Commitment-Phobes

A common criticism of my generation (Gen Y, Net Gen, whatever you want to call us kids who grew up wit hcomputers in school) is that we are unable to commit to anything. Long term relationship? No thanks. Lifetime career? Not for me. Kids? Woah. Waaaaaaaaaaaaay too much invested there. And you know what? I'm mostly Ok with that. I don't see holding off on these major decisions as a bad thing (though perhaps being incapable of any of them for your entire life is a problem. But that's a rant for another day, so I'll leave my pet steed, Tangent, in the stable today). What I'm NOT Ok with is our total inability to commit to small scale stuff.

A classmate of mine's boyfriend is going away on a fieldschool, and as a fundraiser, they sold tickets to a bar night last night. The classmate asked all of us girls if anyone would be interested in attending. Megs and I both said yes pretty much right off the bat. I even bought my ticket from her the next day. A number of other girls said they'd LOVE to come, but didn't want to buy tickets right away, they'd buy them at the door. Well, guess what. Megs and I were the only two from our class who showed up (besides the girl organizing it, of course). It really irritates me that people who are my age seem to find it impossible to say 'Yeah, I'll be there,' and then actually show up.

I used to be the same way. I'd bail on tons of plans, just because the wind changed and I longer *really* felt like going. Then I tried to host a few parties or nights out on the town, and no one showed up. It kind of clicked for me then. So now, I try my best to be a keeper of my word. Sometimes things changed. Someone gets sick, you have to spend the afternoon in the library doing research, your family shows up unexpectedly. I get it. But generally speaking, how hard is it to say "I'm coming," and then actually show up?

Part of the problem is, I think, our society's current inability to say 'no' to anything. We all feel like we have to do everything and we feel guilty if we don't say that we'll at least attempt to meet the needs of whomever it is we're currently talking to. But when we find ourselves overburdened, under-equipped, or just even tired... well, now what? We can't be heard to say 'no...' so we bail. We just don't show up. Occasionally we'll send some lame excuse via email or a text message (nothing too threatening in those - you don't have to actually talk to the person), but often it'll just be the next time we see them: "oh hey, sorry about Friday. Something came up."

Megs and I talk a lot about 'keeping people,' meaning caring for them because they are bearers of God's image. I'm starting to believe that keeping people means letting 'your yes be yes' even in the little things. Strike that. Especially in the little things. Building that trust so that they know you'll be there when you say you'll be, doing what you said you'd do. I think a lot of the members of my generation also frequently feel isolated... perchance these two things are connected?

Elizabeth

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Blech

Have you looked out the window today? It's gross out there. To quote Gilmore Girls, "it's cold and grey, like a fat, dead pigeon." Yes. Days like this should be automatic cancelled school days, complete with mandatory directions about staying in bed with cocoa and good books.

I think I've gotten past my thesis 'writer's-block' that I've been struggling with the past few days... and along with that, I seem to have regained some motivation. Fantastic!! I've got 2 or 3 projects that need to be finished, along with the a ton of reading in preparation for finals. I'm bound and determined to feel prepared for all of my exams again (this term's round of midterms went relatively well, if not great, and I'd like to stick with that), so I need to get going on that stuff already!

My social life has been bumping lately, which I love. :) The best bit recently was getting to spend an evening with Al, watching Black Books. It's so brilliant. And there's nothing better than just hanging out with a good friend, laughing. I also went to a Thesis Club dinner party, which was amazing. The food! The people! The laughter! We stayed out til midnight or so, mostly just laughing and talking about school and life. It was great. *grin*

Tomorrow night our Thesis Club is meeting again (this time, we're ordering pizza) and we're creating some fun decorations for our lab. Then Thursday night I'm going out for dinner at the New Asian Village with a friend (who says the food is great). Friday I'm getting my stitches out (I had a small growth removed from my shin), then going to COMPRU for work. After work, my folks are picking me up to go out for dinner. We're going to the La Ronde to celebrate the SSHRC, which is very exciting! I booked the reservation for 7, so we should be there in time for the sunset. I sure hope it quits snowing by then!! :D

Well, I'm off. Hope you're all well!

