We get into extremely quirky and geeky things together, mainly focusing around games. During the summer, we not only played Bananagrams, but you had to turn your Bananagram into a story using all the words you had spelled. Then, we took it one step further with creating a rule that the word must be dirty or sexual in nature. This only, in turn, creates the best possible outcome (outcum?) for the most hilarious stories.

For example:

Her cunt yearned for the load coming from his rod, which was beneath is loins, so she tagged him and whispered in his ear, "let's go back to your pad".

We’ve also become accustomed to playing what we like to called pictionary telephone. You start out with a blank piece of paper and sit in a circle. You write a thing for someone to draw, and pass it on in the direction that the circle is going. You then, draw what is written, and fold over the text so that when you pass it, the person has to try to guess what the original text was given the drawing. It continues until there is no more space on the paper.

These games are extremely fun, and now have begun to filter in my Facebook (FB) world. Today, a friend created a new group to post silly things, or to play little games. The first challenge being to write a silly poem. I got excited about this, seeing as I’ve gotten back into writing poetry again. Gladly, because it is silly, it was a lot easier to come up with, and didn’t need to conform many rules. I thought it was too good just to keep to the FB group, so I thought Id share it with you all outside of the walled garden.

Poems can be very, very silly.
Poems can be about pretty lilies.
Poems can be full of wit.
Poems can be about a Brit.

This Brit could have a funny walk.
This Brit could own a pet hawk.
This Brit could pace around a lot.
This Brit could sit and bang a pot.

The sound it makes would fill a room
The sound it makes would be my doom.
The sound would give me a gnarly headache.
The sound causes the need for a pill to take.

To the bathroom I must wander.
To the bathroom is where I ponder.
To the bathroom to find new joy.
To the bathroom not to be coy.

For it’s here I sit upon my throne.
For it’s here I never feel alone.
For it’s here where I read the most.
For it’s here, I now wish, I had some toast.

Flush away all my worries and fears.
Flush away all my soul filled tears.
Flush away, watching the water swirl
Flush away, so I can I dance and twirl.

Dancing gives me great happiness.
Dancing causes a feeling that’s best.
Dancing releases your soul for the world to see.
Dancing can me so much to me.

So, I leave with this final thought.
It is my own, for it’s not bought.
Joy and happiness provide a life fulfilled.
They’re the tools to a foundation that you can build.

I’m looking forward to the next challenge in this group. All the other poems posted so far are very intriguing and quite amusing.

Speaking of challenges, there is one final game I’d like to mention quickly. I don’t get to do it as often as I’d like, but it’s Word Association. Whenever travelling and have time to spare, I hop on Twitter and announce that I’m going to be playing #WordAss soon, @ me if you want to play. It usually a great time killer, and can provide many laughs. I started doing it about 2 years ago, and thoroughly enjoy it. It’s not just fun, but also a great way to learn about a person. What makes them tick? Why’d they make that connection? Pay attention to my Twitter and maybe we’ll be able to play next time.

There are always new games, or new ways to play a game you already know. The world is endless with possibilities with the only boundaries being your imagination. Have any ideas for me? I’d love to hear them.

I achieved a first this year that I thought would never happen: being employed by only one employer throughout the whole year. This doesn’t say that I lose jobs frequently, but I like to keep busy and am a bit of a workaholic. I’ve held a few jobs for multiple years, but usually either switched jobs mid year, or was working more than one job at once. I enjoyed having only one employer. It not only made my schedule easier to plan around, but also gave me security. In the current economic times, you can’t act for anything better.

Again, Twitter and swing were a large part of my life socially. The year started off with not really knowing anyone in town with the exception of the swing community and family. Then, a few months in, I found out about @lnmg and their monthly meetups. My social world exploded after because of all the wonderful people who I’ve been able to encounter. As for swing, I continued making connections with people and building long-term friendships, improving my skills, and for the first time, teaching a beginner lesson.

