based off certain events that I plan to happen in the next little while, I am absolutely positive the 30s will hold their very own amazing adventures. I should be able to keep you updated on my journey through the 30s on this dandy blog, as long as I am not kidnapped by cannibalistic, ninja-trained, telemarketing, Pro-Math llamas. Stinking llamas, always stopping me from consistent blogging. Anyway, I am going to savour the last 8 minutes of my 'special day.'

Happy Halloween!!!

2007-10-31T22:48:00.000-05:00

At 29 years old, I don't think I can get away with dressing up as an Ewok and snaggling some candy from a few houses. I still get a kick out of all the cool costumes kids dress up in. Making a Jack'O'Lantern is a blast no matter what your age. I will just have to wait until I have kids of my own to dress up and parade around the streets. Then maybe I can mooch half the candy off them. Afterall, too much sweets aren't good for you. I would just be looking out for them. Anyway, hope everyone had a frightfully good day.

Top Ten Reasons To Procrastinate

2007-10-27T17:06:00.000-05:00

10. Why do it today when it will still be there tomorrow?

9. Free Cell

8. I heard on CBC news that most text books contain the deadly skin eating virus and it is best to avoid all contact.

7. Wine and cheese are said to only get better with age, so why can't that apply to assignments or tasks?

6. It has been said, that it is the challenges in life that allow you to grow and be a better person. What type of challenge is there in doing your assignment several weeks before the due date?

5. Youtube. Internet's version of crack.

4. My alter ego is taking up all my time. Fighting crime can be very consuming.

3. The voices in my head tell me to. They are also saying to stop picking on Britney. Oh wait, that is just some crazy girl on Youtube.

2. It isn't procrastinating. Just pacing. Really slow and methodical pacing.

1. I could tell you the number one reason but I think, I'll wait until another day.

Not A Time To Be A Cleveland Baseball Fan

2007-10-22T08:07:00.000-05:00

Cleveland must not be a super jolly place to live right now if you're a baseball fan. Not only is there all the drama with the team mascot and team logo being pressured to change, but the team now can be labeled as chokers. If the Indian name gets scratched, maybe that can be the appropriate new name? Cleveland Chokers??? It isn't too bad. Definitely doesn't have any racist connotations anymore. For the logo, you can exchange the feather for a noose and change the colour from red to blue. Seriously, blowing a 3-1 lead has to be absolutely heart breaking. I am just glad I was too young to really properly experience the Blue Jays monumental blowing of a three game lead against the Royals back in 1985. I am now predicting, there is going to be another party in Boston after the World Series is completed. I will probably care as much as I did the first time. At least, they probably won't make a lame romantic comedy about it this time.

Apathy

2007-10-18T07:53:00.000-05:00

Of all the possible emotions, this may be truly the scariest. If I get an apathy towards my studies then I am likely to watch my grades get flushed down the toilet. If I get a apathy towards my relationships then likely they will eventually completely disappear. But maybe the scariest is an apathy towards the world around us. I encourage everyone to stay informed with international events. Keep an eye on things like Myanmar or the Sudan. If possible, never be afraid to get involved and make a difference. This world can be such a better place but it will never be that way if we let apathy be a main emotion.

Not much of a rant today. I blame mid terms.

Nothing Changes

2007-10-11T16:41:00.000-05:00

So, the referendum did not pass and the Liberals remain in majority power. A day after what was to be a major vote for Ontario and it is almost identical to before. Though they did not get any seats, the Green displayed a mighty good showing in a few of the ridings. It gives me hope they have a chance in the future. Did my voting preference show through in that last sentence? Does that choice really surprise anyone? Of course, my preference towards the Green Party probably reveals that I was for changing the voting system. I believe it got shot down by the voters mainly because a huge majority did not really understand it. Plus people tend to not really like change. I think if it was better explained and truly promoted during the election that it would have had a better chance. Oh well.

I have to say, voting time is a period where I realize that I am quite different from my parents. They're pretty staunch conservatives thus often favour the PCs. It is rather interesting to realize how radically different we are in many ways. It is the same world but we view it very differently. The comforting thing is that despite the major differences in these areas, we still really love each other. We still get along really well. It is a sign that people with different views and opinions really can live in harmony. Maybe this crazy world still has some hope?

