Tuesday, May 29, 2007

I'm not very good with random

1. I was homeschooled for a total of 4.5 years, interspersed with three different elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school.

2. I have 3 adopted siblings, 2 of which we still get in touch with occasionally. My parents were young and the 3 kids (all siblings with each other) had fetal alcohol syndrome. It was a challenge.

3. I taught myself to read before kindergarten and I spent the next 10 years with my face glued in books... a common answer to the question "where's Tricia?" was "reading on the can."

4. Despite being a science student, I get incredibly fixated (OCD anyone?) on spelling mistakes. Just ask me about the most common ones (tomorrow... it only has one "m"). I will rant.

5. One time I dyed two front pieces of my hair blonde. Then I decided to streak my hair blue (semi-permanently) but it just looked black, with green pieces in front. I tried to re-bleach them to lose the green and they turned orange... so I had orange/black/green hair. That was the end of my hair-dyeing attempts.

6. My first celebrity crush was on Phil, from the Newsboys. There was one line he sang that I would play over and over again on the music video machine at the Christian bookstore. I think I had a thing for his long hair.

7. I can't wait to have a baby. All I read about these days is poop and vomiting and tired and busy and terrible two's - but none of that can stop me. This machine is built for baby-making!! I turned 19 and maternal instinct just kicked in - never really thought of myself as a baby-person before that... I was all about a career. This doesn't mean I don't want a career, but now every time I see a baby R tries to cover my eyes so I don't ask him for one.

So! I don't know if I know 7 bloggers that haven't already done this... so I'm tagging Steph, Christine, Laura (though I understand if she doesn't do it, cuz she's in Africa), Sarah J (who I also haven't heard anything from in forever), Kim, and Heather.



Here are the rules… Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Yay!

My last grade finally came in. I am becoming more and more pleased with my grades. My first semester at UBC was a shocker - I had a better-than-4.0 at TWU, but I quickly learned that TWU didn't have quite the academic standards that UBC has. My first term at UBC kinda flattened my faith in my academic level, but as I'm getting more and more used to the huge classes - and the need to network, immediately - they're slowly raising. I got straight A's this term, if you count A minuses:

Physical Chemistry: 84% (A-)
Intro to Biochemistry: 80% (A-)
Invertebrate Zoology: 81% (A-)
Organic Chemistry Lab: 89% (A)
Diatonic Harmony: 89% (A) I think I need to switch majors... music here I come!

So I've never been happy with 80 percents, but I'm realizing that 80%'s are GREAT!! Especially if they're relatively consistent. I'm learning not to be deathly dependent on good grades - other things are more important. I'm more excited to take more 3rd-year classes, cuz they'll be more specialized and interesting. Harder, but not so boring.

Friday, May 11, 2007

So I went back to my old job

What's different:

  1. I got a raise! ($1.50!!)
  2. I have a new desk neighbour who's much friendlier and more talkative than my last one.
  3. I have no stapler. Very sad.
  4. I have no phone (good and bad... good because less responsibility, but I think my supervisor's getting one for me soon)
  5. There's construction everywhere, and our street is now a one-way, full of pylons and dirt and gravel. I have to take 2 detours to get to work and I have to double-park in our shrinking parking lot. We have to have vehicle ID tags in case someone who's boxed in has to leave.
  6. I have a corkboard now instead of shelves (good for all the papers on my desk, bad for where I can put my binders of product info)
  7. We have new warehouse locations, new procedures, new prices, new products - many things to learn.
  8. I have a cool little "office organizer" - you know, the black wire mesh things - for my pen (singular) and pencil (again singular) and paper clips and white-out and sticky notes. There are too many empty compartments. I have to find some more office supplies just to fill out the organizer a little bit.
  9. A new fax machine!! The 6 works the first time I press it!! Every time!!
  10. I'm trying to drink more water at my desk.
  11. A new monitor! Flat screen, no more big clunky old one.
  12. My computer is slower than I remember. They sure spared no expense. My order entry skills seem tainted because I have to wait for the computer to catch up with ME.

What's the same:

  1. It's still freezing. A/C is my friend, but I think they overdo it a little bit. Walking out the door requires shedding 3 layers of sweaters.
  2. It's still boring.
  3. Shipping details are still what mess me up the most.
  4. We still have weekly meetings.
  5. Morning coffee is still free!
  6. Order entry is still boring.
  7. I'm at the same desk in the same corner by the IT door so the poor guy has to go around my chair anytime he goes in the IT room.
  8. I still dressed up nicely for the first day, and came the second day as per usual, without makeup.
  9. Everyone else is still super nice, though a few new people have come and a few old people are gone.
  10. Did I mention it's still boring?
  11. My feet are cold.
  12. McDonald's is still nearby... so I'm still always tempted... packing a lunch is still boring and there's still no food at my house with which to do it. I've held out so far.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Tech-y

I'm so proud of myself! I bought a router today and set up a wireless network in my house. Security-enabled it and everything, with a network key. This way I have a computer with internet in my room (my own) and I don't have to fight with my sister for her internet. Sweet deal.