2011 brought in with it new ventures and challenges by going back to post secondary at Queen’s for Economics. It has been a great learning experience that I have thoroughly enjoyed. I haven’t just learned about a new, interesting topic, but a fair amount about myself as well, and my determination. I’ve always been a bit of a procrastinator and getting rid of those bad habits was a struggle at first, but I kept at it and was able to succeed. Not to the level I’d like because I set unattainable goals for myself a lot, but it has been a pleasant surprise to find out what I am capable of, and that I did better than I tought I would.

The year was not without its mistakes though. To err is human, right? Most were small with not much affect, but there are others that weren’t so easy to fix. We always learn from our mistakes and become better people because of them. Sadly, there is a mistake that I made this year that I don’t think will ever be completely fixed. These, also, are bound to happen and I know that. I really do hope that I am wrong though, and that the saying of “Time heals all” rings true.

It’s best not to dwell on the past though, and look forward to the possibilities that await you. Now as I look to 2012, I already have many opportunities in front of me that leave me scratching my head on how I am going to be able to do it all. Some of these include continuing challenges from this year, such as work, Queen’s, and swing, but I also now sit as a @lnmg organizer. Life isn’t lived unless you challenge yourself to your outer limits though, so I look forward to the future, for it is very bright.

Asteroids do tend to be bright as they burn up entering Earth’s atmosphere.

Living with any disabilities, whether seen or not, can make life challenging but it is how you approach the situation that matters. My story of Crohn’s starts around seven years ago, if you include hindsight, and five if you count from when I was diagnosed.

The Lead Up

Growing up, I was always a bit on the heavier side. At first, it lead to being bullied. Then, as life went on, I was able to develop a dry wit and a great sense of humour, turning the taunts and pokes (pokes did exist before Facebook kids) into jokes, and often self deprecation . As I finished secondary school and moved onto post secondary, I think I ended up eating a couple of freshman, because that 15lb rule didn’t apply to me.

A couple of years went by, then I decided a life change was in order. I started cutting out the fatty foods, and soft drinks in my diet. I also went back to being more active and started walking everywhere again. I didn’t realise any  big change until I went to buy jeans the end of that summer and my usual size was falling off. Somehow, I had lost 50lbs. In hindsight though, I realise that it wasn’t my life changes that brought this on, but the start Crohn’s developing in my GI tract. Some of the symptoms were showing then as well, such as waking up with extreme leg cramps in the middle of the night. It wasn’t until the Christmas two years later that I started having the more severe conditions.

It was Boxing Day, and I was sitting gleefully enjoying a new book when all of a sudden I had an intense pain in my abdomen which keeled me over, and was starting to have cold sweats. This happened a few times that day, but then stopped. I woke up the next morning, not feeling the best and with a low, dull pain on my side. I went to work anyways, because I needed to. Halfway through my shift, I felt so weak that I had to sit down, where I sat for 15 minutes without feeling any better. I decided then that it was time to leave work, and get myself to the hospital.

Waiting…

There I sat at the hospital, late at night, waiting to be seen, and in discomfort. Finally, I was ushered into a room where I sat and waited again to be seen. Then the doctor came in, talked to me for a bit, and then had a couple of blood tests run. Then I was moved back to the waiting room, to sit calmly until the results came back. After about two hours of painful waiting, the doctor came by and said that they were going to be sneding me for a CAT scan. A CAT scan?! What in the heck had I done? I apprehensively went for the scan, then returned to the room to…anyone? Bueller? Bueller? I returned to the room to wait once more. Again, after a long time had past, the docotr return a final time to tell me that he thought I had Crohn’s or Colitis. He referred me to a specialist and sent me on my way.

I’ve been very lucky in the sense that I was diagnosed right away. I know of a lot of other stories where, sadly, it isn’t the same. Next time, I shall continue the story with how I initially dealt with my diagnosis and how it has changed my life. Sometimes for the better, others not so much.

