"I don't care what your momma says..."

"...Christmas is almost here!"

So , its my last day of work for 2009!! I should really be doing some paper work, but it will still be here when I get back in January. I have got to have something to do before classes start, and as all of the students are registered, have schedules made, and know where their classes are, there will not be a lot to do on the 4th and the 5th.

We have not been working very hard at all today, mostly having a pretty good YouTube party with Christmas videos, movie trailers and wedding pictures. I am also leaving early today, so I can enjoy the incredibly sunny day!!

This is the first Christmas in 5 years that I will not be working on either the 24th or the 26th of December. I actually get 10 days off and I can not wait. Never mind that I just got back from a week's holiday in Disneyland!!!! I am getting my pictures from Jess and Adam in the next couple of days, and so I will be doing a Disneyland post with pictures, lists, and general wishes that I was still there...

Merry Christmas, everyone!!

About time for a rant

Dear NBC,

I am sorry that because I am a Canadian you think my opinions are irrelevant. Remember how you sent me an email that encouraged me to complete a survey about your programming? I do. Remember when you sent a few more emails which encouraged me even more to express my valued words? I do. Remember how I started the survey and answered several questions only to be "politely" declined because I do not currently live in the U.S.A? Yeah, I do.

You may find this hard to believe, oh great peacock, but there are people outside your country who watch your shows. There are even some in Canada: the rumours are only partly true...our igloos have t.v.s, and some of us even speak English!! We watch "The Office" and "30 Rock". Just so you know, I have stuck with you through some pretty bad times. Remember "Heroes", Season 3? Or, how you pulled the plug on "Scrubs"?

So, the next time I apply for tickets to see one of your shows, check the address I have entered before you send me a hundred emails asking for my input. Or, have the first question on your survey be "Do you live in the U.S.?". Either way, it saves me and you the hassle.

Yours, most sincerely,
Jenny Olsen
Canada

p.s. I really hate "Deal or No Deal".

A hodge-podge

So, I have started to kind of get into Hockey. Well, I am not memorizing players, or buying stupid amounts of paraphernalia, or wearing jerseys, or even watching any games. I am checking the rankings of all the teams every day, and making some friendly predictions about who will win each game that is played. I was right about 4 out of 6 of the games last night - find me a bookie, its time to make some cash!!

Also, for your information, San Jose is #1 in the western division, and New Jersey is leading in the east. (New Jersey!!!)

Last week I had a session with a personal trainer, Kloe, at the gym here at the College. She had done up a program for one of my students, and she is really nice. I signed up, and she developed a program for me to work out. To prepare, I have been doing about 15 minutes of cardio for the 3 weeks. Now, my program is 5 days a week, an hour on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and 40 minutes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I did my first hour long yesterday (20 minutes or cardio and 40 minutes of weights and core strengthening). I will tell you that it was ridiculously hard, but I got through it by sheer will and a lot of anger.

I was having a really bad day yesterday, pretty mad about a lot of things. I realized I was a bit out of control after I pulled a Jessica and threw the proverbial glass of apple juice (in the form of a strongly-worded facebook message) into the face of someone else who didn't really deserve my anger that day. (Well, he kind of deserved it). When I went to the gym , I channelled that anger, and after I was done, I had a most relaxing and peaceful evening.

Anyway, along with my gym routine, I have decided to change my eating habits as well, and follow the Canada Food Guide. I think it will be a bit of work at first, figuring out serving sizes, but its not really a diet, more a healthy lifestyle change.

Please wish me strength and will power. Heaven knows I am going to need it.

My case for forgiveness...

I am sorry that I have been away for so long from ye olde blog site. I wish that I had good excuses but, true to me and my laziness, I do not. I do, however, have a few paltry reasons for my absence…please peruse them thoroughly before you judge and hand down a sentence for my crime of neglect.
So, to plead my (somewhat flimsy )case, I will provide a list (are you surprised?) of my justifications.

1. I have been helping to plan the Lethbridge Mid-Singles New Years Eve bash. I have had to rely on a group of people to plan this monstrosity, and what I originally conceived as a classy New Years Eve party has now become a dance. So. Not really where I wanted to go with it. I really just wanted a party where there were lots of activities and people could dance if they wanted to. However, the vision of the elegant evening I wanted to create doesn’t seem to be shared by most. Heaven help them, they only want to dance. It is nice to have help planning an activity, and I just have to sort of wash my hands of the event in the sense that I will gladly not take the credit for an evening that I really wouldn’t have planned if I had my choice.

