brightSTARburnOUT's Xanga

Oh.

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:24:49 GMT

This thing still exists. Surprising.

Anyway, if anyone's still out there, I'm now at http://dreamling.ca

I definitely like visitors. :P

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:26:18 GMT

Computer Woes

My parents seem to believe that because I can string together some CSS and XHTML, and operate Photoshop in my sleep, that I am somewhat of a computer genius. And, to their credit, I’m not bad with computers. I understand mainly how they work. But, I am most certainly not a miracle worker.

For the last week and a bit, we’ve been having issues with out Internet. We haven’t been able to figure out what exactly is up with it– it could be the crazy storms we’ve been having, the nearby construction, or something to do with some little bit of our computer.

Calls to our ISP support guys (who are awesome) have told us that this is due to our IP up and going off into oblivion. But, they can’t tell us why.

Anyway, they were able to set it up so that it works, at the moment, with our computer downstairs, but not with the router. My mom decided that this would be the perfect time to update our Windows Live One Care antivirus program. And, so, here I sit, 3 hours later, still trying to figure out why it won’t run the updates. I suppose building up 6 months of updates is bound to do that, but really.

So, I’m not allowed to hook up the router again, until this is fixed. Which is kind of silly anyway. I mean, our subscription runs out in August, and my mom’s switching programs. Nobody uses this computer at all, except to email scans, and we all use laptops. But now we won’t be able to use our laptops because I’m not allowed to reconnect the router until the Live One Care updates!! It’s a vicious circle.

On top of that, this computer, while relatively new, and running XP, is super slow.

And there is something in this room (the basement) causing me to itch all over. It’s unbareable. I’m going to go for a run on the treadmill and call it a night. Seriously.

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Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:45:06 GMT

Beating the system

Here are a few of my favourite things:

Ice cream.
Cookies.
Chocolate.
Whiskers on kittens.

… Okay, maybe not the last bit, but the first 3 are certainly things that make me stop and say “Mmmm…” and then proceed to inhale them directly into my thighs. Fabulous.

Obviously, my love of those things makes this the perfect snack:

It is incredibly yummy ice cream, that is for sure. But at nearly 4$ a pop, it can get pricy! So, I went out in search of a suitable alternative. And I found it!

This is Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough with Brownie Chunks ice cream. It is almost double the size of the Ben and Jerry’s, and the same price! How fantastic! Now, I can get my fix without breaking the bank! Obviously, there are a few differences between the two. The Nestle chocolate flavour, for example, tastes more like NesQuik than actual chocolate ice cream, but for someone like me, who has a bit of a chocolate allergy, or someone who just enjoys chocolate without all the stuck-up-hoity-toity it’s actually preferable!

Take THAT expensive ice cream industry– I don’t need you!

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Monday, July 14, 2008

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:28:56 GMT

Love, actually.

Ten points if you can guess which movie I am watching!

I love having long conversations with people about the meaning of love, and what exactly is love? I have a pretty good idea of what it is, but of course, I’m 20. My experiences are limited in the grand scheme of things. So, I am constantly searching to find out what love means to other people.

The Wikipedia entry on love says:

As an abstract concept love usually refers to a strong, ineffable feeling towards another person. Even this limited conception of love, however, encompasses a wealth of different feelings, from the passionate desire and intimacy of romantic love to the nonsexual. Love in its various forms acts as a major facilitator of interpersonal relationships and, owing to its central psychological importance, is one of the most common themes in the creative arts.

It goes on to explain the chemistry of love, that being the effects that create lust, which turns into sex. But, sex isn’t love, is it?

Upon checking Urban Dictionary, it seems that the definition of love changes for everyone. Some agree with the chemical theory, stating that love is “nature’s way of tricking people into reproducing.” Lovely.

Others are quite certain of love’s ability to overcome all obstacles. Love knows no distance. Love lifts us up where we belong! All you need is love!

Of course, you can never have an entry about love without mentioning the 13th chapter of Corinthians: “Love is patient, love is kind, love is free of jealousy, envy and pride…”

Maybe you’re wondering what my view of love is, thus far?

Well, it’s certainly a little bit chemical. It is undoubtedly artistic. But, it’s not always patient, and it’s not always kind. It can be frustrating, and as they say “you always hurt the ones you love.” You always want the best for them, and feel proud when they have accomplished something. There are different kinds of love, yes, ranging from friendship to romantic. But, I think all types of love have something in common. Love is needing and wanting someone to be around as much as possible. It is not being able to imagine your life without someone. When even on the edge of a separation, you still can’t imagine being without them. When standing on the barrier between security and the passengers-only area of the airport, it still doesn’t occur to you that this will be the last time you see this person for a long time, and 3 days later it hits you and you feel like crying at the bus stop.

Love is cuddling under the stars and in the course of an hour, going from laughing to crying and back to laughing again, silently dreading the moment you’ll need to return home.

I realize it is a tricky question, so, in a few words, what is something that means “love,” to you?

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Sunday, July 13, 2008

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:45:42 GMT

F for Effort

I work in a grocery store that caters to a large group of communities. Sometimes, people bump into each other. And thus, they must submit to the human ritual that is the “stop and chat.”