This story really hit a nerve for me because it is really close to my own personal experiences being bullied as a child/teen. Looking back on it now, I know that some of my actions were not always the best, and might have led to some of the problems, but most of the bullying I faced seemed to spur from nowhere that I could easily explain. Understandably, bullying is a very important issue to me. After reading this article, I could feel the pain again. Every taunt, every hit, punch or kick. There were times when I would fight back, and be able to get away, but there were also times where falling to the ground, curling up in the fetal position and tuning out the outside world completely was my best option. One or two people may be somewhat easy to get away from, seven are not. I can remember going home to my Mom and at times threatening to kill myself or severely harm myself to stop the bullying. If I wasn’t around for them to hurt, I would be safe, right?

I know exactly how this boy feels, and my feelings prompted me to write a Letter to the Editor, which is posted below. It is not restricted to this specific case. The main points are applicable to anyone who is being bullied.

A couple of weeks ago while I was at work, I came across a story about a 10-year old boy who was the victim of such bullying that he had contemplated committing suicide. This story really touched my heart, hitting close to home. I also was bullied as a child, to the point where I thought about committing suicide to end the pain. I would like to pass on these words of advice to him and anyone else who is being bullied.

Please, don’t do it. We need you in this world. Bullies will come and go, the tactics will change, but there is only one, unique you. It may hurt right now, but it will eventually end. You will go on to accomplish many great things in your life, but you won’t be able to do so if you aren’t here. Be strong and overcome them by living on. Think about the many people in your life who smile at you, give you hugs, and provide for you. These are the people who matter most, for they will shower you with love. The love far outweighs the hate.

Signed, Kiel Coyle

Whether or not it gets published doesn’t matter to me, but I do hope that the Toronto Sun does pass my words on to this boy so he knows he is not alone. If you know of anyone who is being bullied please pass on my message. Hopefully, we can all remember that everyone is unique and adds to the value of society as a whole, and we can learn to respect one another. I have a dream that one day bullying will not exist. But for now, just remember to show kindness and love to those around you.

Update: After writing, and editing this piece, it saddens me to hear of another life lost too soon due to bullying in Ottawa. When will it end?

The group that showed up for our first lesson of the year was insanely huge, which is awesome. I got to dance with a lot of new people, and hopefully share my love for swing, and dance in general with others. To me, it’s just infectious and hopefully I’ve been able to help cause an outbreak of rock steps on campus. There were a few though who showed up already knowing what they were doing. When this happens, it’s amazing. Not only is it someone new to dance with, but you can break out into the harder stuff right away without worry that your going to scare them away. One of the new people I was able to dance with this week was just such case. They’ve been dancing for a year already, and are great to dance with. This time though, it’s more than just dance, you end up having a dance connection.

I sat and talked for a bit with her later on during the night and we shared our passion for swing. It’s hard to find people who match my passion, but I think I may have done that. We planned to meet later on in the week to go out and dance somewhere in town. Thursday night came around, which is usually blues night at a local bar. It’s usually where you can find me if I’m not working those nights. This week, I wrangled up the usual suspects plus the new addition and we converged to chat, and dance. It is always a fun time when we go, but this week was a little different.

The place was a little busier than it has been in a bit, including the dance floor. For once, it was crowded. It makes it a lot easier to blend in to the crowd and not feel as if you’re putting on a show when it’s busy. We were all having a lot of fun. I forget if it was earlier in the week, or just earlier in the night, but it was mentioned to me by one of my friend’s that she thought my dancing had really improved over the summer. I laughed and thanked her for the compliment, but said I was surprised because I had the reverse feeling. Aren’t we always the hardest critic of ourselves though? Around the middle of the night, my opinion was changed.

I was able to get to dance with my new partner, and it was a fast song, REALLY FAST. We were the first on the dance floor, and it seemed like others didn’t want to join in. Then I realized that it wasn’t that they didn’t want to join but that the dance floor had cleared to watch us. So, we danced the song, feeling like we were going to die at points, but somehow got through it. We killed it. After we were done, a few of the bar’s patrons came up and started talking to us, thanking us for dancing, and putting on a show. It was a lot of fun. One of the questions that was asked of us was if we were brother and sister. Brother and sister? A little odd, but ok.

