100

So this is my 100th post, how fancy.
I have deemed it fitting to be a post of randomness since that is basically what the blogposts on here generally are. So, for your entertainment, I list for you most excellent sports!
1) Shin Kicking, originated in England (how come they have all the great ideas?) and is still played today. Involves kicking the opponents shins until they fall down in pain. However, you are allowed to stuff your pantlegs with straw to protect yourself. I am a fan!
2) Hornussen, played in Switzerland. I am not entirely sure of how it works but basically this small ball is launched into the air towards the team of players who are all holding placards on sticks. The object is to hit the hornuss (the ball) with your placard, however it appears that generally folks have difficulty spotting the hornuss until it is dangerously close to them, at which point they opt to drop their placard and just run away. Sounds like great useless fun!
3) Dwile Flonking, originating in Kent. This is a drinking game where one person stand in the middle of a circle of people. The person in the middle has a rag soaked in beer on a stick and is spinning in one direction, the circle around rag-person is dancing around in the opposite direction and the middle person attempts to flog outer people with the rag. If he misses, he must drink a chamber pot full of beer. I believe the game generally peters off when people are too inebriated to do anything much of use. Sounds like it would be hilarious to watch.
4)Bossaball, originally from Belgium but is played elsewhere in Europe as well. Similar to volleyball but is played on an inflatable court and right in front of the net is a trampoline. One person is on the trampoline and other member of team are around, trying to set up the ball for the trampoline person to bump over the net, with fancy trampoline enhanced tricks! I want to find a place to play this! Sure beats volleyball in gym class!

Anyhow, there is your useless information for today, enjoy!
Hermit
P.S. When is everyone coming back for leholidays? I wish to commence planning of things. Also, to me roomies, I miss you! (and everyone else), please drink zee soymilk I left and if you dont use up that squash on the counter, could you stick it in the basement (on that dresser or something) Methinks it might last a bit better down there.

Hermits Happy Holidays

Allo!
So I has happy exciting news, at least to me it is. I don't know if all of you knew but the way dancenss is here I can't come home until late on the 23 of december and I need to leave again early in the morning on the 26th because we have a show on the 28. Hermit does not like this plan much because it means very little christmastime at home and christmastime is her favourite time of year. This also means Hermit has very slim chances of seeing her friendsles.
However, no sad Hermit this year as plans have changed! Nutcracker people at home called her up to invite her to do nutcracker with offers of moolas (which Hermit needs badly) and she talks to her dance peoples here and explains situation and they basically say that whatever Hermit decides, they will support. So she mulls it over because by going home she mangles plans of dance-people here quite charmingly but the draw of homeness and nutcrackerness and moneyness is quite strong. Ultimately Hermit realises she really wants to come home and do nutcracker etc.etc. so that is what she is doing with quasi-blessings of dancepeople here.
What all this means is that I get to be home for weeks now! I leave here on the weekend of November 16th and don't come back until early January! Hurrah!
This means we must plan and do plenty o' things!
HappyhappyHermit

Tour of The Apartment

Soooo our place is finally in a picture approved state, so this post is your tour of our place (or some of it anyways)

First off, you walk in the front door:

The door in the picture is the front door, right across the hall is a closet, and the open door you see is the bathroom. If you walk out of the bathroom straight down the hall, you have the kitchen on your right and the living room area on your left. Lets go to the kitchen first:

Now walk in, and turn to your left slowly, this is what you will see:

Okay, and back out, now for the reading nook which is basically straight out from the hallway and a bit to the left:

So in this photo, the kitchen is on your right, the doorway to the basement is just outside of the left of this picture, and right behind you is the living room:

Turn a bit to the right, behind the couch and you can see the doorway to the basement and the stairs to upstairs (sadly which seems to be in a bit of a fog, sorry about that...)

Shall we head upstairs?

The fog seems to have seeped up the stairs into the hallway but at the end is Joelle's room, the door on the left is the bathroom, the door on the right closest to Joelle's is my room and the one beside that is Kes'. At the other end of the hallway is a closet.

Here is Kes' room:

And mine, which looks very drab and boring compared to Kes':

Sadly, Joelle's room is a bit photo-shy so it wont be on display but be rest assured it is behind the door in the hallway picture.

And ta da, that is our place, minus the basement. Hopefully the tour made a bit of a sense and wasn't horribly confusing.

Buut, if it was, you should come and visit so as to really figure it out for yourself!