I, personally, am not always pleased to be spotted by someone. Especially, if, say, I’m running out to grab groceries or a coffee, and my hair is dirty and my sweat pants are unattractive. If you see me like this, do not stop me to chat. Let me escape!

Anyway, in the instances where I am forced to stop and chat, I generally put effort in to be friendly. A nice hello, and how are you, works wonders. I’m good at thinking on my feet, so I am able to sound intelligent, even when startled.

Some people, are not as gifted as I, as demonstrated in a conversation I overheard at work today:

Woman One: Hey there! How have you been?

Woman Two: [Uneasy smile. Looks around frantically. Points at cart.] Oh, wow, that’s a lot of water!

Woman One: [Looks down into cart with 24 pack of water, which we have zillions of, and therefore EVERYONE buys. Looks at Woman Two, obviously thinking "I didn't remember her being such a 'tard."] Yeah! Lots of water!

Woman Two: [Obviously sensing her response was somewhat less than satisfactory.] And! You have a baby! [Points to baby sitting in buggy.]

Woman One: [Really starting to regret stopping and chatting.] Yeah, she’s a handful, crazy in the cookie aisle!

Woman Two: Is that why you have her tied down? [Two women look at the baby who is 1) Not tied down and 2) Really couldn't do much damage even if she wanted to. Woman Two finally starts realizes that this whole conversation is crap.] WELL! I’ve got to go!! Bye! [Woman Two runs off, and Woman One stands around like "WTF?" for a second before leaving as well. ]

Aisling: [Laughs.] Fail.

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Saturday, July 12, 2008

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:57:39 GMT

A bit of a hiccup.

Well, something was up with Dreamhost this week, and for what ever reason, I was blocked from accessing my site! Quelle horreur! My hosting with them expires in October, but I am looking into the funds, to see if I will be able to switch hosts before then. I got a deal for Dreamhost’s 10th anniversary last year, so my entire year of hosting cost under 10$, so it’s not like there’s any money wasted there! And, it’s not like the service was awful for the under two-coffees-at-Starbucks price! It will just depend on my summer, really. Funds may be tight with my August trip to BC, which will result in me taking nine days off of work. Plus, I kind of want to do fun Alberta-y things this summer, including a trip to the Calgary Zoo, and the Royal Tyrell Dinosaur museum in Drumheller. So, we’ll see. It may need to wait until things become boring again in September!

I will get around to doing the truths and dares! The 4th of July one will need to be slightly adjusted, since I was quite sick and dead that day, and therefore didn’t get a chance to travel downtown. Feel free to ask/dare me to do more things, if you feel like it.

My uncle is apparently quite chatty these days, and has been tranferred from ICU to Trauma. He sometimes knows people, and sometimes doesn’t, it seems. My parents are considering going down there, perhaps. But, I won’t be able to go until after Matt gets back, because of my work schedule. Matt (my brother) will be back near the end of August and we will be seeing him while we are in BC (he is off in Katimavik, the youth volunteer program I took part in in 06-07)! So, that is exciting.

Well, I’d best wrap this up, because I’m sure you’re all bored, and the song “I Can Wait Forever,” by Simple Plan just came on. And that song makes me weepy. So, I’m going to go cry like a little girl.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to come up with a more interesting topic this weekend!

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Friday, July 04, 2008

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:52:30 GMT

Guide to Sick and Well.

Upon the return from my fabulous weekend away, I was, promptly, stricken with a cold. I swear, I am the only person I know who is plagued with a cold every summer. My throat is cut up, my nose is runny, I have a headache, a fever, have made multiple visits to the bathroom and up until an hour ago, I could do little more than lie horizontally, and complain to Rachael over IM.

Now, I am feeling quite a bit better. And here is why:

I’m sitting in my livingroom with a giant fan oscillating around me. The fan makes me cold, then moves away to prevent me from becoming too cold!
I’ve made some pasta and cheese! Pasta and cheese is one of my favourite foods. I finally felt well enough to try to choke some down, and actually enjoyed it. “Starve a fever, feed a cold,” they say, and I’ve decided to give that old adage a go.
I have a fizzy drink. BURN, THROAT, BURN!!!! I normally dislike pop. The carbonation makes my eyes burn, and gives me a headache (I often open a can of pop and let it sit for a day until it is flat. I love flat pop.). And, in general, they are far too sweet for me to handle on a regular basis. But, I definitely enjoy them when I have a sore throat. Long live the tingly burn.
I’ve put on a chick flick. I love girly movies! Tonight I opted for “The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants.” I’ve just re-read a few of the books from the series, in anticipation for the 2nd film which is coming out quite soon. I love this movie. I cry within the first few minutes– when Bee runs away from her mother’s funeral.

Obviously, I have my laptop as well, to provide a link to the outside world. My parents have gone off to the Sneek-a-Peek night at the Stampede, which is our 10-day rodeo/ carnival/ festival-type thingy. I’m quite bummed that I couldn’t go, but I’m pleased to be surrounded by some of my favourite things. Besides, it is unlikely I will miss out on the fun, I get to dress like a cowgirl for the next week and a bit at work. Check the Flickr for pics! Ha ha.