The night continued on, and we danced some more, only to find out we had a really good dance connection. So much so that I think it’s going to be a great year. We’ve talked about going to competition, but we’ll see what happens. If it does, Montreal & the Canadian Swing Championships better watch out, we coming for you. No matter what happens, it’ll be fun getting there.

Nothing can beat the high that dancing provides for me.  I’ve now got a new found sibling to share it with, so it’ll hit a whole new level.

Sister, I hope you’re ready.

Blood

My first class was Monday at 10:30am, but I good night’s rest I did not get beforehand. I had worked the night before, getting off at 7:30am. I was working on fumes by the time I got to campus at 8:30am which meant I had 2 hours to waste trying not to fall asleep. I grabbed some breakfast at Tim Horton’s hoping that some food and OJ in my system would keep me awake.  I thought it had done the trick, but apparently not enough. Later on in the morning before class as I was walking around campus, I was reading an article on my phone. I looked down for too long because I ended up walking into a post. It wasn’t an earth shattering hit, or anything that needed medical attention (I’m way beyond help anyways), but it was still enough to leave a nice little mark on my knee.

Sweat

After my little run-in with the post I decided it was probably in my best interest to head inside and stick close to the classroom until it opened. I made it there safely, and after waiting for a bit, the doors opened and the floodgates opened spilling students into the hallway. I took a seat inside and made it through class. My wait was finally over. I now hold the honour of saying that I am university educated. Yes, I know it’s only one class of the course where it was only review of what was coming ahead, and other information pertaining to the course but I still say that with pride. There was a point in my life where it seemed impossible. There have been many changes in my life since. Some of them with age, others with hard work and determination.

One such change is my ability to be more social than I used to be. The nice thing about my first Monday at Queen’s is that it also meant that it was time for the return of another year with the Queen’s Swing Club. The first night of every year is always free admission as to draw people in. Boy, did we ever do a great job in advertising the club during Frosh Week. I don’t think we could have fit any more people in the place, barely enough room to move, let alone dance. I was dripping buckets before I’d even started to swing out. This wasn’t helped by my penchant for ties and jackets. All around, Monday was a great day and I knew I’d have to buckle down and get to work after a long-awaited rest.

Tears

I woke up feeling refreshed and headed out to the campus. First stop was the bookstore. It would be really hard to study with the required reading. After, I grabbed a quick bite as to not have any distractions as I tried to study. I knew that if I went home after and tried to study there, it was just not going to happen; the library was my best bet in being successful.

I found a comfy seat and opened the book. I started to read and after the first few pages I started to droop. For some reason, my eyes were getting heavy. It was a little boggling to me because I had gotten plenty of sleep and I wasn’t bored by the topic. After trying to fight it, I succumbed at some point 30 minutes after my last time check. My first study period and I’d already taken a nap, this was not looking good for me. Returning to the reading, I flew through the rest of the pages in a flurry trying to make up for lost time only to find sample questions at the end of the chapter. I guess I had some writing to do now.

Sitting down at a work booth, I unzipped my binder and got to work. The questions were not hard or mind melting, but I was still having trouble focusing. I was determined to make this work. I wasn’t going to leave the library until I was done, no matter how long it took. Finally, I was able to finish, so I packed up and started to head out. I looked at the time, it was 4 hours after I had started. 4 HOURS! I started to get frustrated with myself. I knew it was going to be a hard road to travel at first given that my last jaunt at post secondary was 5 years prior. Somewhere though, I had lost what little study habits I had.

What had I done with the past 20 years of my life? Why have I wasted so much time procrastinating? Breaking habits is always hard, but evermore so when it’s the only habit you know. This was my thought process as I walked home. It wasn’t very pretty, but knew these thoughts would arise at some point in the first couple weeks of classes. What I wasn’t expecting though was a total emotional breakdown. All of a sudden in my frustration, tears started streaming down my face, and not just a one or two. I was having a full on cry for at least two blocks. After clearing my face, I realized that it wasn’t just my face that was being dysfunctional, it was my whole body. My walking was on autopilot, because the rest of me was shaking. It was very surreal, but also extremely healthy.

