I had a great title, but can't recall...

I've always had a bad memory. The amount of toys i've lost as a child is enough of make a kid very happy at christmas time.

To think things have changed since then... how wrong I was... or maybe I just forgot how I forget everything and anything.

Things have gotten worse since I left my pull-along donkey by the side of the road. Just last weekend, I lost my wallet, only to realize it was in my coat all along... after the credit and debit cards were cancelled. I spent 15 minutes on hold today trying to pay a bill to the credit card that no longer exists. Well seems like i've gotten myself in quite a pickel and have to go see them in person.

This poem came to mind when I was waiting on the phone. I'd read it on another blog, so it deserves double quotes "".
In the spirit of all things delayed: (and that includes my memory)~

Voice Mail Villanelle
by Dan Skwire

We're grateful that you called today
And sorry that we're occupied.
We will be with you right away.

Press one if you would like to stay,
Press two if you cannot decide.
We're grateful that you called today.

Press three to end this brief delay,
Press four if you believe we've lied.
We will be with you right away.

Press five to hear some music play,
Press six to speak with someone snide.
We're grateful that you called today.

Press seven if your hair's turned gray,
Press eight if you've already died.
We will be with you right away.

Press nine to hear recordings say
That service is our greatest pride.
We're grateful that you called today.
We will be with you right away.

My purpose

Holy crap! They’re starting to build my equipment design… from scratch!! To see something I once drafted up in my head to a solid, touchable, maneuverable object is… like the coolest thing EVER!!! Since my decision to become an engineer 4 years ago, this day justifies why. What’s even greater is, the framework and motors are exactly to my specs and dimensions. Of course nothing will work out exactly as planned, but it’s pretty darn close YEEHAH!!

Off to Mississauga today and a visit to Ryda in Hamilton tomorrow for what will no doubt be a super prosperous fun happy Chinese new year celebration. Cheers.

The Seasonal Nostalgia

The snow is falling like crazy right now. It’s been so long since the last good snowing that somehow I have to get reacquainted with this phenomenon.

I miss Waterloo very much; miss everything old and familiar as I settle into a simple routine here. Trotting through the snow on those late-night walks home through Waterloo Park were among the sweetest times of my life. I just hope things will stay as it was when spring comes around.

Boys are weird.

There are some things a person can try to understand for the rest of her life but will never truly do so. Instead, I've decided to save my time and conclude that boys are weird and that I will never understand them.

That triggered this conclusion? J and El of course... they seem to be all I see at "home" in Welland now. The weird thing about these two is, they get along even though El only has the ability of converse basic english. Their bond comes from the fact that they can wrestle with each other. I used to think it was all fun and games til they got really carried away one time in the kitchen. They were full out grappling on the floor and J's face and bald head turned all red. They swore at each other... I was just watching them and keeping an eye out for where the hot stove and boiling water was, in case they accidentally pushed me into it.

Weird? No, guys get into fights sometimes, I'll accept that. What's weird is, they started fighting for no apparent reason and just as quickly, they got up and laughed it of. WHAT?!?!?! That made NO sense!! If you want the exercise, go out for run, if you want to hump something, get a ... mound haha. Perhaps it's just boredom... ahhh, there I go trying to understand them again... they're weird... I'm done.

Lesson learned

There are some beauty regiments a person CANNOT do on herself!!!
Trained, certified professionals are there for a reason... DON'T DO IT!!!

Anyway, situation has been averted. All is fine, I'm going for a run now :)

Hello weekend, I've been waiting for you

The company is going through some major crisis. Sales have dropped 100% in the last couple of months. The plant has had some major lay-offs. Even the engineering department is affected. People I was just talking to the day before were dismissed the next day.

My super nice waterloo grad of a boss assured me a student would not have been hired only to be laid-off half way through the term; this is quite a relief, although he may still receive pressure from the uppers to dismiss me. This surreal work experience has turned into a harsh reality this week.

It wasn’t easy to get me here, so now I HAVE to do some good stuff at work.

In better news, I’m on my way to achieving the biggest accomplishment during coop. The company is going to build a design modification I came up with. There’s still a lotta safety approvals to go through, but it’s on its way!! Very exciting indeed

Hopefully the roomies will check out the campus bar with me this weekend. I hear Niagara College knows how to do it up right. Cheers!

Times like these

We now have a TV system in our living room. I have not seen El leave the couch for 3 days. He is now too preoccupied to put on his neanderthal wig and scare the crap out of me.

It's times like these, you learn to live again.

The Rider and the Horse

Today, a co-worker and I met with a couple of suppliers that claimed they had a solution to one of the many problems with our equipment. They had to wear toe caps because they didn’t have safety shoes. Those things make a nice clickidy sound when you take a step, since there was 2 of them walking, they sounded like a horse. I had a huge smile on my face during their visit that was about to turn into a laugh at any moment.

One thing I’ve noticed about supplier relations; people are VERY nice to you when they want your business. They see us as their livelihood, and we’ve got this horse by the reins.

The thing is, we work for GM. They are our livelihood. I’d hate to see how hard we kiss their butt. We’re stuck in a cycle where the rubber maker sucks up to the tire maker, the tire maker to the car maker and the car maker trying really hard to sell their cars to those employees at the rubber plant. All this passing around of business cards, mindless blabbering, corny jokes and politics just isn’t cut out for me. Too bad it comes with every job. I’m going to enjoy my time at school while I’ve still got it… and hope to be a rider, not a horse.

