Things hobos tell me

Hello Campers,

Life is good here in Ottawa. Carmen Braden comes tomorrow to hang out for a few days. Wicked sweet! We're (megan Johns Carmen and I) are going to NACO's firebird concert tomorrow. Loves me some Strav! Also, Julien Keurti is conducting! Thats ANTON Keurti's son! OOoooOOo! So thats cool. I've been super bad at doing this blog thing lately though, and for that...I'm sorry. Its been a little busy in my life. I Frigged up my SSHRC application somehow...apparently I was the only one according to Veronique, but thats ok. She said it just makes me unique...and that I have to do it again...So that sucked. But now its in for good, and I can forget about it. Also, I had a presentation for one of my classes that was for yesterday so I had to wait for that to be over before I could write more on here!

In other news, the university bookstore is useless. Let me rephrase, thats harsh. Theyre not USELESS, they just let me down on a bi-daily basis. This is the THIRD time I've gone in to get something and they've been out of it. And the aggrevating thing is that the things I go in for next, were there the day before when I didnt need them. Example. 4 days ago I needed ink for my printer, so I went and they were out of my kind. So I went back two days later and they had it! They also had printer paper...keep that in the back of your mind. So, today (two days later again), I needed printer paper because my new ink was working so well that I printed on all my printer paper. So off I trudge to the bookstore and BAM...out of printer paper. BOO on them! On the positive side I found an awesome store in the Rideau called Grand and Toy. I've heard of this store before but I always thought they were a toy store. NOT SO! They sell paper and ink and staplers (this was another unsuccessful trip to the university bookstore that I wont write about)! So, congrats Grand and Toy, you have a new customer!

To explain the title of this post is this short anecdote. On my way to the grocery store the other day...a cloudy day...I stopped at the corner. If you remember from several posts back the story of the man in the wheelchair and the yelling and drunkeness...this is the same corner. Anyway, as I waited for the light to change a homeless man came and stood beside me. He was chatty despite my headphone being clearly dug into my ears. So I humour him and as he is rambling I nod. But then it got weird. And I quote "Looks like its gonna rain...It'll do us good...we need it...It will wash away some of that dirt from the construction...and it'll wipe away the SCUM from this city!" To which I again nodded, though slightly more hesitantly! "Montreal needs it too! Scum! If i'm ever rich I'm buying tractors! Invest in tractors! Thats the smart thing to do! " At which point the light changed and I quickly walked away. Dear god...

I started buying milk in 4 litre bags, or rather four, litre bags. Apparently its less than half the price this way! What a chump was I! Anyway, I've seen the milk light and am much better for it.

Have amazing days and or amazing nights !

Love you all!

Jacob

I suck at blogging

Hey. I'm aware I havent written anything in like 2 weeks. I'm on it. I'm busy as a bee here. SSHRC applications, papers, presentations, blah blah blah. After wednesday I'll write something. I swear.

Love you all though, and hope youre all doing well!

Jacob

Well. I went home. It was different, and weird, and fun, and sad, and many other things. Mostly good, but some bad. I've realized what everyone who has already graduated was talking about. Its not the same. We're old. We cant go back. Its changed. It was all fine and dandy for the first few days. I got to spend time with Amara and Megan and Sarah! That was lovely. We went to the look off, I got to watch the AUWE play for Dr. Hunsberger (which was amazing), and we spent some time just hanging out. Great. Then I went home and had some down time with my Teri and my meghan (korea megan who I wasnt supposed to see till Christmas, but I got to see TWICE while home! YEAH!). I had a great belated thanksgiving with my family, and then headed back to wolfville for the rest of my time.

This is where it gets interesting. Somewhere between dressing up as Chicken Simmons (a cross between Richard Simmons and a Chicken) and going to a "music" house crawl that was only 50% music majors and only abour 25% music majors I knew, I realized I'm old. I'm old and I shouldnt be there anymore. Which is good, because for the most part I'm not there anymore! Dont get me wrong. I'm very happy I went. I got to spend time with some lovely people and see some faces I love that I do miss dearly. However, it has changed. The people still there dont necessarily notice it, but it has. Its a different crowd with different friends and very different social habits. None of these things are bad! I was simply very aware that "my" wolfville no longer exists. I needed to go back though. I call it closure.

I didnt think I would miss Ottawa as much as I did. I missed the city and its droves of people. When I was shopping in Halifax with Mom, I saw three people from highschool that I havent seen in years. Ottawa is a better place for me. Speaking of better places, I finally got around to watching Eat Pray Love. No I didnt read the book first, I'm fine with it. I'm sure its good, but I know its no war and peace. I doubt I'm missing some beautiful tome of literature by simply watching the movie. I did love the movie though. It made me (and about 15 million middle aged women) want to travel and see the world with no connection to an outside life. Not possible, but it made me dream. Maybe when I go to Europe in February I'll just stay...HAH!

Otherwise life is good. Grant applications are all in process and final papers are being started...sort of...why change my scholarly habits in grad school when it was those habits that got me here? no? Fine.

I hope you are all well, and of course I miss every one of you!

love and best wishes,

Jacob