Now that I’ve been able to get it out of my system, I am more determined than ever to make this work. Failure is not an option, I WILL succeed no matter what the cost. It may, at some point, mean giving up *gasp* swing. Then again, swing may be the only thing I have to keep me sane.

We shall see how it goes.

If it wasn’t for swing though, I’d probably never experienced the amount of things that I did. It has been my social go-to for things to do, and people to meet. A lot of the friends I did make though have sadly moved onto graduate studies not here. One of these friends was someone who I was able to geek out with on one of my favourite people, Sir John Alexander Macdonald.

Why is he one of my favourite people? Other than just being the glue of Confederation in Canada, I share my birthday with him. After reading a recently published biography on his life up to Confederation (John A: The Man Who Made Us, Richard Gwyn. ISBN: 978-0679314752) I also found out that my birth time is also the same as him. Now it’s not known if he, Sir John A, was born in the morning or afternoon, but I’ll take what I can. I grew up loving anything about him, and living in Kingston, that isn’t hard to find. I had been to a few of the landmarks before, but not for a long time. This is where my friend comes in.

I met her through one of my swing friends, and we didn’t really get to socialize until just the past few months in the summer. She is currently going to grad school out-of-town to become a librarian. Here in Kingston though, she had worked at Bellevue House, a residence of Sir John A’s during the years that his first wife, Isabella, was gravely ill. I’ve been to this house before, but at a very young age. During my friend’s last week in town, she was returning to the House to say her goodbyes to former coworkers and asked if I wanted to come along and get an extra special tour. How could I turn this offer down? This tour though was more than just extra special. It was a lifetime dream. Not only did I get to talk about his life with her, but I also got to go behind the gates, and into the rooms of the house, and pick things up. In the office/study, was where most of the items that actually belonged to Sir John A were, lots and lots of books.

Being a bit of a book nerd to begin with, this was a really cool experience. Just standing within inches of the books was enough for me. But with glee, and being extremely careful, I also got to hold them, turn their pages, and feel their texture between my fingers, which were in white gloves of course. First, was one of the volumes from a set of Latin to French dictionaries.

Then, was the one that meant the most to me, his personal directory. Yes, I know I’m an ubergeek for feeling this way, but it was more than just the book. It was the fact that inside the first page of the book was his personal signature. I was holding and looking at an original writing of Sir John Alexander Macdonald’s signature! It took all my power not to drop the thing. I don’t know what I was doing in real-time, but it felt as though time had stopped and that I was trembling uncontrollably.  Somehow, I was able to snap a photo though while still holding the book in the other hand. Don’t ask me how.I can’t even begin to describe what this means to me or how I will ever repay my friend for this experience. The only thing I could think of that day was dinner. And where else would we go but Sir John’s Public House, a new restaurant in town located in one of his old law offices.

That’s also something that has changed in Kingston. In my absence, Kingston has blossomed into a foodie’s dream. There is a bevy of excellent choices to partake in. Sadly, the restaurants that are missing are the ones where I was first employed in the city, Lick’s and Bukamaranga Bean and Bagel. But I can get into my working memories another time. Lots of these news choices available cook locally, and seasonally. I guess it makes it easy to cook locally though when the Farmer’s Market has been revitalized.

A few years ago, the city invested in renovations to Market Square, which not only makes it a nicer place to be, but has made it a destination spot for festivals and year round activities. Winter is my favourite season, so I was sad to leave Ottawa and the Rideau Canal behind. Happily though, I was able to somewhat filled the void with one of the best improvements to the Square, a cooling system underneath the cobblestone to allow for an outdoor rink. This also helps with creating a new Winter festival, Febfest. Lots of snow sculptures, lots of skating, and an opportunity to meet NHL alumni including this year, Daryl Sittler, former captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the dark ages of the Ballard era. The renovations also bring lots of summertime fun as well. Live bands for all ages, movies shown on a blowup projection screen, and many different food festivals celebrating the eats in the area. It is busier than ever, and it’s all because of Downtown Kingston!, the local business improvement association.

