Coming to an end...

Dear Readers,

A lot of things are coming to an end.

1) My family comes home soon from their 5 week "vacation" on the other side of the world!
2) My 18th year ends this Monday.
3) Last day of classes is in about 3 weeks.
4) Last day of first year is in about a month or so.
5) My blog...

...FOR NOW!!!

How can I blog about my adventures in Ottawa, if I'm not even in Ottawa?! I'll be taking a blogging break till second year starts up again in September.

I haven't written anything since early February...so I have writers block right now. I've seen a crazy amount of movies since; Zac and I go nearly every week. Tonight we're seeing some magician movie (he got to chose it this time). Last time we saw Oz the Great and Powerful in 3D. Before that we saw Jack the Giant Slayer in 3D. Before that was Beautiful Creatures in 3D. Before that...don't quite remember. It begins to blur after the 4th movie.

What I'm most excited for, movie wise, is The Host!!! Mommie- you and I are going to go see that together. Remember when I read it to you? It was before The Hunger Games, so if the movie is a lot different it won't be as disappointing since it's been so long since we read it. I don't remember that much; do you? So it'll be fun :)

XO
Janice

Winterlude!

 Bonjour!

So I've had the lovely opportunity to read TWO new manuals 2 days in a row!! That means TWO new electronics! :D

My beautiful new phone:

My little BBZ10 is my new best friend! We get along real well :D

My beautiful new camera:

It looks pretty big, but it's actually really popular for being compact and light weight for what it is. It doesn't fit in my pocket, but it fits into the palm of my hand easy peasy :)

Thank you so much for these gifts! Happy Birthday to me for the camera; yay! :D Now I can document my 19th birthday with my 19th birthday gift! I really appreciate them both.

I got to use my new camera tonight at the Winterlude downtown Ottawa. Here are some photos...

I went with Dana (above). It was a fun night out and I'm really glad I got to do some tourist-like things! Soon I truly will be a tourist. In Fiji!!!!!!!!! Much much warmer tourist-like things there.

Love,
Jannie

Two Weeks to Go!

Two weeks until what?!

HOME!!!

I do have 2 mid-terms and some assignments before then...but once those are out of the way, I'm home free! Yay!! And then FIJI!

I was in a bad mood today, so if Zac read's this he'll find what I'm about to say contradictory...but, life is good! Lots to look forward to!

Speaking of people, (I had to find some sort of transition into this new topic), I have noticed that my floor has settled down in terms of people. We started out as a floor that consisted of a few groups.

• The "In" Group: this group consisted mainly of the out-going drinkers who generally seemed to prioritize friends over school.
• The "Half-In Half-Out" Group: I was apart of this group. I wasn't comfortable entirely with the "In" group, or the "Out" group. So I guess I was in-between. We wanted some fun, but also some peace and quiet for study time. 
• The "Out" Group: these people generally hid in their rooms. Because of this, I didn't know some people existed for quite a while. It would be that awkward moment where you're in an elevator  with someone you don't recognize, and you both get off on the 13th floor, and you're like "oh, hey, we live together?"There were also people who tried desperately to feel apart of the "In" group.

Overtime five people have left. One of them hated nearly everyone on the floor (called security on some of us many time), one of them just couldn't make it through University, one of them was home sick, one of them was the loudest guy on the floor, and so on.

As people left, people also started to take a step out of their comfort zone and show their faces in common areas. The harsh lines around groups started to soften and blend in with the other groups. New people began to replace the ones that had left. This joined the original floor #13 people together to help welcome the new people. I've noticed one friend of mine, Andrew finally find his place on the floor. I remember he used to struggle, trying to fit in with the guys that used to live here. They would tease him behind his back and I could imagine he must of known to an extent, making it very hard for him. The other day I saw him standing with two guys, one new and one who never used to come out of his room. They were chatting and laughing like they were the best of friends, so happy to be together. Just watching Andrew finally find a happy place amongst some people on our floor made me really happy too. 

I don't know if I've truly found my happy place yet, I probably never will, but I feel comfortable and welcome on the floor and it's always nice seeing a friendly floor 13 face when I'm out and about. It's like even though I don't know these people well, I still know them. 

Xo

Janice

Zumba (Zoom-bah)

Hey you!!

I haven't made a post since LAST YEAR!!!!! I missed my blog...so sorry it's been so long!

It's Day #4 of my first week of 2nd semester. 

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Above the line was written pre-asthma attack and pre-flu. Below the line is post-asthma attack and post-flu. For 5 straight days I managed to not close this window! I finally plan on finishing this post, just like nothing happened...

So last Wednesday Regina and I decided to go to Zumba between classes. Zumba is basically weird dancing. We showed up, this girl put music on, and just started dancing. I was like...uhhhhh, what about warming up?! What about teaching us the steps?! I haven't danced for like six years and all of sudden I'm trying to mimic this professional. Regina and I raced to our macroeconomics class afterwards without any coats on, 'cause honestly we were stinky hot people. It was tough work. 

I wish I had more exciting things to say...but the next day is when my health went from hero to zero. Ever since about Tuesday, my life has surrounded around trying to get better. The majority of the week I was with a very sick Zac, which merged into a weekend of being with a still sick Zac trying to take care of a very sick Janice. 

But if you know me (the few people reading this know me well ;)), you'll know that I'm quite happy that I got sick over the weekend! Not happy that I got sick, but happy I didn't miss many classes :) (I missed Friday). 

I love you all,

Janice

Christmas Time!