Ela

*toot*

Hi guys!

Remember this post? I remember posting it. Vividly. The panic was setting in, my beloved Dexter (laptop) was ill, my SSHRC was on Megs', and only Megs', computer, the bloody SSHRC was due the next day, and I was making frantic, last minute edits. I handed it in barely on time, jogging down the halls of Corbett, mentally singing the theme from "Chariots of Fire" (I may have been humming out loud, but let's pretend I wasn't), and wishing that it would all just be finished. I wanted nothing more than to shirk the SSHRC.

Good thing I didn't. I was 'unofficially' notified today (it's pretty much for sure, it's just that my supervisors have heard from SSHRC, but I haven't gotten my letter yet - it's coming! At least it better - it'd be awfully embarassing if it didn't show up now...) that The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada is awarding me a very healthy scholarship for next year - healthy enough to pretty much cover all of my costs!

So that's my good news. And now I'm done tooting my own horn.

E.





*toot*

ISFJ

Hey all! I'm having a *wonderful* day. Slept in a bit, worked on a paper, went for a run, had a nap, started a case study, and am now listening to the Decemberists. So fab.

A few weeks ago, Megs and I were talking about our personality styles. In some ways, we're really very similar, but in other ways, we're waaaaaaay different. She made reference to her Myers-Briggs' profile - but I couldn't relate, because I'd never done one. So, off to the trusty internet! I found an online version (goodness knows how accurate it really is...) and I filled it out. According to my results, I'm Introverted, Sensing, Feeling and Judging. Here are some excerpts from my report:

ISFJs are characterized above all by their desire to serve others, their "need to be needed." In extreme cases, this need is so strong that standard give-and-take relationships are deeply unsatisfying to them; however, most ISFJs find more than enough with which to occupy themselves within the framework of a normal life. (Since ISFJs, like all SJs, are very much bound by the prevailing social conventions, their form of "service" is likely to exclude any elements of moral or political controversy; they specialize in the local, the personal, and the practical.)

I think this bit is quite true of me - I do like to take care of my friends, and I like it to be as uncontroversial as possible! I also am interested in things that I can do personally - if you ask me why politics doesn't interest me, I believe it's because it's too 'removed' from me.

In the workplace, ISFJs are methodical and accurate workers, often with very good memories and unexpected analytic abilities; they are also good with people in small-group or one-on-one situations because of their patient and genuinely sympathetic approach to dealing with others. ISFJs make pleasant and reliable co-workers and exemplary employees, but tend to be harried and uncomfortable in supervisory roles. They are capable of forming strong loyalties, but these are personal rather than institutional loyalties; if someone they've bonded with in this way leaves the company, the ISFJ will leave with them, if given the option. Traditional careers for an ISFJ include: teaching, social work, most religious work, nursing, medicine (general practice only), clerical and and secretarial work of any kind, and some kinds of administrative careers.

This is somewhat true - though I think I would make a very competent supervisor. I also believe in institutional loyalties; my dad has taught me about the importance of walking the company line, and I think that it's very important to be on board with what your organization is doing.

While their work ethic is high on the ISFJ priority list, their families are the centers of their lives. ISFJs are extremely warm and demonstrative within the family circle--and often possessive of their loved ones, as well. Being SJs, they place a strong emphasis on conventional behavior; if any of their nearest and dearest depart from the straight-and-narrow, it causes the ISFJ major embarrassment: the closer the relationship and the more public the act, the more intense the embarrassment. Over time, however, ISFJs usually mellow. Needless to say, ISFJs take infinite trouble over meals, gifts, celebrations, etc., for their loved ones--although strong Js may tend to focus more on what the recipient should want rather than what they do want.

