Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Stupid Dunkin Donuts. Someone build me a Tim Horton's ASAP.

So I got a package of coupons from Dunkin Donuts a couple of weeks ago and I was all excited cause it's free shit. Like a free coffee every Wednesday (which I gave to my friend Laura cause I didn't think I would use it). And I clipped two specific coupons to use today: the buy one get one free hash browns and 99c medium winter beverage (dunkacino here I come!).

I went to the one on Madison, which has the novelty factor of being inside a quasi strip mall. See, inside this building is a Chinese food place, a Subway, and a DD. It's a little strange, but cool. So I got in line and waited patiently. I get up to the register and the lady tells me I can't use both coupons. No big, I'll just get the hashbrowns and an iced coffee instead of the winter drink. Then she asks me about my free coffee coupon, which is when I remembered it was Wednesday. I told her I didn't have it cause I gave it to someone else, figuring I would never come IN on a Wednesday. So I get my order in and hand her my debit card. THEN she tells me that credit cards aren't working. OHH GOOOD. /bale

Needless to say, I didn't get any hashbrowns or iced coffees. I settled for an asiago sourdough pretzel from Borders and a caramel frappucino from Starbucks. Stupid Dunkin Donuts.

Monday, February 16, 2009

only three americans will get this post

Louis Riel poems on display in Winnipeg.

Kristen: Hey guys, we drove here to see the poems.
Ehjay: hehehe
Kristen: What do you mean we can't see them?
Ehjay: we'll have to "liberate" them
Kristen: lol, yeah
Ehjay: it's what louis would have wanted
Kristen: at the border: Do you have anything to declare?
Yeah, we definitely didn't steal a book of poetry from those Metis three cars back in line.

Current music: The Tragically Hip - Grace, Too.
(even the music is apropos...........

Sunday, February 15, 2009

meanwhile, we're all damned....

So my wrist keeps hurting. I thought it was sprained since it isn't going away but one of the girls at work, who is in a physical therapy program and actually just did the unit on muscles/tendons/ligaments took a look at it. She diagnosed a strained tendon, and that I should try not to use it too much. Since it's my left hand that's easier said than done. I also need to buy an ace bandage to put on it but I don't have any money right now (there's money in the bank but I can't get to it) to get one.

So that's the status of my arm. I'm slightly annoyed. I hate asking people to do things for me, because I feel useless and I can carry a lot of shit. But I can't call off either, cause well, I need the hours. Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Anyway, I have tea and that's really all anyone needs. I'm redownloading Enterprise cause I can't type much til this heals, and I need something to watch.

Current Music: The Trews - Black Halo (check this band out if you haven't!)

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Get out of my line.

So we have a big sale going on. A lot of clearance is 5.99, including old colours of camis, and tank tops. So a lady comes up to me with a bunch of the basic colours that never go on sale, cause we sell them at full price all year round. "How much are these?"

"Buy one get one half," I said.

"But the sign said they were 5.99."

"No, just those colours are 5.99. Did you get them off that rack?"

"No."

Well then NO DISCOUNT FOR YOU.

Later, a lady brought up five of them; cashier rang them up.
"I thought those were five for 20."
....
"No, they're buy one get one half."

"The sign over there says it."

"That's for the panties."

"Well you should have a descriptor on it to make it clearer."

"Oh, you mean like the one that says CITY STYLE PANTIES right on top of the 5 for 20 sign?"

"Oh."

Yeah that's right.

And my favourite type of customer:
Coupon for 20/60. Her items totalled 49.90. I suggested socks, to which she said, "oh my friend LOVES socks!" Then she wandered into the 9.99 clearance, and to save her from eventual heartbreak, I told her that the clearance stuff we cant use the coupon on. To which she storms back over to the register to say, "What, so you can't use your coupon on anything? Ugh, and to spend ten dollars to save twenty. What the hell."

Roughly 1/6 of the store is clearance. Probably less than that. Also, you managed to find $50 worth of stuff already, what's stopping you from finding $10 more? Three pairs of socks for your friend who loves socks would have done it. Jesus, get out of my line and go away.