A lot has changed about this city, and it is more vibrant than I ever remember it being. Then again, maybe it’s because I never lived in the city proper. I was always living on the outside looking in, never really taking in the city I have grown to now love. If you’re ever looking for a place to getaway to, come to Kingston. I’ll give you a tour myself.

After leaving Algonquin, I had to find someway to fill the void with my new found time. At first, the habit sat beside me, fed me bags of chips, and watch Maury. Then, a new friend same a-calling. Full time employment. It was a great feeling to feel productive again. I was still living at home, so it gave me a great excuse not to be home. Don’t get me wrong, I love my mother to bits, but at the same time, it’s best we not spend constant, prolonged periods of time together. We never end up showing our best sides to each other. But I digress…

Along with full-time employment, I also filled my time with volunteer work. It was a great feeling giving myself to a cause I fully believed in, and knowing that if everything could happen the way I would like it to, I was also helping to make the world a better, safer place. Then, I moved out (read: could no longer battle the beasts within to be polite and civil at home). This was a great start to a new beginning. I’ve always been an independent person, but this was still a new found glory. It was also the slow decline of my downfall.

At first, I was continuing my old life, work and volunteer. Then, after close to a year of status quo, even though it was not quo, I found a way to really shake things up. First, it was swing. To this day, I still have no regrets about this. Then, it was additional part-time employment. Yes, working 60 hours a week may be crazy, but I thrived off of it. Finally, the thing that was maybe the straw on the camels back in the long run, Twitter. Same as swing, I have no regrets, but there have been times where I have let it take over my life a bit too much.

It seemed as though I was unstoppable. I was able to handle it all. Then, slowly, the train started to derail from tracks of productivity. To begin, it was the loss of full-time employment. It wasn’t all bad. It was the first time in my adult life, at this point, that I had the chance to take a bit of a break. I still had the part-time job, and had EI coming in while I looked for a new full-time job. But, this is where Twitter really kicked into full gear.

Growing up, I didn’t experience much of a social life. I didn’t exactly help the situation early on though. Let’s just say I was a difficult child. So, when Twitter came into the picture, I was a little too welcome to jump in. I was social, people liked me, even calling me out to events. But, I became a little too social for my own good and let some other things slide. Procrastination was starting to get comfortable again.

Then, I moved to back to Kingston for full-time work. It’s shift work, so the shifts vary every week, and can be really taxing on the body. So, when off days come along, I take them. Also, I instantly got myself entrenched in the swing scene here. The social aspect of my new beginnings. Then, external things in my life started to fall earlier this year. I wasn’t having much time to myself, and became extremely social with a few people, almost using them as a crutch.

Along the way, I grew really close with one of my friends, and it has changed my world. In some ways, for the better, in others not so much. Don’t read that negatively though. I wouldn’t change the situation if I had the choice. This person means the world to me, and I would do anything for them, as they would for me. At least I hope so. Recently though, as I’ve had a few days off here and there, I have had time to reflect on my life recently. Looking back, I have come to the realization that I have strayed from my ways of usefulness to a path of semi-slothness.

My happiness became attached to this friend. Somehow, I had become addicted to someone. Is that even possible? I found this out at the beginning of this month. Spending time with this friend over the summer has been amazing. I don’t think we went more than 3 days apart from seeing each other. It’s as if we’d known each other our whole lives. Then, we went on a weekend trip together. What an amazing time. I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather be with for that long. After returning to Kingston, our schedules didn’t mesh, and weren’t going to all month. After six days apart and having to run some errands, I made it part of my plans to see my friend, even though I knew it was going to be for a short time.  I saw them, got home, and started to realize this is where my problem lied. For the first time in my life, I had become dependent on someone else, outside of family, to feel good. I knew this had to change. Not because of the person, but for myself. I needed to become independent again, which I have since been able to do.