So, tell me, what do you do when you’re feeling under-the-weather?

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Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:23:22 GMT

Truth or Dare

One of my favourite games ever is Truth or Dare. I will play at any chance I get! Unfortunately, I am no longer 14, so I find it harder to find someone to play with me! Luckily, I have you guys as captive friends! So, here is what I propose…

This is a Truth or Dare game.

Here’s what I need from you:

Truth questions: ask anything you’ve wanted to know, no matter how embarrassing! No matter how silly!
Dares: you give me a dare, and I will do it. I will take a picture of myself doing said dare.

Obviously, there may need to be some limitations, if I get any dares or questions that are super inappropriate. But, in general, I am a very liberal and crazy girl, and will most likely do whatever you guys ask.

Feel free to ask questions or propose dares continuously! After I get a few, I will make a post with the answers and photos, and if there are any more afterward I will do another post.

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Monday, June 30, 2008

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:30:47 GMT

Weekend Update: Pigeon Lake!

Despite setbacks related to my status as a female, I had quite the fun weekend!

As you know, I left on Thursday afternoon, and we drove up to Pigeon Lake which is outside of Edmonton, toward the southwest. We set up our camp site, which was quite lovely. For my dog, Spice, it was beyond exciting! It was her first camping trip, and she loved it!

Friday was spent partially in the city of Edmonton, and about. We went to see my uncle, who is still in ICU at a hospital there. It was a tough visit. We found out some things that maybe we didn’t want to, and it was certainly one hell of a reality check. I don’t know what to say. I am so many different emotions when it comes to this. It’s all quite hard to work out, but we’re working on it, as a (large) family.

Our evenings were spent mainly with one of my sets of family containing my auntie, uncle and cousin Kayla. Which was fun. It’s great to catch up with everyone, and eat snacks. Yum yum, snacks.

Saturday was the big event! After some shopping, margaritas at 11.30am (Hey! It was noon SOMEWHERE!) and getting quite burnt at the beach, we got ready and headed off to my other auntie and uncle’s (My mother is the youngest of 7) wedding vow renewal. The ceremony was quite nice, except for the vows that outlined “submitting,” and “obeying,” ones husband. No thank-you. Please be reading me the man vows when I get married, ‘kay? I’ll obey nobody (and neither will any of my aunts for that matter), mwahahahaha.

The dinner was fantastic, as was the dance party following. If I ever have a wedding, I’m thinking a small thingy, involving the signing of documents (no church necessary) then a big dinner and dance party. Dinner shall be pasta and cheese, chicken and bacon, with a desert of cupcakes and a sundae bar. Nothing fancy, just things I love. You can find pictures here.

The last two days were just filled with relaxation, and queasyness for those of us who are prone to heat stroke (i.e. me). Currently, I am roasting from the insides due to 30C temperatures. Awful. Someone please move me to somewhere with regular temperatures, okay?

Overall, it was a nice trip. I hardly disagreed with the parentals. It was nice to see everyone. And I am definitely looking forward to our trip to Penticton in early August, although it will be 2x as long, 2.5x the driving, and 10x the heat.

When asked, yesterday evening, my mom said she most enjoyed sitting around, relaxing and reading with us and our dog hanging around as well. My dad said… well, he just continued snoring from his chair, which I’m going to interpret as a big thumbs up.

Well, I best be off to feel dizzy for a bit, and maybe watch the thunder and lightning currently raging outside. July 1st is Canada Day, so Happy Canada Day to all, especially the Canadians, obviously!

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Thursday, June 26, 2008

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:30:37 GMT

By the time you read this, I will be gone…

… well, essentially. I still have to work on Thursday (I’m writing this Wednesday evening, from my bed. Ooer. I bet you want to know what I’m wearing. Well, for your information, I am wearing pyjamas. Which are typical sleepwear.), from 8am until 1pm. We’re scheduled to leave here around 2pm, which won’t give me much time to blog, and potentially no time to even touch the computer at all! And I will be without one until June 30th!

But, it will be fun. I love family events! Living in a 19ft space with my parents will be tough, but I shall persevere. I shall also hope that somewhere will have nice cell phone reception, so I can check Twitter, and send tweets over.

I’m sure you’ll all me miss me. Loads. I’m sure Rachaely will miss me a whole bunch, because she promised me she would, so she’d better not forget!!! … I’m pretty sure she doesn’t read my blog, so everyone click that link to her so it will show up in her stats and she will maybe pop on over for a visit.

Also, I would like to take this time to congratulate the gorgey Melissa and her fiancé (!) Chaz on their engagement! I am super stoked for them! Melly is such a sweetie! So, obviously Chaz is quite the lucky guy. Ha ha. All the best, you two!

AND Happy 22nd to my darling Anny!! She doesn’t read this either, and she doesn’t have a link to track stats, but it’s the thought that counts, right?

And… that’s it! I’m looking forward to time away from work and the city and such. I’m not looking forward to what I’m sure will be a crowded inbox (probably spam-filled) and 37 unread forum pages.

Have a great weekend everyone!

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