2. I have been watching “Heroes”. I borrowed the first three seasons from a friend, and I remembered how much I loved, loved, loved season 1. I have gone into a Heroes hibernation, the likes of which have only been seen in such episodes as “The great Scrubs disappearance” or “The day we watched an entire season of Angel”. I will emerge soon enough. I am currently watching season 2, and it is nice to just skip through the parts I don’t really care about. I am only watching it to get to season 3, which I have not seen yet!! So, if you don’t see me, you can just blame it on my deep love for Peter Petrelli and Mohinder Suresh!!

Ok, so the list is pretty short, but there are a few other things that I really don’t want to talk about, and a few that I am keeping under wraps for the time being. Stay tuned, things will hopefully get pretty excited in the next couple of months. In the meantime, I will try my best to keep you updated and entertained.

For those who love a good muffin top!!

Just found this today and I have only one thing to say...

LOVE IT!!

An alternative Poetry Day

I am living in a very interesting type of Hell today. I can not get my high-school grad song out of my head. Now, I am sure that some of you have a few questions, and so I will do my best to address them now.

1. Why, Jenny, do you have that song in your head? Gentle reader, I would give away almost everything I own (excepting my seasons of "Scrubs" and my time-share in the X-files DVDs...I need something to do with my time when I become a shut-in) to know the answer to that question. The song has dug its way into my brain, in true X-file fashion.

2. How is it that, Jenny, you remember your grad song when you graduated almost 15 years ago? Well, I was one of the two very talented members of the threesome who wrote the song (yeah, you read that right!)

3. What is the song like, Jenny? There is only one thing you need to know about this song: It is an absolutely terrible piece of music, and I take a small share of the blame for my participation. The story of how "Next Step to Forever" came to be starts on an evening in my grade twelve year at the Temple Street Chapel where 3 people met to create a song that would represent the class of 1995. The song started out as a pretty terrible instrumental piece by a girl in our grade, and it was to be adapted (lyrics and a melody added) for the grad song. Having no music writing experience, I was not a lot of help with the melody. However, being an amateur poet, I felt myself equal to the task of being a co-librettist.

For your enjoyment and mirth, I am going to give you some sample lyrics of "Next Step to Forever", a song that has been performed only twice. The first was a few selected classmates and myself, accompanied by piano (and, heaven help me, I think organ as well) with the utmost sincerity, in May 1995 at our graduation ceremony. The second performance took place almost 2 years ago, featured only myself and the Concert Mate, and was sung for the pure delight of Denise and Eric Garner.

You will see that the title is Next Step to Forever. There was much debate about which preposition to use, to or is. I personally still wish we would have titled it
Next Step: Forever

Next Step to Forever

Our time has come
and it's like we are one
We've made each step together
Our next step is forever

Our search is on
We must step to where we belong
Stand tall and let them see inside you
And show what we can do

Time will go on for us to dream
may our hearts be ever seen
Let us stand tall with esteem

Love's all around
We must step to where it is found
The best is right here inside you
Your heart will guide what to do

We will be strong as we ca--rry on
We'll meet each day that comes
Our next step is forever.

You're welcome.

Winter wonder

Announcement:




I am doing up Christmas this year...DOING IT UP!! I can't wait to decorate, sing, bake, eat, and generally annoy my roommate and work colleagues with an overload of Christmas cheer. To get all of you excited, here are some Christmas images that are bound to thrill...

Yes, this is a picture of my very favorite Christmas cd. I will be playing it quite regularly, but maybe I will keep it to my car as not to drive Denise too crazy!

O.k., picture number two. I like this one cause that beard is UNBELIEVABLE (I couldn't believe it!!) This is one Santa who looks pretty real. Awesome!

I love this one because Santa and the reindeer are really cool. (How cool are they?) They are so cool that they are wearing sun-glasses and they are doing the awesome poser rap-style fold arms and lean. Yeah.

So, I think that I have saved the best for last. Nothing says Christmas like a bunch of dolls in front of fake food that they wouldn't be able to eat anyway. They do look happy, though.

So, I invite you all to share in my endeavor which I have forth-with dubbed "Christmas Crazy". Unfortunately, at the College, I am not allowed to use the word Christmas which leaves me with two alternatives:

1. Say it anyway and risk offending all and possibly being reprimanded or fired

or

2. Come up with an alternate name like "Season's splendour" or "Holiday hub-bub"

Please let me know which one you think I should do...