I have a confession to make; I've been going to school with a nasty cold.  I realize everyone is ready to throw rotten vegetables at me and discuss how rude and inconsiderate I am but it is not like I have the dreaded H1N1 and also... I really cannot miss anymore school (I was already sick in October and missed a week).
So.  I basically plotted out how I was going to go to school sick:

• sit near the back corners of classrooms far away from everyone else whenever possible
• take a cough suppressant in the morning so that I minimally interrupt lectures with coughing fits
• carry around massive amounts of water and drink it like it is going out of style to avoid coughing fits
• get up early to ensure that I look nice (and therefore am not suspected of being sick - nothing says sickee like bedhead and sweatpants ... actually that also says hangover. well whatever)
• at all costs avoid speaking (because I don't have much of a voice, so the minute I open my mouth it is like a dead give away)

And it should have worked.

Why is it that when I am deliberately trying to minimize human contact, that suddenly a plethora of social opportunities arise? 
On my way to my post-modern British literature class I encountered the professor.  He actually acknowledged me (which is like a dream opportunity for the frantic english student who is desperately trying to get letters of reference for grad school) and so I end up chatting with him across campus all the way to class.
[Digression, I am pretty much in love with this professor because he announced that his favorite bits of grammar are hyphens and semicolons - which just happen to be my favorites too, and it is so rare that you find someone who shares that sort of a passion and. and. and.]
He was very polite and did not comment on my voice which sounded a lot like fingernails on a chalk board.  I hope he thought I had just been at some sort of grammar rally and had lost my voice cheering for semicolons.  That would be good.  Very good.
These events continued pretty much all day.  People that I don't normally talk to asking me questions in class.  People asking me for directions. People asking me where I got my scarf (mental note: do not wear pretty scarves when ill; where boring scarves, hideous scarves.  second mental note: purchase a boring hideous scarf). 
The day rounded off with a person from my Arts Writing class introducing himself to me, and proceeding to talk with me all the way to the bus stop (this is a relatively long walk).
Needless to say, my cover is completely blown.  I guess I will pour out libations to the gods, and hope to hell that I wake up miraculously healed.

This blog has become rather neglected, hopefully I can get back into things now that I am mostly settled from the move.  I am back in Southern Ontario, finishing up my final year of an English degree, and the reading is insane - it's good, it's bad, it's wonderful, it's horrible.  I expected this.

Robinson Crusoe (Oxford World's Classics)

The first book we read in my 18th Century Fiction class was Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. This was not my first encounter with Robinson Crusoe, I read it for a book report in Grade 4 (yes... I did... I chose to read it too - I had seen my older brother reading it, and I basically wanted to be as much like him as possible so I wanted to read it).  At that age, I hated the book, and I didn't understand a lot of the things in it.  Probably for the best.  I wish I had a copy of that book report I would love to read it now. 
Anyways, the Robinson Crusoe Redux:
I still hate it.  Everytime I have to admit that I hate what is considered a classic, a little part of me grows very concerned that maybe I am not the avid literature lover that I claim to be.  Anyways.  The book is bland, offensive, tedious, and altogether unnecessary.
However.
It is also hilarious.  I by no means enjoyed reading it, but being forced to read it, I was able to have a sense of humour.  Defoe's description of the Africans shows an almost startling ignorance, I couldn't help but laugh as he confused Africa with North America, and described them as bringing him gifts of corn.  Crusoe wails about being enslaved himself, but goes on to enslave others freely; he also lives on an island that is described as lush and harmless yet spends most of his time obsessing over being eaten (oh boy... what would Freud have to say?).  The combination of Crusoe hoarding up all his posessions (so that they are safe from whom exactly?) and claiming everything as his own (pardon my language, but after encountering Africans on an island he refers them as my friendly negroes. Really? Yours? They belong to you?).  And perhaps my favorite thing - his mental book keeping.  If I was stranded on a desert island a lot of things would cross my mind - getting my affairs in order, and restraining myself would not be among those things. In fact, if one really allows their mind to wander, one begins to suspect that if Bush had lived in the 18th Century, this is probably how his interior monologue would flow.

Fantomina and Other Works (Broadview Literary Texts)

Up next in 18th Century Literature was Fantomina and Other Works by Eliza Haywood, I'm not really sure what to even say about this one.  We only had to read the novella Fantomina, so I didn't have a full sampling of Haywood.  The following has some semi-spoillers of the novella.
I suspect that Haywood is a good writer, and I respect "Fantomina"'s sexual prowess but things about this story bother me. On the one hand we have a strong, sexual female character - let's face it, you don't meet a lot of 18th C girls who know that they want to get down and dirty with a particular gent and are willing to do whatever takes.  On the other hand, why did she have to fall in love with a man who raped her? Why did she have to be completely okay with him continuously growing tired of her? Why do we have to decide that when consequences finally arise, it's completely her fault and not the man's at all.  Ok Fantomina (or whatever her real name is) it's great that you love the cock... but why not grow some self respect?
Summary: I think it's an important read for people who really want to experience the fiction of the 18th Century.  I think it is an important read on an academic level.  But it is not something that I particularly enjoyed, and it's not something that I would recommend to someone who is just reading for pleasure.