Society In 30 Year Moral Decline???

2007-09-19T17:34:00.000-05:00

I may be a Christian or follower of Christ or whatever other appropriate name one wants to attach but I often find myself in disagreement with large portions. To the point where someone very close to me declared that I hate all Christians and despise the church. That statement couldn't be closer to untruth because that person was a Christian and I love her. Actually, the majority of important people in my life are Christians and I have no hatred for them. Except maybe when my brother makes a mess of the kitchen only twenty seconds after I scrubbed it clean. The church I found in Brantford is a place that I enjoy and am very happy with. The reality is, I definitely don't outright hate every Christian or Christian institution. Actually, I would like to believe that I don't actually have real hatred for anything. Rather, I am frustrated with many of the beliefs and actions of several Christian groups. I am highly critical of many Christian institutions since I often feel their priorities are out of whack. Plus if an institution claims their work is to glorify God than I feel they should be put under more harsh scrutiny. I think it is a bold claim to make and the organization better be ready to back it up.

The purpose of the previous paragraph, was to give a little background on my stance with things Christian. I was attempting to show that I am not out to condemn or attack Christianity. As I stated previously, I would fall under the broad category of what people call a Christian. I also don't believe that I necessarily go out of my way to criticize or attack Christianity. Unfortunately, many Christian groups make it far too easy for me.

I stumbled across a magazine produced by a very well known Christian evangelist. I am not going to mention his name because I really don't want to give him the publicity nor do I want to make this sound like a personal attack against him. Unfortunately, the reality is that I do not agree with 99.99% of the words I have heard or read that came from him. His big gimmick is that he is basically a prophet and is informing people of the coming end times. Now, I have a whole other rant on 'end times' talk and how I totally disagree with much of what has been spouted. I really don't feel Christians should be looking towards Jesus magically zapping us off to wonderland. I feel our are duty is to try to make this world as close to 'heaven' as possible and try to display true love to all people on this Earth. But, I am heading off into an entirely different rant now.

FOCUS! Anyway, I came across an article which basically said that we know Jesus will be returning very soon because society has been in a 30 year moral decline. I'll ignore the whole problem with prophesying Jesus' return and how a moral decline is necessary for this. Instead, I will focus on my problem with the statement that our society is in a 30 year morale decline.

Claiming the world is in a 30 year morale decline leads one to believe that the world must have been fairly morale previous to that. It definitely says that things are much worse now than they were 30 years ago. I think the claim is missing a very key phrase which is 'if you're a white male.' As our society has progressed, it obviously is no longer the white male dominated world. Nope, we've got those pesky 'minorities' and females getting that equality. We live in a society now that a women or a 'minority' could easily be put in a position of huge leadership. They could even be the leaders of our nations. Oh wow, look at that morality decline!!!!

Yes, I am being sarcastic. I look at the world today and I see a lot of positive progressions. You look at the 1950s, a time period many look back fondly, and you realize the Southern states was plagued with the atrocious Jim Crow laws that significantly harmed Black people's way of life. In Canada, residential schools for Natives were still prevalent and it is now very clear how damaging those institutions were. Women's rights were significantly less in the 1950s and they were definitely considered second class citizens. Today there are many laws and programs in place that help women from horrid things like sexual harassment and abuse. The fact is, harassment in the work place was very acceptable and unavoidable even in many places in the 70s. In today's society, many are actively trying to right these previous injustices and putting things in place to try to rid them entirely. I realize sexism and racism still exists but I would argue it has greatly improved since the 70s or even the 80s.

For people who miss the 'good old days', are they really pining for Imperialism, the Holocaust or Apartheid? Those are just three horrendous things out of a million that have happened throughout the world and were all over 30 years ago (some starting over centuries ago). To me, it seems very clear the past was not a moral haven. In some ways, I would argue we have seen a 30 year rise in morality.

