February 1, 2003

Here is an update since it has been almost three months since I've done something like this. Oddly enough, there is not much new going on here so there is not much to report, although I'm sure you are all on the edges of your seats nonetheless. Thank you. Stay there, don't move.

I had a CT scan yesterday. This is the eight month mark almost. Victoria has hopped on the bandwagon and ditched the chalky barium drink for the clear one. Progress! But they're keen on the iodine here, not so much in Ottawa. It sure does make you feel warm. My appointment with the doctor isn't until March 3, but I might call to get results earlier. I'm not too worried. But being not worried makes bad things worse when they happen. But they won't.

So, I finished my first semester back at school. First semester completed since April 2001. Go go go! I ended up with four A-'s and one B+. Sit on that! Now I'm into my second semester with only four courses (as opposed to the recommended five for a complete course load, thanks to that Social Psychology course I did through correspondence last year). Last semester was all about the history of sociological theory, social movements, social problems, writing and contemporary problems in moral philosophy. This semester is all about modern social theory, sociological research, writing and sociology of leisure. I'm majoring in Biology, as you can tell.

I went home for Christmas. That was fun, aside from the almost dying on a plane between Victoria and Vancouver. But once I came to terms with the thought of premature death, the pilots pulled through and I survived. The rest of the passengers, not so lucky, but what can ya do. Home was cold and snowy. But it was fun. I snowboarded, I saw people, I got things, saw people, got woken up by smashing dishes in the morning (ooh the memories...), and patted my cat. I went to the dentist and he found another cavity. Then I said, "No sir, wrong end... up here..." WOHHHHHHH!!!!!!! SICK!!!!! That was uncalled for. I appologize. I spent three weeks there and the timing was just perfect. I left Ottawa in -16 degree weather. I got back to Victoria in +15 degree weather. Ooh west coast, how I love you.

Things are the same as ever back here. Lovely weather, classes far too early in the morning. Plenty of fun things going on. Sometimes the going gets tough. But then the tough get going, as usual. Nothing is ever perfect, and no matter how low your standards of what perfection is slip down, you'll still be disappointed sometimes, and things will still kick you in the teeth. But you can kick them right back. And carry on.

Right. So I wrote a thing for school last semester. Then I rewrote it and sent it to a magazine and said "yo dudes, publish this!" So they were all "Fine dude, we'll give 'er a look." And low and behold, they want to publish it. So keep your eyes peeled, kids. Watch out for the magazine called Coping (italics add so much) which is distributed in Cancer Clinic waiting rooms everywhere! (Or in the US and Canada). A longer version is on the post-treatment page of this website. I had to shorten it to fit the word-count requirement. It's a doozy, and Heather McCornyson is in full effect.

Other than that, things are fine. Reading break is in two and a half weeks. I'll be heading up to Courtenay with the Rebecca and then we'll head back to the land of smashed hips, Mount Washington, to pretend to snowboard. I've been there a couple times without injury so I think I'm OK. It's tough for an Ontario girl out here in the big mountains. They're so big, even the little ones.

I like Victoria. Everyone should come here at least once. When you're down on the ground, or in a basement suite, you forget what it looks like. But it's crazy amazing nice when you get to the ocean or up high and see the mountains or just in the right place at the right time. Especially in the "winter" on a sunny day, just down the road is Willows Beach, and it's on the ocean facing Washington, and you can see Mount Baker and it's HUGE and full of snow and it's this mound of snow in the distance when everything else around you is green and warm. I'll take a picture of it one day.

That's enough blabbling. I'll update again when I get the results of the C to the T. Maybe I'll add some pictures soon. I've got quite the hair. Well not really, it's about 3 inches long. But I just cut the back of a mullet that was trying to sneak out. They always do that, when you least expect it. It's getting curlier though.

Oh yeah, hows about that space shuttle explosion. Woh bessy. The best was the CNN reporter saying "I hate to get too deep into speculation..." Pshyea. "I hate to get too deep into speculation... but... TERRORISM! BOMB IRAQ!" Anyhow, let's all have a moment of silence for the lives lost today. What? The same country is killing people all over the place at the same time? And is on the verge of bombing thousands more? Screw that, this was in a spaceship! Oh world, you're so weird.

Peace out dudes. Til next time.

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