So basically, 18th Century Fiction hasn't blown me away so far - but take heart, we are working our way to Emma by Jane Austen, so the Century is destined to improve.

Oh one more thing:
Calling all Margaret Atwood fans:

The Radiant Way

Margaret Drabble

Everyone who has spent any amount of time on anything that is online and co-ed has encountered the girl (or alleged girl) who wants:

1. everyone to know she is a girl
2. everyone to be shocked that she is a girl
3. everyone to be impressed that she is a girl
4. everyone to treat her special because she is a girl
5. everyone to want to fuck her brains out
6. to be able to coyly refuse all sexual advances, and act annoyed, even though she would be angry and hurt if they stopped 

These girls are kind of a fact of life, and they couldn't possibly be more annoying.  Here is the thing, a girl on the computer, playing games, or interacting on forums, just isn't new, or shocking, or surprising.  Females may not be the majority of the population in a number of these areas, but they certainly are not rare.
 
It makes me cringe that I have to share a gender and a game environment with this girls, and I do not want to be mistaken for one, which brings me to why pronouns are really annoying. The english language, as you all know, has gender marked pronouns.  Unfortunately, many people online will auto refer to just about anyone as male (at least in games and such, this doesn't happen so much on blogs or book clubs or the like).  And I hate being refered to as "he" or "that guy" or "him." It's not that I'm a raging feminist, it's not that I want attention, it's none of that.  I just don't like it.  I'm a girl, I enjoy being a girl, I don't think being a girl makes me particularly special, but I am reasonably satisfied with who I am, and would really like to hang on to said identity.  How many men enjoy being referred to as her? Not many.  In fact, we've all heard it used as an insult. So...
 
My problem is this: How can you correct someone, when they refer to you as male, without coming off as someone who wants attention for being female? I don't know if you can.  And that is very inconvienent. 

So here is my suggestion: I am pretty sure that in Finnish their pronouns are not gender marked.  (Source: a friend of mine, who's first language is Finnish, read Harry Potter in Finnish first.  A while later she saw the movie of Harry Potter in English and was absolutely shocked to learn that Prof McGonagell was a woman).  So, can we do that please?
Not because of gender hierarchy, or anything like that, but just to remove this plight from all the girls who just want to get their game on.  Please? Let's evolve our language, lets go to gender neutral pronouns! 

I am moving back down south for my final year of undergrad in a week and a half.  Although I won't return to live up north again, I don't intend to stay in my apartment down south longterm, so it wouldn't make sense to move the insane number of books that I own all the way down there, only to move them again.  I don't really want to move them all until I am living somewhere that I will remain for at least two years.
I don't anticipate that I will have a lot of time for personal reading over the next 8 monthes (I'm doing 5 english classes per term so... that's a lot of reading right there).  But I still will want to do some, so I am faced with the dilema of what books to pack. It's hard to know right now what I may feel like reading over the next 8 monthes.
Some books are no brainers.  All of Sylvia Plath's poetry books (plus the Bell Jar) are an automatic pack.  Likewise, The Edilble Woman (sorry R, I know you hate it) and a couple other Margaret Atwoods. But those are almost more like packing throw pillows.  I like to have them around. They are loved.
Then a couple of books like the Portable Dorothy Parker because the short stories and articles are the perfect length for bus reading.
It's the other books that are more of a problem.  What will I want? I think the books for class will probably be heavy, so bringing all of the Harry Potter books (and maybe a smattering of Anne Rice) would be nice to sort of treat myself with.  But is only bringing rereads really a good idea?
Maybe this would be a good time to chip away at some of my to-be-read sci fi and fantasy novels.  Still important reads, but generally a little more light hearted. It's not that I don't find general literature fun (I do, I love it) I was just thinking that maybe some relaxed reading would be nice on the sides.
There's also a few Nick Hornby's laying around my room that I haven't read yet.
Also, shocking for anyone who knows me, I am thinking of bringing a few books by Dickens.  I know I have bitched about him to no end. And I maintain most of my arguements.  But... well... maybe he's not all bad.  I really enjoyed Great Expectations. And, I think that I wouldn't mind trying a few others again. 
Any suggestions?

After a long day of doing nothing  being very productive at work; I planned to go for a nice run when I got home.  I was (still am actually) in a sulky mood, and I thought a run might be just the thing to lift my spirits.  But then, dad wanted to go for a beer and chat, and by the time that was done it was way too close to bedtime to even consider running. So I decided to cook instead.
I haven't *really* cooked in awhile because the kitchen is being renovated so there is currently no counter, or sink, or proper floor - and this complicates the cooking process as you can probably imagine. Nonetheless, I decided to try anyways.  Inspired by reading food blogs most of the day working very hard, I made poached eggs with a cheese sauce served on canapes (sp?).  They were really good. Although... I can't help but think that making an oh-so-delicous creamy cheese sauce is about as far away from running as I could possibly get.