Hermit

Homehomehome

So I am home for the next few days, already saw Rita and Eve which is happy since the advanced planning kind of failed.
I don't have much interesting to say buut hopefully I shall have blog fodder in the form of creature pictures in a few days since I am with my creatures right now! yay!
Buut, Mr. Butterfield was on my flight! Isn't that exciting!? Unfortunately he was very much pretending he didn't see/recognize me which was sad because it would have been so spiff to have chatted with him. I kind of wonder if he is a bit different now though, he looked rather sad and depressed. I hope not, he was such a swell person...
Anyhow, thats all for now, off to build fancy foodsles!
Hermit

Pictures!

Me has pictures! This is actually part of my crafty bunny propaganda plan to convince everyone bunnies are the greatest thing around. So I am putting up pictures that I think are contenders and you gets to help (yay interactive blogging!)

Thats all for now that I can post, I has others but they need colour fixing and photoshop is being stupid. Anyhew, vote away!!

Hermit

Vegans 100

Guess who found a premade vegan version? Although some of the things seem rather non-vegan but anyhow. Also there are links to the more uncommon things but I dont know how to get rid of them so they stay. Here goes:

1. Natto
2. Green Smoothie
3. Tofu Scramble
4. Haggis
5. Mangosteen
6. Creme brulee
7. Fondue
8. Marmite/Vegemite
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Nachos
12. Authentic soba noodles
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Taco from a street cart
16. Boba Tea
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Gyoza
20. Vanilla ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Ceviche
24. Rice and beans
25. Knish
26. Raw scotch bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Caviar
29. Baklava
30. Pate
31. Wasabi peas
32. Chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Mango lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Mulled cider
37. Scones with buttery spread and jam
38. Vodka jelly
39. Gumbo
40. Fast food french fries
41. Raw Brownies
42. Fresh Garbanzo Beans
43. Dahl
44. Homemade Soymilk
45. Wine from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Stroopwafle
47. Samosas
48. Vegetable Sushi
49. Glazed doughnut
50. Seaweed
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Tofurkey
54. Sheese
55. Cotton candy
56. Gnocchi
57. Piña colada (I think that is what we had at Tygers birthday, where I was tres paranoid it was alcoholic, haha)
58. Birch beer
59. Scrapple
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Soy curls
63. Chickpea cutlets
64. Curry
65. Durian
66. Homemade Sausages (not vegan or homemade by us, but we used to buy some from these people on the way to GuZoo but they made them so I consider them homemade, they were really good too)
67. Churros, elephant ears, or funnel cake
68. Smoked tofu
69. Fried plantain
70. Mochi
71. Gazpacho
72. Warm chocolate chip cookies
73. Absinthe
74. Corn on the cob
75. Whipped cream, straight from the can
76. Pomegranate
77. Fauxstess Cupcake
78. Mashed potatoes with gravy
79. Jerky
80. Croissants
81. French onion soup
82. Savory crepes
83. Tings
84. A meal at Candle 79
85. Moussaka
86. Sprouted grains or seeds
87. Macaroni and “cheese”
88. Flowers
89. Matzoh ball soup
90. White chocolate
91. Seitan
92. Kimchi
93. Butterscotch chips
94. Yellow watermelon
95. Chili with chocolate (its really good, the recipe I used was a Moosewood recipe, should make again)
96. Bagel and Tofutti
97. Potato milk
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Raw cookie dough (not sure if this means uncooked cookie dough, or raw food cookie dough, have definitely had the uncooked version! Lots!)

45! Much better! So I have been consuming grand quantities of fresh figs, their neighbors have a fig tree and aren't eating them so we got an ice cream bucket full yesterday. Mmm, Jo and Kes, methinks I am finding a fig tree to live in our front yard thingy. Have been peering for recipes to make with them... Also was going to go pick blackberries today buut has been raining, is done now so I might go out even though it isnt super nice and still wet, me wants blackberries for my breakfast tomorrow!
Hermit