I’ve had a few more days since, as the summer has wound down, and have seen that my procrastination habits have kicked themselves into high gear. Sadly, I’ve dropped the ball on a few things, and I need to get them back up into the air. No more will I be a sloth. I will regain control of my life, and take charge. With my first ever university course starting in a few weeks, I cannot be at ease. I need to be at the ready, and fully operational again if I want to succeed. So, I ask of you, my friends, if you see me in a state of laziness, please smack me as hard as you can. I may yell at you at first, but in the long run, I will thank you.

Procrastination, I am done with you.

From Architecture to Economics

I like to read, a lot. You can almost always find me with a book on hand and reading it when not trapped in the annuls of Twitter. There once was a time when a smartphone was just a dream. It’s crazy to think about it now, but it’s true. In this time, reading is what I did to pass the time while on route to somewhere via public transport. At first, it was general biographies and other topics, but the more I got into architecture, the more my reading selections were into the basics of buildings to supplement my classroom learnings. As I delved into the subject matter more, I yearned for a way to relate it to my other love, the environment. This meant my choices were now into green architecture and alternative building technologies. The more pages I turned about lessening the footprint of the built environment, the more I wanted to move past the small spectrum and relate it to everyday life. After reading a few books on being “green” (the quotation marks around green is a whole other blog post for another time), I really wanted to unearth more. Into sustainability as a whole I go.  I was becoming increasingly interested and realized, that armed with the right tools, I could make a real difference. One of those key tools is the need for accessibility to monetary resources. As much as I’d love to get fully involved in international development though, I think bigger picture that economics is better for me. So, as you can see in a roundabout way, economics isn’t that far of a jump from architecture.

First Steps

Surprisingly enough, I have been able to make a choice. The next step should be pretty easy, no? Ha! I only wish it were. Applying to university hasn’t been a straight and narrow path for me. It’s been like trudging through the rainforest with a dull machete. First, I looked into the requirements for applications online. I thought, after doing this, that it would be best to apply as a mature student. I’ve been out of school for over 5 years, didn’t have great marks in the credits I do have from college, and have only one OAC credit from high school. According to the university of choice, my thoughts on my application were wrong.

The two weeks prior to applications being due, my schedule was jam packed and I didn’t have time during regular business hours to stop by and ask a few questions at the university before applying. After talking to a friend about this, she, being the godsend she is, offered to stop in and inquire on my behalf. Isn’t it great to have friends like this? Arming her with my education history, she returned to inform me that I was ineligible for mature student, but might qualify as an upper year student. I scratched my head a bit at this, but didn’t argue. To be safe, I filled out my application form applying for first year status. I figured that if I qualified, it’d be easier to move up with credits, rather than be denied applying for upper year status and having to pay the application fee again as a first year. About a week passed and I received an email noting that my application had been received. It also gave me login information for online services and a request for my high school transcript.

The Art of the *facepalm*

Really?! My high school transcript? Are they going to be able to read it? The thing is nine years old. At this point, I’m not going to argue with them, but am on the search for a copy of the Rosetta Stone to leave with it so they can decipher the pre-Harrisment code. While I was dropping those off, I asked if they also needed my college transcripts, which to the reply was no. A week went by and I was still having trouble getting access to online services with the login information I had been given. So, I went back to the admin desk and asked where I could go to get help. IT desk was the answer, and could be found in the library. Off I went to the library and IT. Here, they told me that I was having trouble with logging in because I was putting in the wrong birth month. Now, I take blame for this problem. Sometimes my chicken scratch is so bad that I’m sure it would make even a doctor jealous. To change the birth month, I’d have to go to (anyone want to take a guess at where?) the admin desk. *facepalm* Back to admin I went where they gladly changed my birth month (in case you were wondering by this point, it’s January and I am not adverse to gifts *wink*) and informed me that I was still being processed because they were awaiting my college transcript. *facepalm* This was also the last day for transcripts to be in for applications. Getting a little annoyed with this but still chuckling a bit, I phoned the college I had attended to request my transcripts be sent to the university. They were more than happy to help me with this. All I had to do was going online, login with my student number and password, and fill out the form online. It’s been 5 1/2 years since last I attended any class, and even longer since being at this college. Do you think I have any clue what either of these are anymore? *facepalm* I politely stated these facts to the person on the phone and they told me my student number and reset my password. I thanked them, filled the form out, and went on with my day. Think about this though. Do you not think it would have been easier to be able to request it through the phone instead of being given my student number to login? Oh the joys that technology has given us.

