Thursday, October 30, 2008

I am terrible at picking titles

It has been way too long since I posted something of my own creation, but I just have not been able to write any poetry. Maybe my life is going too well, and as we all know, most poetry is fraught with misery and heartache.

About 3 weeks ago, I had an idea for writing poetry that involved looking up a word in the dictionary, and then writing a poem around it. The word I looked up at that time was maelstrom. I have tried to write for the last 3 weeks, but nothing would come. The word maelstrom has been jumping around my brain the whole time. Then, last night I was laying in bed when a phrase came into my mind. I immediately jumped up and wrote it down, knowing I would forget it if I didn’t. (It is the last 2 lines of the following poem) So, with both these preparations in place, I sat down today and wrote. To warn everyone, I have been reading some pretty flowery love poems as of late, and I am sorry, but it shows in the poem.

Anyway, as always, enjoy; or don’t.

Opus

There are a thousand songs
I have written about you
I sing them
I am singing them
I do sing them.

My favorite one is about your smile-
how it burns and breathes
and brings me back
from the maelstrom that is
Your indifference.

There is anther one in my repertoire
about the magic
that still pervades your voice.
When you say my name
I am drowning in your words.

These songs-
They are legion
But they all end like this:
“You finish sentences
I started with my eyes.”

-JKO

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Apparently it is not a quiz

For any of you wanting to know me a bit better, here is a little questionnaire I borowed from my dear Denise.

Last Movie I Saw In A Movie Theater?: “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Boo. I am way too old for that movie…

What Book Are You Reading? “The Twisted Root” by Anne Perry (I just love me some Victorian Mystery) and “The Shock Doctrine” by Naomi Klein. Can never read just one book at once.

Favorite Board Game? Hello!! “Boggle” me baby! Even after the serious trouncing I received from Chris this Thanksgiving. I think I need to practice.

Favorite Magazine? Definitely either InStyle or Entertainment Weekly.

Favorite Smells? Mint and Lavender tea brewing, The laundry soap I’m using right now, Cinnamon buns in the oven, the smell of rain on the sidewalk, the cologne I helped Braden pick out

Favorite Sounds? Rain outside my window at night, my nephews laughing, Travis’s beat-box, music I love!!

Worst Feeling In The World: your heart breaking

First Thing You Think of When You Wake? How warm and comfortable my bed is, or a dream I just had

Fast Food Place? Lethbridge College Cafeteria…oh my gosh, that half-pasta combo is my nemesis of life…

Future Child’s Name? I only have girls names: Zoe and Charlotte

Finish This Statement—“If I Had a Lot of Money,” I would travel all over Europe.

Do You Drive Fast? I do on the highway…especially in my new red car! Yeah, Baby!

Favorite place you have visited? Definitely New York City, and especially Fifth Avenue at night.

Storms—cool or scary? Both…but anything worth experiencing should be cool and scary.

What Was Your First Car? Dodge Omni. What? You have never heard of those? Shocking. It was the oldest piece of garbage any human being could ever drive. It used to stall/die everywhere, my favorite place being the intersection of 4th Ave and 5th street (right by the Alec Arms) where a homeless guy pushed it on to the side of the road. The man who sold it to me warned my Dad not to buy it, buit I would not listen. Ah, memories.

Favorite Drink? Cranberry juice. Anyway I can get it.

Finish This Statement—“If I Had the Time, I Would…” learn Italian, hang out with my roommate more, actually prepare for Nursery, practice the guitar, sleep for a week in the awesome spare room bed.

Do You Eat the Stems on Broccoli? Yes, and it you peel them, they are even better!

If You could Dye your Hair Any Other Color, What Would It Be? Red…no I am just kidding. Probably blue.

Favorite Sport to Watch? I don’t watch sports as a rule, but if I have to, then probably Hockey.

What’s Under Your Bed? Luggage and socks

Morning Person or Night Owl? I can barely stay up past 11:00 pm, so definitely Morning person.

Over Easy or Sunny Side Up? Scrambled or omelet. Always mix your yolks and whites!!

Favorite Place to Relax? Libraries. All libraries.

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor? Anything with cherry

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

If I tried, it would probably just turn into an Irish one...