Double-Decker buses and showtime

So today I went on a double-decker bus for the first time, goodfun! Also, I learned that there are blackberries growing wild all over Victoria! This makes me exceedingly glad and I have grand plots to take a bucket out picking on my day off here this week. Hurrah for free fruit!
So, you folks get to hear. Show yesterday was normal repertoire with two new pieces, one of which I was in; a pas de trois in a quasi-character dance style. So anyhew, it went splendidly badly. Which is great, especially since it was my first soloist type role with them, but all is well with them and me and I am not fired so here is my spiel. (I wish I was nomad right now so I could make entertaining comic strip instead of trying to write it all out...)
Piece starts off with all three of us dancing together, thats all fine and dandy, meander off to wait for my solo. Shoof on for it, start, its going grand until I forget what I am doing and what comes next etc.etc. so I start making up random crap (I was told it wasn't half bad which is good because I was afraid it was real obvious that I had no idea what I was doing) and finally get to a point in the music that sounds familiar so beetle off to proper section of stage to prepare for turning section. It isn't going to bad, which is grand until suddenly I notice that my skirt is veery loose, so I do a bit more holding it up at which point I realise I can't do the rest of the dance holding my skirt on soo I lets it drop and hop out of to finish turning segment (I got claps, yay me, haha) Finish rest of solo in underskirt thingy and then go to stand at back of stage to wait where I notice directer waving me to come off, so off I go. They have skirt and safety pin so they leave nice long pause in music (the poor other girl got to stand on stage for a nice while smiling) and then start it up while they try to wrangle skirt into submission ('tis one of those huge heavy ones) and just get it pinned up as I am supposed to start my section of the coda/finale. Skeedaddle on to start my bit but as I am running up, the pin fails, so hop out of skirt yet again and do finale. The end.
Twas a great first major piece, heh. But all is well, they aren't mad at me for forgetting or for skirt business, so hooray for that. But mehopes that next weeks show goes better (ha, rather twould be horrible to think what might happen to make it worse *shudder)
Hopefully all ye folks are well, and might I suggest that Haney childrens make contact? E-mail me or snafoo me on internet somehow. (when are ye coming, how shall we meet up etc.)
Hermit
P.S. I still like the comic idear better:
#1: Hermit onstage dancing away; look of panic; start making stuff up - director and folks backstage looking confused
#2: Look of recognition; dancing away; skirt migrating south; hermit dancing away, skirt on floor
#3: backstage with people trying to fix skirt; shoofing back on avec skirt; skirt on floor again
Woe is me who cannot draw (or write particularly eloquently either) but just imagine them drawn like nomads and then skip reading my huge long spiel.

Figs!!

I had a fresh fig for the first time today, most excellent but very different from dried figs. The people I am staying withs neighbors have a fig tree in their backyard too, so fancy. I want to grow a fig tree now!
Anyhow, yay figs and other tropical type fruits growing here, yay Canada + olympic medals! I have a survey type thing to do, but methinks I am going to fail majorly. 'Tis called the omnivores 100; bold the ones you have eaten. Methinks we aught to build a vegetarians one...

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Phở
13. PB&J sandwich actually not positive on this one, but pretty sure so I am putting it down anyhew
14. Aloo gobi -anyone care to tell me what this is?
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream - yus, and I recall it being most excellent and in a small container and tres expensive, speaking of which, just saw a recipe (easily veganized) for homemade pistachio ice cream, should make when move into jo and kes'
21. Heirloom tomatoes - not entirely sure what qualifies, but pretty sure not however I have had plenty o' homegrown garden type tomatoes, yumyum!
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese -no, but I recall seeing it at Sobeys, that is the grossest name ever methinks!
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche -no, but have grand plots of trying to make vegan version
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas - haha, one, from Lori, and then I died
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float - I am deciding I have because I have had a float, not positive if I have ever had root beer though
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal -is what exactly? Clearly, I need to be more worldly...
44. Goat’s milk - David went through a phase where we were eliminating possible allergens so he had goats milk and I tried, but it was canned or something and erm, notsogrand
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/€80/$120 or more - *cacklewheeze, notsomuch of that
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear -in this prickly pear water stuff that Costco used to have
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips - maybe not chips, but carob lots, as a kid we didn't ever have chocolate just carob. Was actually just talking about that to mere, must have been great for other kids at birthday parties who were used to chocolate, getting a carob cake, hehe
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian - I think this might be a lie too, I believe I didn't actually try any because the smell was so overpowering, but I think that smelling it is close enough
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain - this I don't recall but apparently in Venezuela we had them and they were grand
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict - I am thinking most likely
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare - NEVER!!!!!!!!!!
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate - what is this?
91. Spam -delish!!! Recall our spam recipes? And sending them into the SPAM website *cacklewheeze
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Ahem 16%, that is most excellent, especially since several of those are questionable, hopefully the rest of you do better.
Hermit

Race-walking is the most ridiculous looking Olympic sport ever!