"My Personality Album"

In moving home, I am doing some sorting. I found a little booklet that I filled out when I was thirteen. I found it funny to read what I wrote and see how small I dreamed. It was called "My Personality Album." Spelling/grammar is retained.

Me
  • The nickname that best describes me is snigelfritz.
  • Three words that describe my personality are easily angered, organized and artsy, talkative (I'm not good at keeping to three words, am I?)
  • My most appealing physical feature is my eyes.
  • What makes me an interesting person is you can never be sure of what I'm going to do, and I have lots of useful (or useless) facts.
  • Three things that drive me nuts are pimples, being embarrassed, and bad-hair-days. (I think I only got about 1 zit per year, and yet I complained?)

Friends
  • The qualities I value most in my friendships are fairness, the ability to have fun, and that they accept me.
  • The times I most need a friend are when I'm embarrassed, sad, or just plain lonely.
  • What my friends and I enjoy doing together most is talking and listening to music, or art. (listening to art? wow, grammar is good)
My family
  • How I feel about my parents: Sometimes they have too many rules and expect too much of me, but I love them.
  • Two famous people I'd pick for parents are my mom and dad's names (I didn't exactly go outside of the box there)
  • My siblings' best qualities are: my brother is kind and helpful, and my sister is kind and sensitive.
  • They drive me crazy when they tease me or leave my room messy.
Party time
  • My idea of a great party is going to play laser tag or going horse-back-riding.
  • The guy I'd like most to be my date is Darnell
  • Famous guests I'd like to invite: Jaci Velasquez, DC Talk, Newsboys, Carl Brenders
  • What I'd serve: Pop, pizza, nachos, cheezies, mini carrots, oreo ice-cream cake.
  • My favourite rock group is DC Talk
  • The three songs that mean the most to me are Wanna be in the Light, Time is..., Jesus Freak
  • My favourite female singer is Jaci Velasquez
  • My favourite male singer is Phil (Newsboys)
  • My favourite album is Jesus Freak
  • My favourite single cut is Wanna be in the Light
  • I think the most talented musician in the world is Jaci Velasquez because she is the best singer I've ever heard.
School Days
  • The best part about going to school is all the people
  • The worst part is The HOMEWORK!!!!!
  • My favourite subject is Explorations (this is a shocker, considering it's a mix of socials/English and I'm definitely NOT an arts student now)
Free Time
  • My favourite indoor activity is DRAWING to music.
  • My favourite outdoor activity is street hockey.
  • How I keep busy: Reading, drawing, homework, listening to music, chores, telephone, Nintendo
  • My favourite thing to do during summer vacation is Swim in a lake with Dad, Bro, Sis, and Mom
Dreams and Wishes
  • My secret wish is to become like Jaci Velasquez and be an artist and vet.
  • Two things I would grab if my room caught fire are my wallet and my Bible. (ever practical with the wallet idea)
  • How I'd make my first million: My first Maxi Single. (??)
  • How I'd spend my first millioni: Debts, colleges, keep most, half to missions.
  • These are the things I'd buy on a free-spending shopping spree: Art supplies, gift certificates, never-ending supply of gifts, cd's, discman, clothes
  • The two best gifts anyone could give me would be love, opportunities
  • The two worst gifts anyone could give me would be underwear, textbooks (now I WISH my textbooks could be given to me! What was I thinking?!)
  • The things I would take to a desert island are survival books, matches, an axe
  • A conversation I'd love to overhear would be about my gifts - ie. Art, drama, music, etc. (wow, I was sure humble?)
  • The title of a book I'd like to write is The Story of My Life (boring book, boring title)
  • The menu for the best meal I can imagine is Pizza, veggies, smokies, cheezies, 7-up, chips (hmm... best meal ever? Again, I sure dreamed big)
Let's get serious
  • The best part of my life now is school and youth.
  • the most difficult problem that faces me now is how to grow in my relationship with Christ.
  • The part of me that nobody knows is that I sometimes wonder what sex is like (this was a terrible burden of a secret for a sheltered 13-year-old... I felt horrible just admitting that I wondered! Gotta love growing up in guilt and fear)
  • This is what I expect to be doing in ten years: Be going through University, and going on Missions Trips (The university part is on track; two years from now I'll be graduating, hopefully)
  • A recurring dream I have is Claire's dad keeps dying (he hasn't died yet, as far as I know)
  • My earliest childhood memory is mom or dad trying on a dress on me and saying that it's too big.
  • Two words that describe my love life are adoring and young. (??)
  • The three most important words in the English language are love, life, and food. (hahahahahhahaa... yep it was still me way back then!)
  • My favourite pick-me-up when I'm sad is music and hugs.
The end.

All of that talk about art and drawing reminded me how much I liked it way back when. And I also came across this drawing, that I drew when I was ten. Now as much as I don't want to toot my own horn, here, I don't think I could draw this kind of thing now. Obviously I copied from a picture, as I usually do, but don't get me wrong - I was not a tracer. I am a firm believer in not tracing.

So I was impressed with myself. Ten is young. Makes me wonder why I didn't pursue it. All because of my tiny school where you had to choose between art and music. Stinking choices.