I am supposed to be cleaning up the office in preparation for a visit we are having on Friday, but the 15 minute "warm-up" I did about an hour ago has tuckered me out. I put the word warm-up in quotation marks because the instructions for said activity featured words like "suicides" and "lunges" (Usually the only deep-knee bends I do are the ones I perform to get my freshly laundered pants to fit). This was followed by a rowdy game of volley-ball which has left my arms pleasantly pink and speckled. So, I am sitting here in the office, and mentally planning where I am going to put everything so that when I actually do start, it will only take half the time. I know, I know. The logic is astounding!

The person whose visit we are preparing for is our very own MLA, Bridget Pastoor. (Every time I say her name, I voraciously r-r-r-oll the r. *I hope that I do not do it when she is here...I don't think I could keep a fake Scottish accent going for very long) She wants to know what Inclusive Post-Secondary Ed is all about, and we are going to dazzle her with our knowledge, and our (hopefully) organized office.

Enjoy the rest of your day, everyone!!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

"I don't understand the question mark, and I will not type it."

Yesterday I took my life into my hands (well, at least my hair and eyebrows). I was participating with one of my students in her Therapeutic Rec class, and we were making "plaster-type" masks, using our own faces to do it. (I know Leita is remembering the good times right now!) I had originally planned on only doing my student's face-mask, as I wasn't really feeling the idea of letting someone else cover me in Gypsoma. So, I got C. down on the floor, slathered a ridiculous amount of Vaseline on her face, wetted the strips of Gypsoma, and went to town. We finished quite early, and somehow I was convinced by both C. and the instructor, Donna, to get one done too. So, I laid back, and prepared for the worst. Thankfully, Donna helped my student to "mask me up", and I emerged with all facial hair intact. I now have a mask to decorate next week!! Yay!

Sunday night, I had a great visit with friends, and after talking to them, I decided to be as positive as I could be. So, I woke up Monday morning, leaped right on to my knees, and said a prayer that I would be able to be positive, and spread positivity like a virus. So, although every little thing went wrong at Chapters, I somehow maintained a smile, and I kept all my Chapters peeps happy too. Seriously, though. One of the till printers broke, one wouldn't print receipts, a shelf broke, the fax machine wouldn't work, we were way under-staffed so I just ran around all night, I couldn't find books, and one of the new computers wouldn't type a question mark (?). But, we were somehow able to laugh about it all, albeit somewhat nervously. Anyway...the point of this little rant is that prayer is a powerful force in our lives. I felt sustained all day, just because I asked for it.

Try it.

This Friday I am going up to Edmonton to get my new car!! I paid for it last week, and I will be insuring it and registering it in the next couple of days. The only negative part of this happy scenario is that I have to go up either on the bus or with Erika on Friday night, and then drive back Saturday morning to be at Chapters for 4:30 to work. Fortunately, I do enjoy the highway driving, and I am thinking about buying an audio book. (It really is about time that I read "The Secret") So, when you see me next week, I will be driving a new red car. If I do have to take the Greyhound up, please say a prayer for my safety. It's pretty hard to drive your new car if you don't have a head.

Enjoy your Tuesday, everyone!

Monday, October 20, 2008

"I called you, but not on the phone...so you probably didn't hear me.

I am not sure if this blue is obnoxious or not...I will create a little test for all of us to determine if it is o.k. So, if after a few viewings you feel any or (heaven forbid) all of the following symptoms, please contact me immediately.

1. Do you feel "funny" inside?

2. Is everything you look at now blue?

3. Does it give you neuritis?

4. Are you now about 80% sure that you live in the ocean?

5. Are you uncontrollably shouting at people?

6. Are you lulled into a state of oblivion?

7. Are you constantly singing a certain song by Eiffel 65?


I guess only time will tell.

Have a great Monday!

Friday, October 17, 2008

This blog will remain titleless...

