HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!

A quick post after a VERY long day to wish my mommy a very Happy Birthday!!

BUG HUGS n' KISSES

to the best Mom EVER!!!!

Mom's plea for Zimbabwe

First: A message from Mom:

Since I don't really have time to read anything in the news lately, my mom wants me to pass the message on to everyone that the shit is hitting the fan over in Zimbabwe. She urges everyone (including myself) to visit Amnesty International's site http://www.amnesty.ca and do whatever's possible in helping to persuade the international community to get off its' ass and prevent yet another atrocity in Africa.

(She didn't use such colourful language, I should mention)

Here's a little bit of what's going down over there:

"Today in Zimbabwe, hundreds of thousands of people are internally displaced and destitute, not because of a war, an earthquake or a tsunami, but because their own government has forcibly evicted them, demolished their homes, and destroyed their property and their livelihoods. These acts, totally unjustifiable under international law, have been widely condemned. However, African States have remained conspicuously silent and have not demonstrated the political will to respond to the human rights crisis in Zimbabwe. "

On this note, I've finished my third essay about the Rwandan genocide tonight. And I can't help but think that, up until first year, I had no idea that violence of that magnitude had ever occured apart from during the Holocaust. Call me naive and uninformed, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the fact that, they don't teach this stuff in history classes in high school. Maybe it was just my school, because people in Ottawa seem more informed about so many things "international." Maybe it's the proximity of the Parliament, where everyone goes to protest his or her grievances. Maybe it's the multicultural population. Regardless, someone should be passing this information down the school board so that kids can learn about these things and learn that they are wrong. And then, instead of ONLY teaching them things that happened over 50 years ago (I'm not saying we shouldn't study History, I think it's VERY important to study History so that it doesn't repeat itself...) they should probably receive lessons on the pertinent PRESENT happenings, and NOT ONLY those taking place in Canada, (like the Christmas, no February, no November, no January, no WHENEVER the stupid election's going to take place...) (Sidenote, did anyone see all the Westerners boo-ing Martin @ the football game tonight?)

Here's a SMALL exurp from my essay (actually, it's the concluding sentences)

"The prevention of violence implies a responsibility from the international community, who promised to “never again” allow for such grand-scale atrocities. Rwanda is but one of the failures of the international community to execute this principle."

*Note the double-entente with the word excecute. It's reaching. Not very obvious, but I think if I can make a connection someone else can too. (Hopefully that someone will be the prof)

To move or not to move...

So it's settled then. . . no moving.

"Whhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?" - you might be thinking

. . . but alas, 'tis true. Went down to the office to recall my termination of lease notice and I will now be stuck in Westboro for at least four more months, at least. Luckily they weren't angry, they didn't make me sign another year-long lease and they didn't make me sign away my soul or anything.

But there we go.
Stuck out here, at least a half hour away from anything worth doing in this city.

I recall a conversation I had with a work colleague a few days ago, went a little something like this:

Brie: "but nobody's going to want to come all the way out to Westboro to watch a movie!"
Colleague: " I went all the way to Westboro to watch a movie."
Brie: "Yeah... and then you were diagnosed with mono..."

In short, I'm pretty sure this place is cursed.

Otherwise more people would come visit this mess of an apartment I've been calling "home" for the past year... right?

Nah, people are just lazy and cheap to pay the 2 and change it costs to ride the bus.
(Rightly so.)

The Menu

Ok so there's:

a) the possibility of missing siblings at Christmas;

b) the homelessness come January;

c) the boyfriend moving 8 hours away;

d) the being stood up by "friends";

e) the profs putting you down when you aren't well enough to be in class;

f) the unfulfilling and soul-sucking job;

g) the fulfilling but underpaying job;

Let's see what's up next on the menu?

A punch in the face perhaps?
Being hit by a bus maybe?
Being trampled on by a hurd of wild and clawed baboons?

BRING IT ON BITCHES!!!

As JBJ lamely put it:

"When the world gets in my face,
I say:
HAVE A NICE DAY!"

What I say vs. what I mean

In my head, that conversation will always end differently than just:

No I did not ONLY want to be close to it all
because of the convenience;
but rather because of the sunshine
and the positive influence you could have on me.

Public Servant's Creed

A PUBLIC SERVANT'S CREED

'This is my stapler. There are many like it but this one is mine. My stapler is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my stapler is useless. Without my stapler I am useless. I must staple stuff with my stapler true. I must staple straighter than my co-workers, who are trying to staple better than me. I must staple him before he staples me. I will. Before God I swear this creed: my staple and myself are defenders of my country, we are the masters of my enemy, we are the saviours of my life. So be it, until there is no enemy, but peace. Amen.'