Niagara Falls

I went out with J and El last night to Niagara falls... I had no idea we could get in the car, drive there and be walking down that freaky street with the haunted houses in 30 min. I haven't been to Niagara falls in a long time (because it's too close?) and kept freaking out like some dumb tourist; the other 2 are regulars to the town. We went to Rumor night club where J had some friends to meet up with. I think he knew the manager because we walked right up to the front of the line and didn't pay cover muahaha!!! The place had good music. El and J are shy guys... they prefer to stand against a wall and look creepy haha, but I made them dance a bit. The place was completely packed full of broncing Americans. There was one in particular with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes that stretched from ear to ear, in my option, the hottest thing in the whole damn joint. I couldn't keep my eyes off him and we ended up dancing for an hour, woot woot!!

It's actually sunny out this morning! Grocery shopping I go.

soo....

I didn't even know it was a friday the 13th before I read people's blogs... now I HAVE to go out for a drink. My roomies are pretty funny people (El and J) but they seem to be in love with each other... well, they just wrestle a whole lot... it's unnatural to watch.

work is crazy but i'm getting some great experience. in my first 2 weeks, i've already done more than my entire term last summer. I have another design project to do, the drawing is almost drafted... but I have to go to Staples to look at how swivel chairs work to get some ideas to present on monday. I really wish I paid attention to those annoying swinging chairs in some of those waterloo classrooms.

So... weekend... YAYYY... I have nothing to do, and that's how i like it for now. I think I"ll have a walk around the mall tmorrow and not buy anything... cheers to another non-uneventful friday the 13th.

PS: Another interesting thing about welland... it has too many mattress stores... I pass 4 on my way to work. Seems either people are sleeping in their graves or just sleeping.

Affair with Fender

I am obsessed with Fender, (he's my guitar) I end up playing for about 3 hours everyday without even realizing it, must be driving my roommates crazy MUAHAHAHA!!!

I needed to take a break from Fender for a bit, he's causing me a lot of health problems. My hand is numb right now from too much strain, my wrist is going to get arthritus soon.

I kept waking up with chest pains for the last couple mornings. It concerned me cuz I thought I had some kind of reaction to my antibiotics... turns out, I lean over my guitar to much when I play. Gosh Fender, what are you doing to me?!?!

Cheers to a mild winter and sweet sweet music to sooth your soul.

The sky is still blue

Some Important people from school... in crayon from, it's abstract art :D


The 2nd CD off the foo fighters album is amazing.... it's keeping me sane.
Do you ever notice how the different places you work have the same people there? I remember walking through the plant the other day and kept seeing people who looked like the ones from my last coop term. It's just odd that's all, but I guess we're all the same in a sense, just trying to make an honest living.

I forgot my safety boots and had to go home to get them. I got together with the high school friends at a bar and ran into Richard, Terry, Colin and Chris from Waterloo, it was the weirdest thing, I thought I was halucinating for a sec. Matt came to visit me the next day, and I saw for the first time in a week that the sky is still blue. Everything is a little better than it was when I first moved here... the work projects don't seem impossible anymore, I found a new bus route so no more graveyard walks for me!!! Matt and I went to Jack asters to eat then saw Brokeback Mountain and he cried... haha, just joke, it was actually me.



Jake Gylinhal is hot.

Over my head I sang...

So there's a reason why this place is called Welland... they were trying to overcompensate!!

There's something eerie about this town... I think it's because I never see daylight anymore... I'm in the office before sunrise and leave after sunset... not to mention the 2 grave yards I pass on my way to work... in the dark. Buses some here every half hour... for good reason... because nobody takes the bus that early. There are plenty of cars on the road but somehow I never see anybody walking... it's like people are just passing though. The houses all look run down as if nobody has lived in it for years.... because they live in the grave yards nowMUAHAHAH... *shudder*.

Things are bit better where I am. The roomies seem nice, but I mostly stay in my room after work... doing more work. One of my roomie's is from el salvador. He listens to some VERY loud music and howls to it sometimes. My other roommate lives in the basement and has just bought an electric guitar. We hope to check up on each other's progress.

So work... boy... this job is exactly what I had expected and feared... I got my 2nd design project today. It's my 2nd day of work... did I mention I don't know how to design?!?!? they want me to modify their equipment!! where do I start?! On top of all that, my computer at work is really slow and doesn't let me do anything before freezing up. I actually took some work home today so I can finish some more... sad eh? I miss everything about home (wherever that is) Why can't I be studying for finals right now?! Just kidding... but this sucks too.

I've been walking back from work for the last 2 days... it's takes an hour!! But the music really helps. I love the song "better together" by Jack Johnson... it's perfect for walking, try it

Dead tired and it's only Wednesday.

Off to well land.

My last post before setting off to Welland for coop... the whole job thing's got me a little nervous. My boss is out of town til the 9th, and I'm going to have to find the "other" guy to show me the ropes, I still have learn 3D autocad before work... that gives me... a day...... crap!!

I went out the other day and bought myself an acoustic guitar to keep me warm on those cold lonely winter evenings. My fingers are having touble adjusting to the awkwardness of the instrument. All is not lost, I heard some cracking in my fingers the other day... yup... making some progress. I hope to be able to play my favourite songs by the end of the term and jam my heart out. Faraz would be proud.

New years was an awesome time. I finally saw all the high school people in one room, as opposed to running around and meeting up with his & her individually. I stayed sober (unless I count the 2L bottle of chronic cola whoohoo!!) But it was still a blast to see the other people falling down all over the place. I got home at 4am, completely awake and jumpy. I remember thinking about walking home in -5 degree weather haha... even though it's a 40 min bus ride.

I remember being in the exact same place last new years eve feeling nervous as hell about tranfering to a new program yadda yadda. Looking back at things, I've been pretty lucky... no, VERY lucky to have all that I have, seen all that I"ve seen... met the bestest most awesome people this solar system, and experienced and felt more than I have in all my other years. Cheers to growing up, having fun and no regrets.