Well, today I am all alone here at the College, as the rest of my staff are presenting at a conference in Medicine Hat. I was supposed to go, but my presence, and more specifically, my key holding/mastering abilities are required at the Chapters this evening. Oh, to be dispensable again…

So, I am in the computer lab this morning with one of the students and I am trying my best to think of something to write today. There is a guy just down the way who is coughing up a lung, and all I want to do is yell at him to “have some compassion for my nerves!” I am sure if I did that, he would echo Kitty’s sentiment that he doesn’t cough for his own amusement. It seems as though everyone is getting sick these days. At least half of our students have caught the cold that is going around, and I count it as a miracle that I have not yet succumbed. It has been a pretty quiet week, as one of my students was sick almost every day, and the other one couldn’t get here because her “husband’s” van wouldn’t start. (I put the word husband in quotation marks because she is living with him, but they are not married. And he’s creepy.)

I am pretty excited because I am watching my new movie tonight – “Mystery Science Theatre 3000: The Movie”! I used to watch it quite frequently about 10 years ago, and I just ordered it from Chapters. For those of who you who do not know of it, it is a guy and two robots watching an old really terrible sci-fi movie called “This Island Earth”, and giving a running commentary the whole time. Is it as nerdy as you can get? Heck Yes! Will I enjoy it as much I used to? Absolutely.

Have a great weekend, everybody! Here is a shout-out to all the ladies in the Victoria Park Ward who are attending the Relief Society Retreat this weekend. Eat many, many wine gums just for me. And, maybe tell a few questionable stories.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

The Distance - Cake

Sorry to everyone I am friends with on Facebook, but I wanted to post this note here as well. It was a lot of fun, didn't really make sense mostly, but was frighteningly accurate a few times.

Anyway, try it out if you get the chance!!

1. Put your iTunes/Ruckus/Napster/etc on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Tag 10 friends who might enjoy doing this as well as the person you got it from. (I won't do this part, but I seriously enjoyed doing the rest...Thanks to Zach for the fun!)

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Last Year's War - Sarah Slean

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
She is - The Fray

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Sleep, Please Come to me - Matthew Barber

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Life On Mars - David Bowie

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
In the Bleak Mid-Winter - Sarah McLachlan

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
City Girl - Tegan and Sara

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Come Downstairs and Say Hello - Guster

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
The Smoking Guns - The New Amsterdams (I am not a murderer...I promise)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Even an Ugly Man - Hawksley Workman

WHAT IS 2+2?
House of Cards - Radiohead

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
While my Guitar Gently Weeps - Beatles

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Mamma Mia - ABBA (Yowsers!)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Kill - Jimmy Eat World (I am sensing a theme...)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Wild Honey Pie - The Beatles

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
The Henny Buggy Band - Sufjan Stevens

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Tina Toledo's Street Walkin' Blues - Ryan Adams (A killer and a prostitute!! Ha!!)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Cosmic Girl - Jamiroquai

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Medicine - Guster

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Brand New Pair of Roller-Skates - Melanie Safka

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?Rocky Raccoon - The Beatles (Don't tell Denise...)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Key - Devics

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
No Blue Sky - The Thorns

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Videotape - Radiohead

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
A Long December - Counting Crows

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Take a Chance on Me - ABBA

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Don't Pass me by - The Beatles

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Everyone's in Everyone - Patrick Park (Huh?)

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Alone Here - Hawksley Workman (Now that is illuminating...)

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Hear You Me - Jimmy Eat World

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
A Case of You - Joni Mitchell

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Step Back - Royal Wood

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
The Distance - Cake

Thursday, October 09, 2008

poetry day!!

Here are some gems...enjoy!


Opal
by Amy Lowell

You are ice and fire,
The touch of you burns my hands like snow.
You are cold and flame.
You are the crimson of amaryllis,
The silver of moon-touched magnolias.
When I am with you,
My heart is a frozen pond
Gleaming with agitated torches.



Faults
by Sara Teasdale

They came to tell your faults to me,
They named them over one by one;
I laughed aloud when they were done,
I knew them all so well before,—
Oh, they were blind, too blind to see
Your faults had made me love you more.



Failing and Flying
by Jack Gilbert

Everyone forgets that Icarus also flew.
It's the same when love comes to an end,
or the marriage fails and people say
they knew it was a mistake, that everybody
said it would never work. That she was
old enough to know better. But anything
worth doing is worth doing badly.
Like being there by that summer ocean
on the other side of the island while
love was fading out of her, the stars
burning so extravagantly those nights that
anyone could tell you they would never last.
Every morning she was asleep in my bed
like a visitation, the gentleness in her
like antelope standing in the dawn mist.
Each afternoon I watched her coming back
through the hot stony field after swimming,
the sea light behind her and the huge sky
on the other side of that. Listened to her
while we ate lunch. How can they say
the marriage failed? Like the people who
came back from Provence (when it was Provence)
and said it was pretty but the food was greasy.
I believe Icarus was not failing as he fell,
but just coming to the end of his triumph.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

When did fire safety become uncool?