Work Blog

I wish I could blog at work...

I already spend most of my time there either with my thumb up my ass or e-mailing people. (not simultaneously... I don't think I'm that coordinated... and it would take a long time to type with only one hand on the keyboard...)

Yeah. Blogging at work would rock!

... Just a thought....

WHAT A WEEK!

It seems as soon as I get a moment to relax, a new pile of things to do piles up higher and higher until the idea of free time becomes a clouded memory of something I might have once done, back when I was in high school some time. Speaking of high school, I'm going to recount the events of last weekend and this week in a hope to get some things cleared up before starting up a new and an even MORE busy week. . .

Last Friday, Mike and I hit the road to head back to Niagara for the weekend. It was his friend's birthay, and not having gone home for Thanksgiving, we were well overdue for a trip down to the peninsula. Got stuck in traffic, of course, but still had a good drive. When we got home Blockbuster only had two of the 4 movies I wanted to rent (which is good, because I wouldn't have had time to watch the other 2.) Anyway, when I got home, received a call from a good ol' highschool pal and despite the fact that we never hang out as often as I think we should, we got together for a night out in Ste Catharines wild party scene. After a few drinks with some old pals and somehow ending up at the Grand Buffet at the Fallsview Casino, Saturday appeared with some sunshine...and a headache.

Here is a really REALLY terrible photo (because my stupid camera phone sucks) of les filles who took me out for a nice little homecoming!

Saturday went by like a lightning bolt, probably because I spent most of the day in bed recovering. Anyway, I ended up doing a bit of shopping at the Pen then went home and watched Hotel Rwanda with my mumzie (who reads my blog and has to deal with how well-versed her daughter has turned out) (Fuckin' eh!) What with my research and studies in my political violence class, it seemed an important film to watch. An excellent movie, highly recommended. Anyway, after watching most of that movie, it feels wrong to say, but we went out to dinner. The rents took myself, the boy and the best-friend to dinner @ the Swiss Chalet then we headed off to another branch of the Evil Empire for a soirée of cinematographic excrement. In other words, don't see the Weatherman. We came home and tried to wash away the thoughts of camel toes with something far more entertaining: Star Trek - Nemesis. Picard's clone was awesome -- still pissed that I coudln't be Janeway for Halloween.

Mike and I went to MTs for lunch on Sunday -- I'm beginning to think that's a mandatory stop when home. We tried to hit up Best Buy on the road back to Ottawa so that I could purchase Trekkies, but alas, no such luck. No bunnies at the Big Apple either. Shared pizza in Kingston. Got home, slept. Woke up for job interview. Got the job. At least that's good news. It wasn't the job in Parliament I was hoping to get, but this should still be a really great learning experience. Too bad I still don't have anywhere to live come January.

Class and work and class and work and class and work all week it seemed. Finally the weekend arrives, I wasn't able to attend the Remembrance Day ceremonies at the monument, but I'll be sure to go next year. Group Discussion made me realize that November's half over and I've still got a shitload of work to do. Will ALWAYS have a shitload of work to do.

Fight with the roomate about BBQ made me realize how badly I want out of Westboro, (and how I'd like to cut off his balls in his sleep) but again, no place to live come January. This was made official on Thursday. No living with the boss. Another plan/wish crushed.

Worked all weekend. I'll never look at Steve Martin the same after Shopgirl. Sorry Shannybear for having been so drunk and for babbling on and on at Darcy's Saturday night. Borderline still drunk for work on Sunday morning, but manage to get reading done and get to work on time. Grumpy at first, then giddy, then bored. Somethings you just can't have all to yourself right? Zathura (otherwise known as Jumangi 2) was good because of the company.

No longer able to think in complete sentences. Too much shit right now, not enough to deal with it all with a smile. Time to sleep, methinks.

Victory is Mine!

Well here it is... what I've been waiting for!! My letter of apology from the OC Transpo.

Ah, sweet redemption:

"Good day,

Thank you for your email. Please accept our apologies for the lateness
of
our response. We continue to experience a high volume of email
correspondence.

We, at OC Transpo, recognize that our passengers are the most important
part
of our business. Courtesy and safety to our customers are important
aspects
of our service.

We apologize for the way the operator handled this situation and we
understand how unpleasant it was for you. The operator could have asked
you
in a more polite manor.

Thanks you for bringing this to our attention.

Rebecca
Customer Relations"

Thank you Rebecca!!

(More posts to come about my trip back down to good ol' Niagara!)