Knowing that these processes take time, I didn’t worry about it for a couple of weeks. It was the end of June now, and I still hadn’t heard anything. Wondering if it was the online services being buggy, I went to the admin desk (they must love me by now). Upon my arrival, they told me that I had been turned down as a first year student because I didn’t qualify. The good news, however, is that I do qualify as a mature student. *FACEPALM* With a look of ebullient joy on my face, I leave the desk and proceed to the exit. Once outside, I fall to the ground on the front lawn and start my own ROLFCOPTER. I know I probably looked ridiculous, but I needed a release and didn’t care. A few days pass and I hear from mature student applications. They are more than happy to grant me access to the university as a mature student. I’m also informed that the saving grace in my application was that I didn’t finish my architectural technology diploma. Wait? You mean to tell me that being a failure at life CAN get you places? Damn, wish I had learned this years ago. I shouldn’t be surprised though, Charlie Sheen has done extremely well in life, right?

Selecting a Course

Now that I’m in, all I have to do is choose a course. I can’t do this in person though. I must login to the catalog selection service. This should be easy. I have access, and all the issues are behind me. I login, click on confirm acceptance and wait a few days for that to process. I return, only to find out that I can view the catalog, but I am ineligible to enroll in a class. I’ve been accepted, but no, you can’t take a course. Another visit to the admin desk, another pass off to the department in which the course I want to take belongs to. Here, I’m told that I can’t enroll yet because I need to wait for my scheduling date, which apparently is September 1st. Classes start in September, I’m not waiting till then to enroll. They lovely woman at the desk though this was odd as well, talked to her supervisor, and got to date changed.

Long story short, I am now enrolled for the first time in a university course. What have I learned through this?

• Maybe I shouldn’t keep so busy
• I really am getting old
• As much as I love technology, some things are better handled by people
• My face is really sore. Hate on me all you want Don Cherry, but this sport needs visors.
• Failure is #Winning

So, from time to time, a make musical references or puns in conversations, but they usually drop faster than a lead balloon. But, this is why I love Twitter so much. Yes, I’m going on about Twitter again. If you haven’t jumped on yet, why not? It’s a great way to connect with others that you might otherwise never meet in your life. As I’ve said before, I love Twitter not just for its ability to keep me informed about the world, and a source of humour, but also for the people it has introduced to me.

The other day is such a case. I have yet to meet @Jule_E, but have enjoyed following her feed, and some of the conversations we have had. Especially the latest one. I was sad to hear, after reading her blog (Facets of Me), that she had been in Belleville because her Mom was ill. Tending to her, and waiting, she was updating her Twitter and had said at one point:

This caused a short conversation to bloom, reading from the bottom up:

This is where the magic starts to happen. Seeing that my brain functions almost on autopilot when it comes to humour, and seeing my opportunity, I stuck my nose in with:

For those of you who don’t know what reference I’m making, it’s Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. After this, I become shocked to find out that I have met an equal in the ways of musical references. It gets a little stretched at times, but the conversation follows as such:

Read from the bottom up, starting with the first column:

Which continues as, with others in Kingston joining in:

As you can see, it went on for a while, and was a joy for all of us involved, and others just reading. This conversation is one of the keys reasons I LOVE Twitter so much. It can take something mundane and boring, or a sad event, and turn it on its head. I thank all those involved in the banter, it really made my day.

This has also inspired me a little, maybe we could write a Twitter musical? What do you think? Songs like “I Want To Follow You”, “Hashtagging Love”, and my personal favourite “Will My Feelings For You Be RT?”

Pay attention to your Playbills, it just might show up on a stage near you soon.