Today, there are many groups formed with the focus of human rights. We are much more aware and concerned about the world around us. For example, look at how many people are pushing for aid in the Sudan. Now, I am not claiming perfection here. I realize there are many ugly flaws. I am saying that there are far more human right laws put in place today than there was 30 years ago. There is much more concern and awareness of the abuse done to 3rd world countries. Many people are taking much more proactive stances in trying to correct and resolve these human right problems.

To me, that is far more important than the fact there is a movie that shows 20 seconds of boobie or there is same sex marriages. Actually, I am glad there is far less persecution and abuse done to homosexuals. No matter your stance on the matter, you must agree it is not very loving or moral to attack a certain group of people. I am very proud that we are a much more tolerant society in that way.

Our world still has a lot of problems. I believe people are much more concerned about the injustices in this world. I see people striving for improvement rather than endorsing immoral actions. To me, a naughty song or violent movie really isn't a big deal. It bothers you? Then don't watch it. The important morality is how others are treated. As humans this what we need to constantly try to improve and change. Rather than wasting our time on the much more trivial matters.

Pssst. . . I Have a Secret

2007-09-18T08:40:00.001-05:00

Wow, my daily posting ended at a magnificent 2 straight days. Oh well, at least it didn't take seven trillion more years to finally post again. Today, I am going for the semi-regular cop out post. I don't really post anything insightful or exciting or earth shattering but rather opt to sending you off to a site that may do that duty for me.

Several months ago, I was directed to a blog called Post Secret. Basically, it is a site where people send in postcards and the cards contain a secret this person has not told anyone. Some of the cards are extremely powerful. Others are really humourous. Almost all of them contain some creativity and art. It is quite the innovative and fascinating site. It gets updated every single Sunday. Run over there and check out the new batch now!

Rediscovering Writing

2007-09-12T09:55:00.000-05:00

The first time I ever picked up a writing utensil, I created a lovely work of art for my mom. Unfortunately, she interpreted it as scribbling on the once clean white wall. I believe my first experience lead to me not being able to have a freshly baked cookie. Surprisingly, despite this crushing incident, I recuperated and returned to writing. Probably helps that elementary school demands that a student uses things such as a pen, pencil or marker on a regular basis. Though they seem to not appreciate one using a wall to do their work, either.

I wasn't a young student who picked up quickly on a lot of the skills in school. It took work for me to grasp things like math or colouring in the lines. Despite lacking some skills, I always had my creativity. I remember at a very young age making up stories to tell my cousins. I remember they often came over to my house and asked me to tell them a tale. I often was doing it on the fly. When I was younger, I would ride the bus to school. I would often entertain myself and seat partners by telling some fantastical story. Of course, I loved my mom telling me a story before I went to bed. I loved entering into another world and allowing my imagination run wild.

Not surprisingly, I was quite happy when I learned to read and write. I remember taking a notebook with me to the babysitters and spending several hours writing different stories or poems. It was a great opportunity to allow my mind explore new lands or to tackle new adventures. When it came to writing, I was always very creative. Even though I didn't enjoy or do well in every school subject, I always looked forward to anything involving creative writing or story telling.

Grade 3 was probably the time that my love for writing really exploded. I give all my thanks to my teacher, Miss McCombe. I remember she gave me a notebook and told me to write to her on a regular basis. This was not an assignment or anything that was graded. It was a teacher that was encouraging a child to write in his free time. The notebook contained everything from letters to journal entries to poems to stories. She always provided some type of feedback which I absolutely loved. She really helped foster and nurture my love to write. I will always be grateful to her.

Sadly, I allowed my writing to slip over the years. I had countless poems and stories written during my childhood. In comparison, my collective works from the past 10 years is quite pitiful. I have very few short stories or poems. The majority of my works consist of mandatory assignments for school or the sporadic journal entries over the years (guys don't have diaries).

It was this summer that I told myself I want to recommit to writing and seriously pursue it. My long time goal has been to have a novel published. I would absolutely adore a professional writing career. I also know that it is very hard to have a successful and profitable writing career. Especially if a person hopes to enter the marvelous world of fiction. Of course, that is why I am looking to getting into teaching for my current career. But I have decided, I will not give up the hope of being a writer.