I am watching it right now, so entertaining, espeically if you peer at their feet, almost pigeon toed duck walk looking. It's a good thing I am home alone! You should peer.
Anyhow, I have been doing a fair bit of olympic viewing although not quite as much as I thought I might have. Micheal Phelps is amazing!! Have been reading and apparently he is basically perfectly built for swimming and the pool in Beijing is designed to optimize the swimmers performance.
So I had plots of spieling about life in Victoria but methinks twill be quite boring and I feel like I always talk about meself so here is lepronto synopsis:
-was supposed to be coming for an apprentice workshop however am only new person so really is just be being assimilated into company
-watched their show on my first day and is definitely not the calibre I would like but I guess their is a reason they hired me... I am mostly over that now, it was just a bit of a surprise that first day
-they is mucho big on just throwing you into stuff, I did my first show 6 days after I got here and had only learned some of the repertoire 4 days before, bit of a shock to the system (I am used to having months and months of preparation)
-had breakdown before second show (first major show-they have two different shows, one for kids-less important; and one paying, more important show)
-just learned piece yesterday (thursday) for show on tuesday-stress! But I gets a solo piece and I feel like I am getting a smidge better at this top speed learning business. We'll see how the show goes though...
-Victoria is amazing vegan-wise, was SO pleased when I went into grocery store and saw all this stuff that you would be hard pressed to find in a health food store back at home!! Restaurants too, much more accomodating.
-Also, veery pretty, moreso farther up island, but the city aussi.
And methinks that is all. Majorly excited for when Jo and Kes come up and we gets to live together!!! You all must come and visit I say.
Hermit

Olympics!!

Am I the only nerd who gets insanely into the Olympics? I can't quite place the feeling, it's not quite a major patriotic type feeling moreso just much happiness. I guess it is just something about the whole world coming together for one good thing that gives me warm fuzzies. I also really like hearing the athletes talk about getting to where they are, they have worked so hard and it is so inspiring to hear from those who have experienced major setbacks and I really find that it helps me kick myself in the butt to work harder. I get into these slumps where I think I am working hard but really I could be working so much harder and just seeing and hearing from these people who are so amazing makes me want to work so incredibly hard every day.
Anyways, I am excited, and will be watching avidly. (heh, the people I am staying with are probably going to think I am rather peculiar but thats okay) Sadly I don't get to see the opening ceremony because it is playing during the day tomorrow, hopefully they will air it again.
Hope all of you are well, me is happy to see more blogging, yay!!
Hermit