Current Music: Loreena McKennitt - The Mummers Dance

Friday, February 13, 2009

Things I did today that you probably didn't...

1) Lost my hairbrush, had to use just a round brush to do my hair.
2) Missed my bus this morning, had to come into work late.
3) Found out that HSBC never actually listed my card as lost/stolen, and now I have to wait two more weeks for a new card.
4) Ran over my foot with a rolling rack.
5) Fell off a ladder, injuring my left arm.
6) Smacked my elbow off a clear plastic table.
7) Filled out an accident report.

In other news, I'll be covered in bubble wrap for the rest of the evening.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Writing! Untitled Novel! Exclamation Point Abuse!

I'm writing my new novel.

You: You are always writing a new novel, Ehjay, when are you actually going to finish one?
Me: Shut up.

Anyway, I'm really excited about this one. It's based on a dream I had, and I like the idea that it explores a lot of themes large and small. At least I hope it will. So I'm gonna include a preview of it here, and if you like it, let me know. Also let me know what may/may not be wrong with it. PRETTY PLEASE WITH CHERRY ON TOP. Yes, on top.



It’s a giant desert on the surface - temperatures nearly impossible to survive in during the daytime, nearly frozen at night. The binary stars are in the same orbit, and were they any closer nothing could survive at all. But just under the surface lie hundreds of miles of caves, their temperature regulated by a large network of mirrors and solar powered skylights. Two million people live in these caves, developing technologies to help them survive the horrific climate.

This network of mirrors lights up the interior nearly as well as the natural suns above do. The caves have an abundant supply of water and the skylights allow for greenhouses to produce the plant life that otherwise would not have existed. Were it not for these, the ten thousand survivors of a shipwreck two thousand years prior would never have made it to this point - peace negotiations with a benevolent neighbour.

The ship sits in orbit over the planet, the flagship of the Terran-Boral Confederacy. Its captain was under strict orders not to bring any Boralians aboard the ship, so as not to disturb the delicate negotiations. James Markwick’s first mission with his new ship led him to this planet. His wife Jenna, who was the ship’s half-Boralian second officer, was more excited about this mission than he was.

But something had gone horribly awry. He sat on the bridge of his ship, head in his hands, trying to sort out why the President of Mirella was in his infirmary near death from hemlock poisoning, and how he could extract Jenna from the hands of the recalcitrant and angry Mirellans. It had started out so well, so full of hope and promise.

The ship’s doctor, Ian Kensington knocked on the open door and entered. “Elle‘s down there,” he told Markwick.

“How is she?”

“It’s hard to say. You know how she is, intractable anyway.” Kensington frowned.

“What’s the latest on President Rostova?”

“He’s still in a very deep coma. I think we’ve stabilized him for now, and I don’t think he’ll die, but it will be a long time before he even regains consciousness.”

“That’s great news.”

“Well, let me qualify that. I’m not even sure he WILL regain consciousness, and if he does, I can’t guarantee the quality. Any luck on finding the perpetrator?”

“None. And they had to come from here. But the Mirellans think Jenna did it.”

“Have you spoken to her at all?”

“No,” James looked at his friend sadly. “I would give anything to have her back.” He stood up, straightening his uniform. “Let’s go talk to her.”

---

She sat in the infirmary next to the immobilized body of her uncle. Jonathan Rostova had been her only family since the death of her mother eight years earlier, and she would not desert him now. They had been through so much together, and had only been recently reunited. Someone entered, and she turned her neck to see Jake. He smiled, and she waved him to a chair.

“You called me, Elle?”

“Yeah, I did. I could use some company.”

“I’m not sure how much company I can be,” he replied.

“I just want you to listen,” she said. “You’re a storyteller, and someone has to tell this one.”

“Usually I write my own,” he said, unconvinced.

“Ideas start somewhere,” Elle replied.

“True. So what are you going to talk about?”

She stood up and walked to the window. Looking out over the planet’s surface, a never ending tan streak across its surface, she replied simply, “home.”

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

ahh another week, another lost recap.

Please keep in mind that these are spoilers for last week AND This week.

