con'grad'ulations

Don't you love how everyone thinks they are being cute when they write congratulations like "congradulations"?
I graduated officially yesterday. It was a weird thing...for one thing, I felt like I was in a Harry Potter movie. And surprisingly the ceremony wasn't as long and tiring of a process that I thought it would be.

You know what really gets me, renting the damn gowns and hood. Really Western, we haven't given you enough money that you have to make us PAY for our grad robes??....that's really thoughtful of you. Oh and don't forget your alumni pin cuz we'll be contacting you very shortly for donations. I heard someone actually said, "Congratulations, come back soon. We need the money". No thanks. I already have 20,000 in loans I have to pay. So can I be contacting you shortly for donations???

Anyways, my mom and grandma came down for it, even though my brother and dad were supposed to too. Nonetheless, I am really happy that I am getting along very well with my family. Maybe it's the whole growing up thing. Maybe somehow they were right, when you're older, you really do appreciate your family so much more.

So, here we are. We made it to graduation. Now what?

there's nothing worse than ruined plans

well, i'm sure there are things worse than ruined plans but right now, i am not impressed.

anyone who knows me knows that when i am at home for an extended period of time, i count down the days for my return back to a life from the moment i get here.

this time, my countdown has now been thwarted. what should have been "2 more sleeps" is still "3 more sleeps" for yet another day.

i had all these plans for this weekend to meet up with old friends from barrie on friday/saturday, getting my hair done by an old high school friend, meeting up with a friend in toronto on sunday, and then heading back to london sunday evening after a day of vigorous sushi-eating and shopping with said toronto friend.

however, working for your family has its many (i repeat, many) downfalls. one of them being, they can pull the "only 2 days notice, but they really need you" card without having the opportunity to say 'no'...if it had been any other employer and they gave me 2 days notice and i had other plans, well, they're outta luck. however, because it's my family, i must come to the rescue and help. there is no other option.

thus, my plans for even more vigorous shopping on the friday has been cancelled (or i guess rather, post-poned) for an evening of pompous middle-aged people shouting orders at me even when they clearly know i am already in the middle of something. le sigh.

only upside...more cash for the copius amount of retail therapy planned to make up for lost time.

...and so it is...

So, I'm back after a very long hiatus. For a whole semester, I have avoided this thing like the plague. There are a few reasons as to why.
1) Felt a lack of desire to write
2) Was pretty busy with school and work
3) Would rather have spent my spare time hanging out with my boyfriend and roomies
and
4) This...self-explanatory. (Chris, my chingoo for life hehe)...I suppose those racist comments made me a little bitter and deterred me from my blog. But why should some "anonymous" prick, who has no balls, get the best of me?

So here we are now, I am home up north for the Christmas holidays and felt that it was time to revisit this thing again.

Here is a little bit of me from this past semester.

- O-week came and went.

- I turned 21. Yippee.

- My boyfriend and I celebrated our glorious "year and a half" celebration. <3>

- I started a new job at ALDO accessories in White Oaks Mall.

- And any free time I had was spent catching up on school work, watching Deal or No Deal, or catching up on LOST/Desperate Housewives, or just dickin' around the apartment with my family (Mike and Aras included). ha.

p.s. - my puppy has grown so much! (photos to come soon)

So, needless to say, you haven't missed out on much.

Right now, I am happy and sad simultaneously.
It's Christmas time. So who wouldn't be happy right? All the shopping and gifts and fun times with family and friends. But then you think about those family members and friends that you haven't seen in a while. Maybe those who have drifted apart from you over time. For some reason, this time of year is when it really hits you. Maybe it's the whole, looking back on the year and reminiscing and making "new year's resolutions". Anyways, I can't help but think about those people and wish things were different, like they used to be. I know things won't change on its own, but sometimes you just don't even know where to start to rebuild an old relationship.
Sometimes, it will catch you off guard. Maybe an email from an old relative will make you realize just how much you missed them and how much you want to work at making them a part of your life again. Maybe some really big, exciting news from an old friend will make you realize just how little you know about what's been going on in their lives these past years. But I guess that's life. People come and go. People fade and grow. One relationship will get stronger, while another just starts to die...that's why I'm happy and sad simultaneously.

But I can't be more thankful for the things that I do have. My boyfriend is one of the strongest constants in my life. Someone I know I can count on for anything and everything. My family is always there for me. My roommates and friends are the best I could ask for. But a part of me still feels sad when I think about my past close relationships.

For some, I can try and rebuild those relationships. But for others, I'm just going to have to settle for thinking about the great times in the past and move on....

Anyways, to anyone and everyone reading (if you actually still check this thing)... HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! :)