Travel Tales

So I have little to blog about therefore you get to hear my tres exciting travel experience. Fun fun!
Soo here goes:
My travel plans were as such: fly out of le aiport at 10:20, get to TO at 11:50, fly out of there at 1:00, get home by 3:30. Simple no?
So me gets to airport at about 9:15, less than the suggested 2 hours for international flights but this airport is so dinky that is a complete waste of time. However I quickly learn that there is some new rule that makes you need to be checked in an hour before your flight so I had something like 3 minutes to get checked in before I would technically miss my flight. Anyways, got checked in, all was fine. Get through security no problem and go to gate to wait. Note that there is only one other person waiting, think that is kind of strange but people often meander around so I don't worry about it too much.
10:15 comes around and we have yet to board, in fact nobody is even at the counter, but no big deal, small plane takes about 3 seconds to board. 10:20 and people come off the plane so I figure we are about to board when lady comes over to tell us that yes, there is only two of us on the flight and it will be a smidge because there is some issue with the tires. No problem, we both have connections but there is time. Wait around for quite a while more, nothing, finally at about 11 they make an announcement for all Air Canada people to come down and get a rebooking. Off we go, apparently the tire was seemingly unsafe to land on and so we are being rebooked to the next flight to TO, at 5:30pm. They gives us meal vouchers for lunch and dinner and let us alone to spend fifty bazillion years in the airport.
At about 4:30 or so I notice that the departure time is now 6:30 which cuts my time to catch my connection rather short but no matter I can hustle it. When I get up to go procure some dinner it seems that the departure time has changed again, to one that completely prevents me from making my connection. Talk to people at desk, they have me scheduled for new flight etc etc. so off to go get foods. End up purchasing the most disgusting sandwhich I have ever eaten in my life and I am pretty sure shortened my life span by a good 5 years. (was basically a stale hamburger bun doused in some kind of grease with greasy mushrooms and bell peppers on it sitting in a pool of grease-delicious!) Meander back to gate, see if they have new boarding pass for me and sit around for some more. After several more reincarnations, it is determined our flight will not be leaving until about 9:20, making it impossible to leave TO that night. Grand, way to waste a day. Luckily, since they cancelled our first flight, me and this fellow are entitled to accomodation and mealness from A.C. until they get us to our destinations. So we gets hotel vouchers and breakfast voucher for next morning and leave the airport around 9:30 -12 hours apres I arrived.
Get to TO, follow fellow around as he has hotelness and all already planned out (well actually his dad, apparently he does a bunch of travelling). Get to hotel, have four hours to sleep before needing to get up to go back to airport. Hotel has biggest bed I have ever seen, I swear it could fit four people easy (thinking now that if we ever go on some trip, we must stay at a hotel with beds like this, would be a cinch to smush lots of us in) and tres comfortable.
Little do I know, but back at home parents are in panic-mode. I didn't call them like I was supposed to once I got to TO because me cellphone didn't have service and it was tres late for them so I figured they would be in bed. Notsomuch, they waited up until 4am for me to call, website never updated to say that my flight had landed so they were all wired up ready to call RCMP to have me tracked down etc. See, this is where I get my paranoid tendancies from!
Get up in the morning, waay too early! Head back to airport where I must now source me some foods. Locate reasonable looking foods and go to use me voucher (yay free food!!) but lady gives me ridiculously hard time about it. Also, I am above voucher limit by 20cents so must pay her (how a $4 and an apple comes above $6 is beyond me, oh the magic that is airport food...) then she refuses to take my voucher. Have to go to customer service desk to get a new one, apparently the one I got was the old version that they haven't used in a few years. Go back, by this time my flight is about to board and I have yet to call parents to let them know what flight I am on, procure food (I got a raise! Somehow the limit for breakfast here is $8, of course, the lady doesn't give me my money back, but ah well, 20cents won't kill me, even though I am a complete stinge!!) book it to the gate where they are boarding. Get up to gate, get boarding pass and ask lady if I can make a quick call, 5 minutes! Call parents topspeed, shoof back, get on plane.
Plane ride uneventful, I watched some fairly new movie (can't recall name) about these kids at some Boston university who learn how to count cards to win mucho moneys at gambling. And I find out that I gets free food on the plane aussi!! I am assuming this is courtesy of the tres nice lady back in original airport. Yay nice people, poo to A.C. for not having the vegetarian sandwhich though.
And I am now home, hoorah! And that was insanely long and drawn out, sorry! I actually thought about changing it to point-form but I had already spent such a ridiculous amount of time writing, I ditched that idea so yourwelcome and brownie points for you if you actually read it all!
Hermit

Surveyness!

Salutations my non-blogging friends! Hermit is here with a survery type thing she stole from another website. Rules being you have to answer all the questions with one word:
1. Where is your cell phone? Laptopbag (yes that is one word)
2. Your significant other? nonexistant
3. Your hair? fuzzball
4. Your mother? home
5. Your father? home
6. Your favorite thing? ballet
7. Your dream last night? nonexistant
8 Your favorite drink? Applejuice (haha, I fail at this but some things are not one word so pah)
9. Your dream/goal? Ballet?
10. The room you’re in? earth (outside)
11. Your hobby? Knitting/cooking
12. Your fear? Failure?
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Dunno, someplace I am happy with
14. What you’re not? male
15. Muffins? yum
16. One of your wish list items? Errr? Enough money so I don’t die next year howbout?
17. Where you grew up? cowtown
18. The last thing you did? internets
19. What are you wearing? clothes
20. Favorite gadget? Computer?
21. Your pets? abandoned
22. Your computer? Wet (must explain, I was outside on le machine and it started thundering so I went under the overhang of this building, then it started POURING, twas great, and some of it blew under the overhang)
23. Your mood? bored
24. Missing someone? Lots
25. Your car? Legs?
26. Something you’re not wearing? socks
27. Favorite store? dunno
28. Like someone? Maaaybe
29. Your favorite color? Teal, right now anyhow
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? Sunday (last week, boy I really fail at this one word business)

P.S. I just learned that Harper is a butthead, siding with Bush on not talking about climate change at the G8 summit. Why can't the people in power just be reasonable instead of money-monger fools. Okay done now.
Hopefully you are all having good sumer/are stil alive (I dont know, since I NEVER hear from any of you!!! *hinthint)
Hermy

Update!!