Asics

Running has been going really well for me and I've been enjoying it (more or less).  You do not even want to know what kind of shoes I have been running in (R called me an idiot on more then one occasion).  So, having kept at excercising for more than six monthes now (can you imagine, actually keeping a new years resolution!) I felt it might be time to make a monetary commitment. I looked into it and the consensus seemed to be that Asics was *the* brand for running shoes.  They are insanely comfortable and they have pink detailing so I'm quite pleased.  Expensive though! Well, at least more expensive then I would like to pay for a shoe without a heel.
It seems inevitable, having made this sort of a commitment that I would decide maybe running has become a comfort zone for me. 
I've decided to try taking the 30 Day Shred a little bit more seriously, to compliment the running.  (And yes, I am wearing these shoes while I do it, I will get my money's worth damnit!). 
I'm not going to do it everyday though, I'm taking days off in between.  And I only did Level 1 three times before advancing to Level 2 (I feel this is justified because I have done the workout before).
So, thoughts on level 2....

Jillian really should have worn a different sports bra. It looks like her girls are going to make a break for it at any moment.
Natalie cheats. A lot.

More serious thoughts on level 2...

I cannot do real pushups for the life of me.  I have to do the girl-versions or else forget it.  I've never really had an issue with doing modified pushups because:
1. I am thrilled that I can even accomplish a modified pushup
2. I really don't feel the need to do everything that a man can do.  We have different bodies.  I'm over it.  In fact, I like having a girl body. Therefore doing the girl version of a move really doesn't matter.

Unfortunately, level 2 makes this an issue.  The first strength move starts with you standing up, then you touch your toes and walk your hands out from your toes until you are in pushup position.  At which point, you do a pushup, then walk your hands backwards and stand up again.  Because you are supposed to keep your legs straight when you do this, doing a modified pushup isn't really an option.  Thus the beginners version in the video is to just hold the pushup position for one count and then walk it back.  I wasn't really happy with that.  So I tried being a boy today.  I would be lying if I told you I could do it.  However, I can dip down a few inches and then push back up, which must at least be better then just holding it for a count right?  So I'm actually quite pleased with that.  More pleased then I thought I would be.

I don't know that i am even going to bother with pendulum lunges anymore.  They hurt.  And not in a good feel-the-burn way, they hurt in a oh-holy-crap-did-my-upper-thigh-just-tie-itself-in-a-knot kind of way.  I don't even know why, since I don't have knee problems and I have no issues at all with any of the other lunge moves.  I'm probably doing something wrong but I don't know it is, and if I try to push through it anyways then my legs scream for the rest of the workout.  So, I figure it's better to phone it in on one move, then have to half ass everything after them because I tried to do it.

It finally got warm.  I don't think we've had a proper summer in almost two years.  As soon as it got hot people started complaining, and I have tried hard not to.  I like warm weather.  I am glad we are having something that resembles a summer. I hope this weather brings lots of forest fires.  I would prefer the summer to be too hot then too cold et cetera.
But... problems do arise. With the humidity, it's been 39 degrees Celsius (which an online converter tells me is 102 degrees F).  Our summers (up here anyways) are usually in the neighborhood of 22 C (72 F).  On a super hot day, with humidity, it might reach 30 C (86 F). So... it is toasty. I don't know if other places would consider 39 hot, but seriously, up here it's crazy.  And the only real problem I have with it is exercising.  It is not fun in this weather.  Going for a run just about killed me (even when I waited until evening to do it) so today I busted out Jillian Michaels 30 day Shred and decided to do that indoors with a fan on.  (We don't have AC, it gives me a sore throat and it's not environmentally friendly and so on and so on).  Good heavens.  I thought I was going to die.  And Jillian Michaels says something about I want you to feel like you are going to die or something akin to that, and I was like YEP! I do!
Hopefully I climatize.  I really want to stick with this fitness thing.

Ps. Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett died? So weird.

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2009/06/01/salinger-sues.html

When I heard he came out of seclusion all I could say was "NO WAY!" for like a quarter of an hour.  Oh Mr Salinger, how I love you, and wish you would change your mind about not having anymore of your works published until after you die.

My favorite bookstore here is in the basement of a library.  The books are ridiculously cheap, there's awesome selection and the people are friendly.  I've been avoiding it somewhat due to my goal of reading a bunch of the books I have before going out and buying more.
However, when I saw that the little bookstore had set up tables in the mall to have a blowout sale, the temptation was too much.  If I hadn't already fallen off the book-buying wagon, I certainly did today.

Here's what I bought:

1. Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery
   
2. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
3. Against the Odds by L.M. Montgomery
4. By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
5. The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl
   
6. How to be Good by Nick Hornby (in hardcover!!)
7. The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham
8. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
9. A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton (I don't know what this is about, but the first page was interesting)
   
10. The Shining by Stephen King
11. Survival by Margaret Atwood (**my brother owns a copy of this book, and I basically borrowed it from him and refused to give it back, so when I saw this on the table I had to get it)
12. World of Wonders by Robertson Davies