Jack & Claire, Siblings.
I established this theory
Way in season 1

A boat with Jack, Kate.
SINK BOAT SINK! Please? DAMMIT!
Why didn't it sink!

If it shuts Kate up
Give her the damned baby, Jack, please?
Poor Aaron. He's doomed.

Three years later now
Sun dresses Kate up really well
Sun, Kate BFF

What's in the package?
It's a gun! My favourite!
Valentine candy.

Aaaaand Charlotte's down, out.
Blood goatee for Charlotte, right?
Things not so good here

L&O:LA
Kate's not Angelina, see?
No vials of blood.

Locke knows all, death looms.
Charlotte's got AMNESIA now
Soap opera time!

Sayid's Hospital
Some guy stops in to visit.
Sayid is NINJA

Dust mops on the darts
Sayid: FLAWLESS VICTORY
Dude was stalking Kate.

Kate, answer the phone.
We also hate Jack; understand.
This is important.

Hunting the Orchid
Shh, be vewwy vewwy quiet.
Flashy time again.

Miles is next, damn.
Wait a tick, he's Candle's kid.
No wonder he's sick.

Flash to Claire torture
That's when Kate broke tiny booze!
Sawyer loves Kate, boo.

Kate is crying, shock.
Wait, Jack hasn't cried yet.
Jack's truck is awesome.

Everyone and dog
They are gone from beach, no beer
Canoes appeared though.

Open water canoes
SOmeone shoots at them. PADDLE!
Juliet shoots, scores.

Sawyer wants a flash.
You can't always get it right.
Giant frakkin storm!

Claire's mom in LA.
Aaron who? Communism!
Australian herring

Uh oh, it's a trap!
A Rousseau trap and I CALLED IT.
No, see, there she IS!

Man overboard! SPlash!
Wait wait that guy is JIN!
Jin is SO ALIVE!

(This haiku needs a lot of these:
:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Rousseau was knocked up
So her bb could survive
Crazy French lady!


Ok, and round two.


Ok, tonight I kept doing two things, which you will see reflected in the haikus. One is Arrested Development, and the other is Star Trek. And if you watch either show, you'll know exactly what I mean!

Sun's phone rings. Annyong.
Ji Yeon & Aaron, friends!
Annyong, Ji Yeon!

Ben whips out lgic
Jin's still alive he tells Sun
Staves off death a bit.

Look, there he is! Live!
Oh the numbers on radio
Let's find the tower.

(On second thought, let's not find the tower, tis a silly place.)

Jin's not a tracker
Logic is theme tonight.
March through the jungle.

Here we go again.
Nadie est disparu, NON :(
Jin says, "RUN AWAY!"

Think we found Nadine.
Annoying guy's a goner.
He left us an arm.

Everyone's dumb.
Going down the hole, great plan.
Flash time; Bye Rousseau!

Egyptian glyphs marked
Also someone left the arm there.
Where is the Rousseau?

Smoke on the waterrrrrrrrrrr.
Jin goes to investigate.
Finds the music box.

(Too bad it wasn't playing Deep Purple....or as we'll see, Journey ;)

Rousseau! Bury your dead!
This? why we can't have nice things!
She shoots husband dead.

Crazy French Lady!
Oh, don't ever change, Rousseau.
Jin runs far away.

Flash! Cock of a gun.
Hey it's Sawyer! JIN! Sawyer!
Brothers gotta hug!

Charlotte understands.
Everyone thinks Miles does.
He's from Encino.

Kate sneaks off.
Liar Liar PANTS ON FIRE.
Jack, I mean you there.

Group therapy fails.
Sayid threatens Ben AND Jack.
Bout time someone did.

Time to get in van!
We're off to Faraday!
Sun: Shotgun, No Blitz.

Jin wants to go with
Locke vetoes Jin's good idea
Claims it's a one man job

Charlotte speaks Klingon
Endears herself to Kristen.
She's one of us now.

Charlotte is prophet
This place is death, she exclaims.
HEY! That's the title.

(Otherwise known as Charlotte cheats.)