This is why I am going to try to continue to keep up this blog. I will return to my not-a-diary writings. I will read. Lots. Because continued reading is a great road to take in becoming a better writer. There is a lot of amazing writers out there. Maybe some constant reading of their works will cause something to rub off on me. Or maybe I can come up with a way to rip off their work without anyone really noticing. Hmmmm. . . no one really remembers that Dickens guy, right? Of course, I will venture back to my childhood and begin writing stories again. My imagination has been kept trapped for far too long. It is time to unleash it. The poor world will not know what is in store for them. Beware.

Bye Bye Summer

2007-09-11T14:43:00.000-05:00

Traditionally, the beginning of the school year is the true sign that summer has officially departed us for the year. How does that work exactly when one did school the entire summer? Of course, once a person is completely finished with the school world and has entered the dreaded work world, it seems rather pointless to use school as the summer measuring stick. Unless of course if you have kids or happen to be a school teacher. It would appear a large portion of the Canadian and American population does seem to judge the length of their summer in this way. Everyone else just uses a calendar.

Despite taking 5 courses over the summer, I still have to declare it a good time. I even got a 3 week break from school in August. I ended up having quite the adventure with Emily. We explored Manitoulin Island and Bruce County. If those names caused you scratch your head then I suggest you use the power of Google. They are pretty common Nothern-ish Ontario touristy/camping spots. Now, if you were scratching your head for other reason then I'd suggest Nix, it is a pretty powerful anti-lice shampoo. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone.

Actually, I should probably hit the rewind button on this recap tale of my small summer vacation. You may say, 'why don't you just edit the above paragraph?' I say, 'stop trying to be helpful.' My blog. My rules. I've decided to go for the rambling theme today. Which means my summer retelling will be all over the map.

Anyway, before Emily and I embarked on our adventure, I actually got to spend a week at one of my most favourite places in all the land. I worked for a week at Medeba. Any loyal blog reader will know I have a very long history with this place. It will always hold a dear place in my heart. It was extra special this time because I got to return to my all time beloved position at the camp. Program Director. Many fond memories of that position and this time it was just as enjoyable. Though it was odd being in a role of leadership for a bunch of staff that had no idea who I was or why I was in such an important position. The staff was amazing and were able to survive my week long reign of terror.

Right after Medeba, Emily and I ventured off to North Bay where some friends had a cottage. It was what would fall under the 'relaxing' category for how a weekend was spent. A nice change from the crazy and busy atmosphere that is Medeba. Of course, I am partly saying this because I wasn't one of the people that slaved over the stove and prepared a Breakfast for several hours in the very late evening/early morning. I also got to talk to one of Emily's lovely friends who happens to have a strong love for writing. I always enjoy talking to her about writing and often I come out of it really motivated. Can't you tell? My 3 weeks of no blogging must be such a strong sign for my renewed passion. Oh well, at least my sarcasm is strong and healthy.

And now ladies and gentlemen, we are back to where we were several paragraphs ago. Was it worth the ride? Anyway, it was a really great week of camping, exploring, hiking and adventuring. Both Emily and I have some really great stories to tell. But any great writer leaves the reader with wanting more. Since I am a wannabe great, I am going to do just that. Keep tuned in and I'm sure I'll give that week the prose and attention it deserves.

Anyway, I am in the school computer lab. I can definitely say summer is over. I am excited to be here. I look forward to many of my classes. I actually am finally going to read my first Harry Potter book since it is a required reading for a course. I've gone a long time without reading a single line from those books. I'll finally see if it warrants the hype. I am surprised to see how many students are not happy to be back. It must be the age difference that causes one to appreciate school much more. I really do enjoy my time here. Though my current strategy of overloading my course load has caused me to slightly look forward to the end. My time here definitely has inspired me to continually pursue learning and education for the rest of my life.

With that folks, I am calling it a blogging day. I hope to try to keep this going at a pretty regular basis. I'm going to shoot for daily but I'll be happy if I get something up once a week.