It's been a while! I keep meaning to blog but evidently it doesn't happen. Anyhow, I am now! After I am going to check everyone else's and I am hoping you have blogged, I want to hear what you are up to!
So, I made it to the states, hooray! I was afraid it wouldn't happen, they gave me a hard time but the finally did end up letting me through. Classes and whatnot have been good. I am in the same level as I was last year but they had a whole bunch of alumni come back this year so they told the year round kids they would probably get moved down or stay in the same level so I am happy that I got to stay in the same level (and I am with most of the year-rounders I was with last year, so I am assuming that means I didn't get too crappy while I was gone)
The place I am staying in is good, except there is actually no cooking stuff (haha, I don't understand how these american children survive on all this premade food) one very small frying pan, one very small pot, and one very small casserole dish. It's a bit frustrating trying to make stuff (I made stirfry the first week and it took me two evenings to do it because I had to stirfry each vegetable individually) but its not for too long.
Anyways, other than danceness not much is new. Found some people to stay with in Victoria for August. Oh, I was reading 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle' on my breaks and finished it this week. Very good, about this family who moves to a farm and basically lives off the land (and purchases some stuff, but all locally grown etc.) for a year. It seems like that would be so swell but Calgary is crud climate-wise for that. Victoria on the other hand... (hehe, I have these plots, shall see how it works out)
Anyways, I should end this here rambling post now but hopefully we shall be in touch because I miss you guys!
Hermit
P.S. I was watching this thing on tv that is just all commercials and there was the best one ever from volkswagon. Must peer! http://veryfunnyads.com/ads/25502.html
I want to learn how to make those hand shadows!!

On My Mind

I found out a few days ago that the mom of the girl I carpooled to dance with, committed suicide earlier this year and I can't stop thinking about it. It just boggles my mind to think of how much someone would have to be hurting to cause their loved ones so much pain, what it would be like to lose your mom at 18 or 19, especially from that. I wonder how her kids are coping etc.etc.
Anyways, sorry, rather morose and rambling post but yes. And will you please promise that if that ever goes through your mind, call somebody or something, I can't imagine losing any of you guys.
Hermit

Employed

I know, how lame is this, buut I never talk to you guys so this is my informyouofmylifebecauseIhavenothingbettertodo spiely place if you happen to ever read it.
Anyhew, as the title implies, I do indeed have meself some moneymaking skills now. However nothing too exciting.... at all.

But yes, here is my grand spiel. Gots me a job at Sobeys. I applied at a bunch of places for a cake decorator/bakery position and they interviewed me and didn't seem to have even looked at my papers to see that I was wanting to be in the bakery. Needless to say the person interviewing me was not involved in the bakery whatsoever but said she was interested in me for the deli. Since parents had drilled me on not letting opportunities slip by etc. I figured it would be fine and she said that if an opening in the bakery came up they could transfer me. Then she figures that the hours I can work (opening to 7:30 m-w, opening to 3:30 th and to 2:30 f, all day weekends -> not too unreasonable in my opinion) aren't good for what she needs in the deli so I would likely only get hired as a part-time employee. Okay, fine, maybe I can find some other job somewhere else too. And then she tells me she wants to start me on the meat cutting.
Yesiree, I have been hired as a meat-cutter. (heh, every family member of mine thought I was kidding when I said that, unfortunately no) And me in my infinite wisdom couldn't think of what to say. Hooray me.
On top of that they pay $2.50 less than the minimum bakery position and so far they have me working 4 hours a week. Methinks I needs to keep looking.

Despite how grumbly that sounds the people are rather nice (and the lady who was training me has a bunny named Moustache (with a french accent!!))
So yes, how goes life for the rest of ye?
Hermit

Amazingness

So this post is basically me drooling over amazingness that is likely of rather little interest to you folks, so you can just pass it by if ye please.

15 year old, April Giangeruso



And this is her at 11, so jealous!