Sawyer's turn to bleed!
Wait, why Sawyer, and not Locke?
Or why not Jin too?

Jack needs to SHUT UP.
Don't make me pull over here.
Leave Ben alone guys!

See, Ben protector.
He had Sayid off bad guys.
That's a lot of work.

Leave Charlotte Behind.
She says to look for the well.
Daniel stays with her.

They find the Orchid.
Look, it's there, says Juliet.
Well, guess what happens.

Flash, Orchid is gone.
Charlotte's wheel well is here.
Locke's gonna climb down.

Charlotte is Dharma.
The Quest to Find the Island.
Indiana Jones

Oh snap, Daniel's mean.
He told her to get away.
Dan hasn't done it.

No Dharma Subway.
Five dollar, five dollar subs.
Wait, sorry, wrong song.

Locke starts to go off.
The rules I just made up tell me
I have to get them.

Jin gives Locke the ring.
One ring to rule them all. Wait.
Tell Sun I am dead.

Locke can't climb rope.
Missed that Class at Outback School.
Gonna get ROPE BURNED

flash of light again
Sawyer tries to dig a hole
Going to China.

Charlotte is no more
Quick, Daniel, Klingon death scream.
She gets Sto'Vo'Kor.

Locke's down the wheel well.
he's got more stuff in his leg.
Oh, Hi Christian.

(At least I didn't scream this time when I saw him. Bastard. Always sneaking up on me.)

Harbinger of Death.
Locke has to move the island.
Ben tried, failed badly.

Look, it's off kilter!
Wheel in the hole keeps turning
No wonder it flashes.

Locke gotta find her.
the rat's named for his mom, see?
Very popular.

(This one is kind of rushed, but I couldn't find a way to do these three things better. Can you?)

Christian, help me up!
Locke's fallen and he can't get up.
He's a dickish ghost.

Monday, February 09, 2009

This shit is bananas....

My two favourite shows are my life right now -- Battlestar Galactica and Lost continue to be amazing and a great chance to escape how boring and mundane and not fun my life is.

I realized that my theme song is a Jordin Sparks song. This may or may not be horrific. (One Step at a Time, in case you were wondering).

I am a master grocery shopper. I got five dinners, three boxes of tea, a 2L of Dr Pepper, two lunches, and cereal and yogurt for 21.51. I had budgeted 35.

I'm not sure that Lemon Zinger is really going to be that great of a tea.

Bridget thinks I listen to David Cook nonstop. She's not wrong, but I am currently obsessed with the new Fall Out Boy album, which is really really good.

I am right now reading yet another book on the Tudors, called The Tudors. So far I haven't learned anything all that new, but it's really nice to refresh on all the details I've gleaned from all the other sources I read. Including, oddly enough, Phillipa Gregory.

Put down The Road for a bit -- got a bit creeped out and had to take a break.

Did a little flist/comm clean up. See what I mean my life is boring.

March 5-9 I will be in Ottawa. Take note. Also of note: I have been to Ottawa more times than I can count, but I have yet to visit my own country's capital. I'm pretty special like that.

Nikki has decided I can't be a real Canadian because I can't eat maple syrup.

Apparently blogspot says I can't have that many tags. It's not my fault I'm verbose.

Saturday, February 07, 2009

Oh, life and randomocity.

Roundup of strange things happening to me this week:

1) Tonight on the bus, some guy was discussing this "new" subculture called furries. "The Male Furry..." Uh, hi 2006.

2) Earlier in the week, my phone rang but I didn't get to it in time, since I was still asleep. So I called back the number, but got voicemail, so I didn't leave a message. Few minutes later phone rings again. Turns out my friend can dial her phone in her sleep.

3) Some guy slipped on the ice, falling flat on his back, and told me it was ok to laugh at him. I did not.

4) I heard a rumour that someone in my family is getting married in June. Will have confirmation when it's not 11pm at night.

Current Music: The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger

Friday, February 06, 2009

oh battlestar...