Again, this is pretty true. I love my family deeply, and would do anything for them. And anyone who knows me well knows that should someone be foolish enough to propose to me on the jumbotron at Rexall... well. He'll be going home alone.

Like most Is, ISFJs have a few, close friends. They are extremely loyal to these, and are ready to provide emotional and practical support at a moment's notice. The older the friendship is, the more an ISFJ will value it. One ISFJ trait that is easily misunderstood by those who haven't known them long is that they are often unable to either hide or articulate any distress they may be feeling. An adult ISFJ may drive a (later ashamed) friend or SO into a fit of temper over the ISFJ's unexplained moodiness, only afterwards to explain about a death in the family they "didn't want to burden anyone with." Those close to ISFJs should learn to watch for the warning signs in these situations and take the initiative themselves to uncover the problem.

Ok, not so true. I have NO problems articulating what's wrong. :) But I do have a few close friends, close enough to feel like family, really. (All of the above quotes are from http://typelogic.com/isfj.html)

So must of this was pretty accurate, I thought. Oddly enough, when I looked at another description of ISFJs, they were referred to as Protector Guardians.

The primary desire of the Protector Guardian is to be of service to others, but here "service" means not so much furnishing others with the necessities of life, as guarding others against life's pitfalls and perils, that is, seeing to their safety and security. Protectors find great satisfaction in assisting the downtrodden and can deal with disability and neediness in others better than any other type. With their extraordinary commitment to security, and with their unusual talent for executing routines, Protectors do well in many careers that have to do with conservation: curators, private secretaries, librarians, middle-managers, police officers, and especially general medical practitioners. To be sure, the hospital is a natural haven for them; it is home to the family doctor, preserver of life and limb, and to the registered nurse, or licensed practical nurse, truly the angels of mercy. (http://keirsey.com/personality/sjif.html)

Some of the other stuff they had there was less accurate, but I thought that these bits really summed up why I'm in speech. What threw me most was that I (like many of us, I think) tend to think of myself as being pretty unique. Reading through these summaries, I realized that there are a lot of people out there who are much more similar to me than I thought. I know that this is the basis for a lot of charlantry (e.g., tarot readers, etc.), who throw out general facts that tend to be true about a lot of people, but I never really considered its effect on other parts of my life. I think a lot of my teenage angst centred around feeling like I WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN THE WHOLE WORLD WHO FELT THIS WAY *woe is me*... but now I know that odds are pretty good that there are a goodly number of people feeling the same way I do! Solidarity with the world!

E.

That was odd...

My life is frequently full of odd moments. For example, I was talking to a friend this past week, and telling hime all about my language and literacy class. The following is an excerpt from our conversation:

It's [the class] really, really, really, REALLY boring. Though I did have the opportunity to say "The pigs are stacked! Who stacks pigs?" and "They sacrificed the pig to the pig god!"

Yes. I kid you not - we were looking at a picture for a story elicitation task, and the prof asked what we thought was happening. My first though was "they sacrificed the pig to the pig god!" I ask you this: would YOU want YOUR kids doing a story elicitation task where animals sacrificing one of their own was an option?

Life has been, as is now apparently the norm, incredibly busy. According to my timeline, my thesis proposal is to be done in two weeks. Ahem. Well - I've got 3 paragraphs written... that counts, right? I need to bus down to the Wonk and hide out there for a while and try and get some work done. Edmonton is just too full of fun and fabulous people!