Holy crap! Can you say amazing balance!? (If you want to skip to the best part, go to about 3:20 and 4:20)

Another of the same company. The dance is suspiciously similar but do you see that! She is pivoting. En pointe! On his head! *dies*

These are kids at the Paris Opera Ballet School (very fancy shmancy school in France) so amazing!! Look at how fast they are going in the first video. *is VERY impressed*




But yes, that is all, for now anyhew.
Hermit

Horse Racing

I have been educating meself on horse-racing and have discovered that it doesn't seem to be such a nice sport. This was initiated by a news article about the second place winner of the Kentucky Derby, Eight Belles, who was euthanized on the track after breaking both front ankles. I learned that horse racing is incredibly dangerous to the horses, akin to dogfighting (which, I believe, is banned for being too dangerous), that their spindly legs aren't built for racing down a track with a person on their back. (who also whips them *glare*) So why do it?
Another aspect I don't fully understand is the fact that when a horse breaks a leg it is pretty much a death sentence; they are often euthanized once discovering the injury, like what happened to Eight Belles. However, I was under the impression that a leg injury in a horse is a huge pain in the butt and majorly expensive, as the horse needs to be put into a sling to prevent them from putting weight on the injured leg(s). The process often involves putting the horse, in the sling, in a big bucket of water to allow them to still exercise their legs. My new knowledge tells me that horses have little blood flow to their legs which makes them slow to heal and quick to get infected but I guess my question is, if there is a waym, (and I believe there is, and if you really care about the animal you will do everything in your power to help them) why not? These horses earn their owners scads of money when they win these races, so wouldn't it be expected to pay them the respect of the best care possible?
Sorry, I am done now, just a wee rant.
Hermit

My Brain is Spectacular

A little insight into the workings of hermits brain;
Tonight I snafooed some chocolate chips from le basement and was demolishing them on my way upstairs. When I got to my room I put the rest of them on my pillow so I could eat them after I came back downstairs from feeding lepigs and procuring lebun. Shoofed upstairs, fed pigs, fed bun, got distracted, brought bun downstairs and got ready for bed (lets note here that this took less than an hour) shoofed over to bed and noticed that there was a pile of rabbit turds on my pillow. And then of course the small segment of intelligence left in my head kicked in.
Yay brain! I say it is officially melted.
Hermit

Offically Vegan

So methinks that family types have it figured out now. Or at least mere. Which is good thing because it will hopefully mean less ingredient wars. I was kind of surprised though, I didn't think that my mother/family knew about vegans (methinks a lot of people think the term vegan and vegetarian are interchangeable) but then she has seen me peering at this blog called vegan dad so maybe she did some research, or maybe I just underestimate. Anyways she clearly has some issues about it because later yesterday (when she figured it out) she was asking me if I would visit a dietician if she made an appointment for me. *cackle*
But yes, this being a very pointless post. yerwelcome
Hermit
P.S. To make this less pointless, look at this! SO amazing, I wants to go, although methinks I would be far to scaredycat to actually go in.



Tis a pool above Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe called Devils pool. Apparently at a certain time of year the water levels get low enough that you can go into the pool area, so neat and I bet the view over the edge would be amazing, if you dared to get that close!!

What an offer

So as most of you know I auditioned for a company back in January and was told they were interested. Well I heard back from them and I was offered a position as an apprentice, unfortunately in their company apprentice spots are not paid positions. Excellent, just excellent. Now this is partially my fault because you had to check what position you were auditioning for but I have never heard of a company not paying apprentices so I figured it would just be a cruddy paying job but that would be fine etc. Not so much apparently. Bleh. So now I am not sure what to do, quasi tempted to ask them if they would consider upgrading me but that is kind of obnoxious. Of course now I want to go audition for other places (because me being me and stupid, once they mentioned they were interested I basically stopped thinking about auditioning) buut methinks most of the auditions are over and I have to get back to them by May 1st. Gah, I need a good smack upside the head sometimes.
In other mylifeisfallingapart news. I had hoped to go back to CPYB for the summer as an RA where basically I would go and do that but still be able to take all the classes and they wouldn't pay me but I wouldn't have to pay for the program either, sounds excellent to me, but of course I left it nice and late and they have apparently already filled the position. Bah! I am tempted to talk to parents about this because I really want to try to figure out a way to go back (thinking maybe I can find a way to do stuff around the studio for the cost of the program and maybe see about living with Sarah or something) but I am pretty sure parents will not be thrilled at this plan. poo.
Anyways, that is my whine-fest for today. Enjoy and hopefully life plans are working out better for the rest of you lot.
Hermit

Well Brought Up.