SPOILERS IN THIS POST DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO BE SPOILED.
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1) STOP faking me out with adama's death, guys
2) roslin deserves a YOU GO GIRL
3) why has no one put a bullet in tom zarek's head? oh wait. took them far too long.
4) tyrol didn't need his fingers
5) sam got shot! and kara still loves him.
6) baltar & gaeta = bff again.
7) the pen IS mightier than the gun.
8) what stopped, gaeta?

jesus christ, the deaths of the quorum, gaeta, zarek, and possibly sam if they don't fix him properly...

this show knows how to give you a rockin' good time.

Sunday, February 01, 2009

Oh, before I forget...

This lady and her sister, I got them some white pants from our back room, since we never did ship our summer stuff as out of season stuff. Dunno why, the company just didn't have us do that this year.

So later they come up and I start ringing them up and folding them to the best of my ability, which is admittedly not the best. (I've actually been b& from board folding shirts for this reason. I was told by Tiffany, "You know, Amanda, you are really really good at a lot of things," she says, "but board folding is just not one of those.") So the woman gets mad that I have folded these already wrinkled crop pants badly.

These pants, mind you, have been in our stockroom and in and out of various boxes since September. They are mildly wrinkled, and mildly is putting it, well, mildly. So she takes it from me and folds them again. So I keep ringing, and apologize, cause well, I suck at folding. She looks at her sister and says, "Don't they teach them how to fold here?"

Ugh. BITCH. Whatever. Anyway, I keep ringing and she folded her pants. "You're lucky these are on sale, otherwise I wouldn't be folding them," she says to me. What the hell do I say to that? Oh, so if they were regular priced I'd have to do the folding? What? IDGI. Shut up and go away.

Current Music: Nine Inch Nails - Terrible Lie

Books books and more books...

Ok, so I read three books last month. Mostly that was because of one large long ridiculously thick book.

That book was The Great Upheaval: America and the Modern World 1788-1800, by Jay Winik.

This...was somewhat of a disappointment. Winik wrote over 650 pages on the US, France, and Russia, and while I learned a lot about Russia, I really don't think the argument he was shooting for was supported by the evidence. You see, he was trying to prove how much the Americans had influenced Russia, but I really didn't find that to be much of the case. Russia was more interested in France, and pretty much dismissed the United States (Catherine the Great refused to even SEE the American Ambassador). I mean it is fairly obvious that the US revolution influenced the French. Thereby it would influence Russia, since France and Russia have a longstanding influenced relationship -- Catherine was quite fond of the Enlightenment writers, and French was the language of the Russian court -- but I just felt that Winik was at his strongest writing about the Russians, not discussing the Americans, who had a limited role in the story, and the French.

I wouldn't really recommend this one outside of the classroom.

The next book I read was on the way to New York, when I saw my cousins. This one was Across a Hundred Mountains, by Reyna Grande.

This is the story of two women from Mexico, Juana and Adelina. Juana's father disappears after going to the United States for work, and leaves is family in extreme poverty in Mexico. She leaves home after two tragedies destroy her family, and tries to discover what happened to him.

This was pretty moving. I really enjoyed the way she chose to tell the story, even if I could predict exactly what was going on two chapters into the book. The characterisation is quite lovely, and the descriptions are grand and beautiful, as well as heart-wrenching. Definitely check this one out for a quick read.

The final book I read for this month was The Children of Henry VIII, by Alison Weir.

Everyone knows by now that I am stuck on the Tudor era, and I thought this was an intriguing title. It focuses on four people: Edward VI, Mary I, Elizabeth I, and Lady Jane Grey. I really enjoyed this book, since it focuses on Edward and Mary. I need to find more books on Elizabeth and Lady Jane Grey, because Weir was only able to give us the basic story on these women. I know there are eighty five billion books out there on Elizabeth, so that won't be too difficult. Lady Jane Grey is so intriguing to me, the nine day queen. I find that she is such a strong and resilient woman.

Like any of Weir's books, definitely check this one out.

Right now I'm reading Water for Elephants, which I can't put down. It's so intense and gripping and fascinating and sad and worthy of the eight miles of praise that are on the first three pages of the book and the back cover. I can't wait to see how it ends.

Current Music: Spirit of the West - Home for a Rest