Thurday night I went for Thai food for the first time, and it was awesome. I can't wait to try more of it!! Friday was the Rush game, and we won! wOOt! That's our 4th win of the season. Such a great game - and there was a wicked fistfight. I love a good scrap! Yesterday afternoon my small group and I went to help the Food Bank fill their truck for their current drive. Things were a little slow at first, so we went into Zeller's and bought sidewalk chalk, a frisbee, and a pool noodle. We drew on the asphalt, we threw the frisbee around, and... we played the animal game!! It was SO fun! Nothing like wailing on your friends with a lime green noodle. :) If you watch Shaw on Monday at 4, you might see us - one of the volunteers was a Shaw cameraman, and he shot some footage. None of the noodling, though. ;) Then last night was coffee with a friend, which was very fun. The 2nd Cup by MEC has the most beautiful painting of irises done in oranges and yellows that would look great in my place. Anyone have $600 they'd like to loan me to buy a painting? ;)

Today was church, which was great - we wrapped up Esther. Lyle told us to 'always remember, and never forget' to celebrate God's goodness. There's so much sadness in our world (and today we heard about a lot of people's sorrow - my heart hurt for them), and it is right to mourn for that - but it is also right celebrate the blessings. I think I might need to host a "celebrate the blessings" party sometime!!

So that's life at the moment - tomorrow night Megs and I are baking sweet rolls, so I can take them into my stats class on Tuesday morning. It should be fun!!

Later days!
E.

How do you make a kleenex dance?

'lo. It's grey and gloomy outside. I feel grey and gloomy on the inside. Losing one's stats assignment and having to do it a 2nd time coupled with cold rainy weather and not enough sleep makes me feel LUGUBRIOUS. I am feeling LUGUBRIOUS today. So.

Ela's Tried and True Methods of Cheering Oneself Up

1. Listen to cheery music with a good beat. I recommend Josie & the Pussycats or Garth Brooks. If those fail, go with Get Set Go's "I Hate Everyone." (Careful... it's rude.) It sounds so perky! It's so vindictive!

2. Go for a run. Get up 45 minutes earlier than usual, and head out. Listen to some good tunes (see #1). Enjoy the dark. Enjoy the icy puddles. Ice for slipping, puddles for dripping! Run into the river valley, then realize how dark and stupid it is to do that, and run back out. Then enjoy the feeling of relief!

3. Sleep. Now this one is important. You see, if you get up 45 minutes earlier, you should go to bed about two hours earlier. Missing this vital step will lead to you sitting in research methods, staring out the window, and commenting that the weather looks like Mother Earth is throwing up. Nothing like nature with gastroenteritis.

4. Bad jokes. Nothing fixes you like a good knee-slapper. By the way... you put a little boogie in it!

Prior to losing my stats assignment, I had a really good weekend. The circus was really fun, and our high-wire guy also fell, so our circus was just as good as Jake's was. ;) Sunday Megs and I sang in church, and it went really well, which was fun. Mum and Dad were there, so they took us out for lunch (yum!), and then I spent part of the afternoon at the dog park with a friend which was very fun.

Class today is boring and tedious, but that's just life. Tonight my language and literacy class is coming over for a potluck in order to work on an assignment, so that should be fun. Then tomorrow I want to get up early and run again. We'll see how well that goes. ;)

Ok, lunch time. Yay for leftover maki!

love,
ela

Put your right foot forward, put your left foot forward, put your right foot forward again...

I LOVE the song that today's title is from. It's by Wet Secrets, an Edmonton band, and it's on my Sweatin' to the Indies playlist. If you feel like it, check out CBC Radio 3's website, and you can hear it - it's called Secret March.

I got up this morning, and the sun was pouring into my room, and my sheets were especially soft. Always a good start to the day! I got up, threw some laundry in, changed my sheets (I missed Fresh Sheet Friday - it'll have to be Fresh Sheet Saturday, which isn't as alliteratively pleasing), and then went for a GLORIOUS run. It was sunny but cool, my music was good, and there were lots of other pleasant runners out and about exchanging smiles and 'good mornings'. I'm pretty sure that this morning was my longest run yet, just because I didn't want to go back inside. The only problem is that with a bit of sun, a bit of wind, and a lot of exertion, I get runburn. It's like sunburn, only less peely. I got home about an hour ago, showered, cleaned up my room, etc., and my cheeks are still brilliantly red. Hot, I know.