So here is my ridiculous story of the day. This morning I stopped to get some gas because I probably wouldn’t have made it to the College if I hadn’t. I got out, and as I tried to put the nozzle into my gas tank, it wouldn’t go in, and I couldn’t make the buttons work, and the whole thing just kept beeping at me. I was in a hurry, and was getting a bit frustrated when an old man appeared out of nowhere to tell me I was trying to put Diesel into my car. It was true. I was using the wrong nozzle. The old guy kept telling me that next time I should come through the Full Serve pumps because he loves to help out beautiful ladies. He said it about 5 times, inching closer to me with every plea. I thanked him, laughed nervously, and practically wrestled him for the correct nozzle. He finally left me alone, but when I went in to pay, he was skulking in the corner, leering at me. I could almost see him mouthing the phrases “full serve” and “beautiful lady” as he ogled me. So here is the lesson I have taken away from this experience. When you act like a helpless girl, creepy old men might do everything they can to take advantage of it. In my defense, I was really tired, and the reason for my lethargy is the second story of the day. This one, however, occurred at about 4:00 am, so the middle of the night may actually constitute story of yesterday.

Regardless… Denise and I were awakened at 3:45 by the fire alarm in our building going off. Now, I have lived in several apartment buildings in Edmonton, and the fire alarm went off in every single one of them for one reason or another. In those instances, I learned that you exit the building when it happens, no matter what the time. Andrea will testify to the fact that at Garneau Towers, it could be any time of the night!! I remember a few instances where the whole building congregated in the street until the Fire trucks came to give us the o.k. to go back in. So, like the good little conditioned girl that I am, and really, because I don’t really relish the idea of burning to a crisp in my bed (who let those orphans in?), I hopped up, grabbed Denise and we went outside. No one else was there. Well, there were a couple of ne’er do wells walking through our parking lot (At 4:00 am? Probably our favorite car thieves), but no other tenants came out of the building. Denise and I went to her car to stay warm, and to wait for the fire trucks. No fire trucks came!! Heaven forbid there really had been a fire! The alarm stopped, and we went back inside. Apparently all of the other residents were too tired to not be burned!! I laid awake for the next 30 minutes, as the alarm jangled my nerves quite a bit. I also made a pact with myself that no matter how uncool it is, I will always exit the building when the fire alarm sounds. If anything, it makes for a killer story on the blog.

I am on my way to the gym (I am trying!!), and going to try something other than the treadmill. I may have to ask someone for help (shock and horror!!), but I want to find a few things I like to do, so I am not just on the treadmill for 50 minutes. If anyone out there has tips or hints, please let me know.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

I wish I could be Eurotrash..

I have come to the realization that I don't know how to wear a scarf. I bought myself a beautiful one in Ireland, and I have only worn it two ways: As a shawl, and around my neck, but not artfully. With the new North American obsession with scarves apparent at every turn (we are even selling some at Chapters, probably under the suitably literate moniker "reading shawl"), I am wondering how all these people know how to tie their scarves so they look good. Was there some sort of tutorial that I missed? Am I just not that bright?

Can someone please help me?

That's about it for today.

Monday, October 06, 2008

Silence is not always golden...

I had a mildly frightening experience at Walmart this weekend. (At Walmart? No!!) I went to try on a shirt at the fitting rooms, and as I walked up, there were two ladies there. One was sitting at the desk, and the other was hanging clothes. I said hello to the lady at the desk, and she just sat there silently for about 3 seconds, and then she ever-so-slowly raised her hand and pointed at the other girl. She didn't take her eyes off me, and she didn't say a word. Just pointed. I turned to the girl hanging clothes, but she had her back to me. The first lady continued to stare at me, and so it was (an extemely uncomfortable) 10 seconds before the girl realized Iwas there. She slowly turned around, and taking my clothes, opened up one of the doors, and pointed to the fitting room. She also did not say a word. I thanked her and hightailed it right in. It was seriously creepy...I can only hope that they were a mother and daughter who were both mute. I think it is a sign that I shouldn't be shopping at Walmart anymore.