Dear Friends & Fam,

My common room has experienced something known as "Christmas Throw-Up." You probably don't need an explanation, as the pictures below are explanation enough. 

Jake and Andrew went out and spent $80.00 on decorations! Everything you see isn't only those decorations; people had stuff to begin with, and the pictures also don't feature the finished room. Later on decorations were wrapped around the lights and what not. 

You see the trees on the cieling? Well the cieling is white, so when you look up you have the illusion of looking down on a snowy land with trees :) 

Also to the left is a "fire place" where all the stockings are hung!

Below, I wrapped the fridge with Paige. It was quite difficult but it looks like a big present! 

 We put all our names on the wall, and wrapped up the TV to the left.

And we all wrote letters to santa! 

This was for a Thompson contest and we won! :D The prize is a pizza party, which we could have just bought with that $80.00 ourselves but oh well :) It was fun.

I was just started to gain respect for the Thompson residence until someone discovered a bag of poop in our fridge. I don't know if it's real or if it's a prank, but seriously?! Bag of poop?! I don't understand people's humour sometimes.

Back to studying!

Love,

Janice

Text Me! Or Not.

Hey lovelies!

So, I know you know, but I thought I should express one thing about my life...

PHONE WITHDRAWAL EXISTS!!!!!!!!

Actually, funny enough (hahah...not funny), I'm experiencing it right now! I know what coffee withdrawal is and blah blah, but phone withdrawal makes coffee withdrawal look so lame. It bugs me so intensely that I still have yet to grasp, after 3 days phone-less, that every time I reach for my pocket it. will. be. empty. Every time. My hand always goes there, my brain always thinks "Ah, I should add that to my calendar" or "That's a good joke! I'll put it in my Joke Memo", and my heart always breaks when the realization hits like a ton of bricks.

I know I'm being dramatic but it's quit unsettling when you're out and about and have no easy way of contacting anyone! You just cross your fingers and hope maybe you'll run into them (I actually ran into Zac, which never happens when not planned, so that was nice!). I can't imagine what before cell phones was like. Everyone would have to be incredible planners. How else would you make sure you saw someone?! Once you left the house the phone wouldn't be available, and a letter would take too long, and what if somehow you got access to a phone but the person you're trying to reach isn't home?                        

Good thing I'm a planner. I can't imagine how someone who doesn't plan could survive without a phone. Phew!

Tomorrow morning is the first of my last classes that are quickly coming. Next week, on December 5th, is the last day. Technically it's a "Monday" schedule, which is why tomorrow's class is the last one since now the usual Wednesday class isn't happening next week. It probably won't be like the end of a high school class, where the teacher says farewell and you feel sad (or really happy) because everyone got so close and it was like a little family for a bit. My profs will probably just be like, "Oh, and study for the exam! Byyyyeee."

Speaking of studying...I should probably get on that (don't tell my mum). Hehe kidding, I've already started :)

Love,
Me

P.S. The post below was a complete visual fail. Ignore the photos you can't see, nor the stupid font. I know how to write a post...but I don't know how to fix one!

PIGS!!!!!!

Hey!!

So, I know it's not my amazing blog reputation that drew your eye to this post...it's THIS ADORABLE PICTURE:

 

And THIS ONE:

I'm going to kidnap this little guy.

What are these ridiculously adorable pictures of?! They are known as micro pigs. These pigs will even go as far as making you have no life, and cause you to spend 3 hours googling pictures of them on a Saturday night wondering why you don't own one.

These are so random to feature in my blog, but honestly, I must share them with the world. It would be a crime not too. 

So these pigs are probably the highlight of my day. Why?! Because of one thing that will probably never change: I hate group projects. Once again, my Social Context of Business class (same prof who didn't let us leave with the fire drill) has us doing yet another assignment. This assignment, like the last, is worth five marks off the next quiz (this Wednesday). Like the last, we're all placed in a group of ten or so people. I'm in the same group as before, where for that assignment me and two other people did the WHOLE thing corresponding over email. Everyone else just emailed back saying, "Yeah, that's good. Don't have anything to add." Those people just got free five marks. Broke my heart. Are you really going to be that unethical in an ethics class? Like really? 

So you can imagine I wasn't looking forward to this assignment. I emailed everyone a few days ago about when we could meet up since this is due Monday (I still don't know what anyone in my group looks like), and no one replied. So I went ahead and booked a room in the library for 2-5pm today, and told everyone. A few people replied saying they could come, and a few people said they couldn't. So I said if you can't come, just send me a paragraph of your ideas before 2pm Saturday, and I'll incorporate it into the paper. 

2pm for today rolls around, and no one had sent me emails with any ideas. I sit there in the room at 2:10pm, alone. Finally a chinese girl shows up, and bless her heart she tried her very very best to help me, but I ended up typing the whole three pages by myself. When I came back to my bedroom, I probably rewrote the same email four times before I sent it. The first was very angry, the second less angry, and by the third and fourth I became way too nice. I ended up sending them MY work so that these ten people could edit or add stuff to it, giving them a chance to contribute. 

The only way I can stop them from getting the marks is if I write a letter detailing why and sealing this into an envelope which I would hand in with the assignment. It's a ridiculous system, because I don't have the time or energy to do that when I already put so much time into the assignment. 

I think the lesson I learned today is to always try your best, even if others just catch a free ride on your hard work, because you'll be the one to reach the destination and they'll eventually get caught for not paying for their free ride.

Am I right? 

Love,

Janice :)