Today I'm going to the circus with Johnnie. Jacob was disappointed that I didn't go with him and dad, so when I talked to him today he said "your circus won't be as good as ours. The high wire guy fell when we went!" Owch! I always feel nervous when the artists work without nets... and apparently, I have legitimate reasons for feeling that way!!

Ok, I need to go and do some homework, if I can get focused (unlikely!) Catch y'all later.

E.

Isak Dinesen is a wise woman

A woman writing under a man's pseudonym, Isak Dinesen (author of Out of Africa and Babette's Feast) commented that "the cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea."

I'm sitting in a lull right now - the calm before the storm, really. This week (and perhaps next week, too) are quiet, schoolwise. Completely full up, socially speaking, but that's a whole 'nother story. But it's a week into March now, and after this brief respite, all hell is going to break loose: assignments (I've got 3 lined up to work on already, with more on their way), papers (one lined up, another on the way), thesis things (I've got some ridiculous deadlines headed my way), projects (one major one for my thesis class that has me pre-terrified) and finals (6 of them!). Tied in with all of this is the fact that we're expected to be making some long-term decisions about our practica right now, and I'm not in my "long-term planning" mode these days. I'm really more into the "let's take this one hour at a time, shall we?" mode. *sigh* This, friends, is the work whose only cure is sweat. Lots of metaphorical, academic sweat.

It will be complimented with tears, guaranteed - winter term is always harder than fall, given that you're more tired and have fewer emotional resources to work with. I imagine that there may also be tears of relief when some of the sweaty things are done. I believe that the tears will be the cure for the sweat.

And then the ocean. I'm not a huge ocean fan, never have been. But lately it's come up more and more for me as a symbol of persevering and ultimately triumphing. And if I can make it out to Campbell River in August, then the ocean shall indeed by the cure for my tears.

On October 24, 2006, I emailed this to one of my thesis supervisors:

Hi Dr. H.,

I could meet you today or Thursday at 2.20, or Wednesday at 3.50. I'm sorry, but I won't be able to get my next draft of my program of study until Friday morning, because I'm right in the middle of 3 midterms. But I will get another draft done Thursday night!

Thanks for your patience in helping get through these starting stages! The Jewish midrash says "all beginnings are hard," and I couldn't possibly agree more. :)

Cheers,
Ela.

His response was this:

Ela,

I have you in my calendar at 4:00 pm tomorrow. See you then.

- P.

P.S. - It also says in the midrash that "...there seems to be a covenant made with the waters that whenever the heat is excessive and there is scarcely a breath of air moving on land, there is always some breeze, however slight, on the waters." Perhaps right now you are on land and the heat is excessive, but get this application in the mail, and you will be on the waters.

I think that's the first time that I saw the 'waters' as my seal for my Masters. My sign to myself that I can do this, I can complete this, I can excel at this.

I'm stranded on the land right now and the breeze is dying. But soon - just a few more months - and I'll be in the waters.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a rubber ducky to buy.

Love,
elizabeth

$54 a month, unlimited entertainment

"What is it??" you ask excitedly. "Satellite? Movies? Tap dancing??" My friends, it is none of these.

No, it is the Edmonton Transit Service. Seriously! You wouldn't believe the excitement of riding the bus. Why just last Friday... *cue flashback music*

I rode the bus to Compru at around lunchtime. It was packed; standing room only! And indeed, standing in the aisle were three teenaged boys. Not standing together, mind you - rather, they were dispersed down the aisle, each separated by 2 or 3 other passengers. But never mind the other passengers! These 3 didn't! They had a WHOLE conversation just by yelling over everyone else! And how exciting it was! I never KNEW that there were so many different ways to lie to one's parents about one's drug use! Wow!