This weekend was so relaxing, that I was almost excited to come back to work today. Almost...but not quite. General Conference was wonderful, and I came away with a desire to be better at a lot of things. I saw all of it except for the afternoon session on Saturday, when I fell asleep during the first talk. This was due to a turkey dinner between sessions, and the very comfortable chair I was sitting in. I spent Saturday with Denise and her family, as they were having their Thanksgiving this last weekend when her brother and sister-in-law could be there.

I hope you are all enjoying your Monday. I am trying my best to "be awesome", but I am not feeling overly well today. My stomach is kind of jittery, and I am feeling light headed. Almost like I have had too much caffeine. I haven't had any energy drinks...I promise.

Keep on dreaming!

Thursday, October 02, 2008

"God is in the boring details"

This week has been a great one so far, and here are some of the reasons why:

I have started reading the new Maeve Binchy, “Heart and Soul”, and I am quite enjoying it. I just couldn’t get into her last one, but this one has the elements I love about her books. Great characters, intertwining lives and stories, and of course, the always awful cheating ex/husband are all present and accounted for. Ah…no one writes a despicable man like Maeve…

The weather has been absolutely glorious. It has been in the early to mid twenties all week, and with the leaves changing, it makes me want to just lay a blanket down under a tree and dream the day away.

I watched last week’s episode of “The Office”, and this week’s episode of “How I met your Mother” Both were delightful!

We had a wonderful Mexican Fiesta night with Ashley on Tuesday. Denise made her delicious chimichangas, which I have now coined “Mexican pouches which bring delight”. They truly are angels food, and Denise, I will never walk away from you now that I have tasted them! ( I made a corn and bean salad that was nowhere near the caliber of the pouches, but complimented them just the same.) We added some Dilly-dip, and topped off the whole dinner with some low-acid apple juice. Top Night!

That night, Denise and I also got to run lines with Braden for the play he is preparing for. I had way too much fun doing this. The play was really funny, and I completely relished reading my part. Sorry to Braden for making it all about me!! I hope I was some help…

I have set some goals for myself this week. It is really time to get myself on track, and to find ways to feel good about myself and my choices.

I got a letter from our favorite missionary, Elder Garner. I was so happy to hear that he is doing well. He is now out in the mission field and sharing the truth, and more importantly, he is spreading the gospel of “Story of the Day”. It is my goal to see this phenomenon spread around the world in the manner of a pandemic, or “The Secret”. I do have to give a bit of credit to my parents, for the original “What was the best thing of your day”, but I like to think that “Story of the Day” has a Jenny flavor all its own. While we’re on the subject, here is a s.o.t.d. from yesterday. I was at Chapters, and Doreen came up to me and asked our policy on “no shirts, no shoes, no service”, because there was a guy who apparently had no shirt. I said we didn’t really have such a policy, but I went to find him, nonetheless. Yes, he had no shirt, but he was wearing a back-pack. I had to go to the office to laugh, because it was really not a great look for anyone. It also couldn’t have been very comfortable…

I finally remembered my gym clothes, and I will be going right after work...in about 20 minutes. If you see me tonight or tomorrow, please ask me how the gym was, and chastize me if I didn't go.

So, yeah. This week has been good, and I have been happy. I am so blessed to have 2 great jobs, an amazing family, and friends who tolerate me.

As it is poetry day (Yay!!) I will post one a little lighter than last week's. Canadian author Jean Little has written some absolutely beautiful children's poetry, and here is a tiny taste.

RAIN by Jean Little

Rain is as mischief-making as a child.
She pokes the Thunder's ribs until he roars.
She sits on steepled roofs and thrums her heels
And tickles grass and taps at solemn doors.

She dampens dignitaries and their wives,
Paints saucy freckle-faces on the roads,
Makes mud puddles and rainbows; then gets down
To scrub the tiny blissful backs of toads.

Have a wonderful weekend, I am pretty sure mine will be great. If you want to go to the Farmer's Market on Saturday, let me know!!