Riding the bus home from Compru, I sat in front of two teenaged girls. These girls had like, been at a slumber party the night before! OMG!! And like, they like, hate sleeping at this one girl's house, because she's like, really nice to your face, but like, totally bitchy behind your back. I mean, yeah, they were like, talking about this girl behind her back, but this is TOTALLY different. Really!

Then on Sunday, as I rode the bus home from church, I became aware that we'd been stopped at one stop for a rather long time. Tuning back in to what was going on, I heard the bus driver say, very firmly, and borderline rudely:

"SIT DOWN. I'm not starting the bus until you SIT DOWN."

Looking forward, I saw an elderly woman in a fur coat, attempting to stand at the front of the bus. "I don't want to sit down!"

"Lady, I'm NOT starting the bus til you SIT DOWN. Last time you almost fell." Getting out of his seat, the driver came up to the woman, put one arm around her shoulders and the other under her elbow and steered her to one of the six free seats surrounding her. Helping her down into the seat he said "And STAY there until the bus comes to a COMPLETE stop!"

As he climbed back into his seat, I heard a girl behind me comment to her companion that "last time that lady was on the bus, she was back here. She got up before the bus stopped, and tried to get to the doors, but fell down the stairs when the bus lurched. It was pretty freaky."

A few stops later, the old woman in the furs (after waiting for the bus to make a full and complete stop) climbed out of the bus, calling back over her shoulder "now you don't have to worry about an old woman like me!" in what I swear was a roguish tone. Roguish! In fact... I think I even saw her toss a wink at the driver!

$54/month - unlimited entertainment. Complete with strange smells, and people who are so drunk you could get a buzz inhaling the fumes. More fun than a barrel of monkeys! All reasons to ride the bus.

"AL and Ela Ministiries: don't kid yourself, life will still suck when you become a Christian"

Anna-Lisa and I have decided to become independent missionaries. You see, she answered the door the other day to an elderly man who asked if he could survey her. One of the questions was "do you ever experience feelings of rejection or failure in your life?" Al responded "yes," as I'm pretty sure that most of us would - I mean, c'mon, it's life. It's full of rejection and failure! Anyhoo, this man then showed her two images: one of chaos, and one of neatly lined up images, and asked which she'd prefer. He informed her that the first image was a "self-centred" life, and the second was a "Jesus-centred" life, and that if she became a christian, she would be "free from these kind of feelings [failure and rejection]."

"I AM a christian," she responded "and I think it's a huge oversimplification to say that christians never have these feelings, because we do and to tell people that we don't is setting them up for a huge disappointment."

The man had no idea what to say to that. He attempted to qualify his statement by saying being a christian would change the quality of the feelings, and our reactions to them. Anna-Lisa replied "yes, I agree, but that is NOT what you said. You told me that becoming a chrsitian would fix my life, and that is just not true."

His response? He left. He didn't know what to do with Al's suggestion that he was misrepresenting what christianity has to offer our world. Jesus was pretty clear about just how shitty life would be at times, especially if you chose to follow him. What he promised was that he'd always be with us, providing us with coping strategies and support... things that we have to grow and mature in, in order to make effective use of them.

So Al and I have decided that we want to minister to our world in honesty: don't kid yourself, life will still suck when you become a christian. The point is, now you have someone with you, leading you, loving you and guiding you through it. And that's pretty awesome.

Love you,
e.

Song of Myself - Whitman

The feeling of health, the full-noon trill, the song of me rising
from bed and meeting the sun.

This is how I felt when I got up this morning (read the whole poem here). The sunshine was streaming in through my windows, I had slept so soundly the night before, and it was just so wonderful to get up! I love mornings like this. I got up, checked my email, drank some water, ate an apple, and went for another run! And the sun was shining, and Chris sent me a new podcast to listen to (Sweatin' to the Indies, it's so great), and I just chugged along, developing a new route for myself. I got home, showered, ate something, started on our paper for 518 (Ok, so I listed all the heading in a word document and saved it, but I still call it starting!), finished reading a chapter for 509, and did my 598 multiple regression analysis. I'm on fire!

Last night I went to the Rush game with Lee; we did pretty well at the beginning, but wound up losing. Bummer. Lee had a rather black sense of humour that I found highly entertaining. I made a rather off-colour comment about the large number of little boys (9 or 10 years old) running around shirtless:

"It's kind of like a vending machine for pedophiles," I said.

In his best "old man pedophile" voice, Lee replied "Oooh, I'm in the mood for a chubby one. Let's have nougat!"

I'm not sure how many of you will find that funny... (A. Leslie, please don't show that bit to G&G!), but I laughed til I cried. Nougat!

Anyhoo, today Robin's making me dinner (his team lost the Superbowl, mine won, I get dinner!), and then I'll be doing more homework. I've actually been working on my thesis this weekend, but I need to put in some more time on it. I should probably also try and write something under a few of those headings that I typed in for 518. ;)

Tomorrow's church, and I'm teaching jr. church. The kids think I'm awesome because, and I quote, "you're the only teacher who knows how to work the DVD player." *lol* I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully it'll still be sunny tomorrow when I run, and it can be as enjoyable as it was today.

Loves you!
E.

Owch!

Hello boys and girls!

I'm finally feeling like I'm over the jet lag... but it took two nights of going to bed at 9 to get there! :) This morning I got up, and as I puttered through my AM ritual, I just had this great sense of "wow, do I love being back in a routine!" It felt so good to put my bagel in the toaster, boil the water for my coffee, make my lunch... just chug along, doing all the little things I do every morning.

School felt very similar - just going through the same things that I do every Thursday. Today's gift from our motor speech disorders' prof was a large eraser, in honour of our midterms that we just wrote. She encouraged us to reflect on what went well and what went badly, and prepare ourselves to improve for the final. My eraser looks like chocolate, so I reflected mostly on how much I like chocolate, but I did briefly ruminate on the fact that I need to be a bit more "functional" and a bit less "theoretical" when I study for the final.

I took the train home from school, then stopped at the post office to hand in my student loan papers (I am, apparently, exceedingly special, because I did this once in September, and am now doing it again. The other girls only had to do it once. Maybe they'll give me extra money??), then stopped at Shoppers to buy my bus pass (the U-Pass was approved, come September my bus pass will be included in my tuition!), and then headed home. I puttered around a bit, had a snack, and then decided it was time for a run. I haven't run in about 2 weeks - it was awfully cold around midterms, so I went to the gym with my roomie, but not as regularly as I'd been running. And then I went to Prague, where I was lazy and fun-loving, and not running. So I pulled on my gear (I looked super cute, in case you're wondering), and headed out. Can I just say that two weeks does a LOT of damage to how well I run? I only lasted about 20 minutes, there was more walking than usual, I had an asthma attack, and a stitch in my side! I staggered home feeling fat and lazy, but proud of myself for doing something about it, and stretched for a while - I figure I'll be feeling this tomorrow. Note to self: Back to running 3-4 times a week, stat!

(I would just like to point out that by 4 o'clock, I'd been to school, gone to the post office, picked up my bus pass and gone for a run. I'm feeling productive.)

And now: some pictures! I took very, very few photos in Prague, and most of them are of the giraffes at the zoo. I won't bore you with those. :) But here are a few of people, my favourite subject, and a funny translation.

Adrian and Adam - looking highly entertained!


Courtney and Petr - my fabulous hosts. They're so cute!

Emily and I - she looks fabulous. I look... tired. We'll say tired.

Pirates of Caribbean: you see, Czech doesn't have determiners (a/the), so why should English?? Also, they spelled Caribbean wrong - isn't that awesome?! Pirates of Caribbean! Elizabeth Swann! Will Turner! They even had a Pirates of Caribbean II drinks list on the wall, but I didn't want to look too touristy, so I just photographed the menu.

That's all for today folks - have a good weekend!

Love,
Elizabeth