Thanks to the genius combination of Lori Haney and Alison I have that stuck in my head. I do think it is highly entertaining but still enough is enough.
So we is partaking in Earth Hour right now, self determined, par moi (well okay not entirely, brother is in his room with light on etc. but its the only one in the house so I figure I will sacrifice it to avoid an argument) and it's interesting what you can't do without lights/electricity and I am quasi cheating being on le machine but it isn't plugged in so yes.
In other news I made Vice Cream the other day! How exciting. I never make ice cream because I can't plan far enough in advance to have the freezer thing frozen for when I actually want to make the ice cream but luckily enough it was already frozen, genius! I made the mint chocolate chip which is good especially in that it doesn't freeze rock hard once it is in the freezer overnight like most homemade ice creams do. Only issue is that tis very strong, my fault I think though, it called for natural flavourings which apparently have not alcohol but I just subbed extract and methinks extract is a wee bit stronger than these 'flavourings' anyhew, hoping to try another recipe here soonish when we gets more ingredients.
And off, must. do. school.
Hermit

News from Hermit's Brain

Alo all. You gets news from the depths of my cranium today. Actually its from a few days ago but I think it's quite the gem so you get it anyways.
So a while back (thursday to be precise) I woke up feeling like I was coming down with some illness (likely courtesy of my lovely ballet compatriots, I tell you they are the most sickly bunch I have met in a long while and apparently my immune system cannot fend them and their bacteria off) which based on my aforementioned figurings and recollections of previous speakings (things like what so and so missing kid has thats keeping them away from class) got me figuring I had a lovely bunch of choices with what I was coming down with; strep throat, mono, the like. However Hermit's brain can't be content with this kind of information alone, it must then compile it and add some of it's own tasty tidbits. Such glorious chemistry occurs and then voila, lebrain has deduced that I am likely coming down with cancer. Fun times indeed. I actually had myself convinced for a while (which really was an enjoyable experience. not. I don't suggest you allow yourself to be convinced of those kind of things) until my sickly symptoms became more normal.
And that children, is why you shouldn't read Readers Digest if you are prone to paranoia.
Hermit

Musings and a Video

You know what I just figured out? 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog' contains all the letters of the alphabet (hehe, and I counted just to make sure!) How did I figure this out? Found this website and noticed that they used this for all the fonts and then thinks to meself, well maybe it has all the letters in the alphabet so they don't need any other samples. And yes indeed, how smart is lehermit? Anyways, me is intrigued by the website/looking at peoples handwriting. I vote that Nomads would definitely get picked, so purdy looking.
Anyways, here it is in case you wish to peer:
http://kevinandamanda.com/scrapbook/fonts/fontsforpeas/


My creature pictures have been missing as of late but today I has a video!! (Provided it works) Snowy has taken a liking to getting bunny massages. At first we did it because it is an excellent method of removing excess bunny fluff for collecting (I am bagging it up in hopes that someday I will have enough to spin it into yarn and make super soft something from it) but he rather took a liking to them so now he gets them sometimes just because he is ohsospoiled. Anyways, I think it is hilarious how he gets himself so relaxed so I videoified him so all can enjoy!


Okay so video is being dumb, or I am being dumb, but either way it isn't working so I has pictures instead!
Or not. Blogger evidently hates me. Is anyone else having issues posting pictures?
Hermit

My Head Hurts

I have never understood those people who can't wear their hair up for any amount of time because it hurts too much or gives them a headache. I figured that was because my hair is always up/ I have a very robust scalp/ those people are a bit wimpy hair-wise but I tell you, I think I finally understand!
Today I had my hair so tightly plastered to my head it started to hurt after about 3 hours which is a record I tell you. Granted it was also so hairsprayed that my neck was glued into one position (the hairspray dripped down my neck, thus gluing it with the hair, notsomuch fun but does make for good posture) and it was pinned within an inch of it's (my?) life. And I didn't do it (I think that explains a lot)
Basically, today was me exam, and I came all prepared, with required hairdo etc. teacher takes a look at me 'good hair' and then proceeds to take it out and redo it, mangling my scalp in the process. Hehe, funny thing though she told me later that I should cut my hair because it uses too much energy. Er, sorry, what? I have no idea what she meant, I have to expend too much energy to deal with it, it uses too much to grow, what?
Anyways, that is my musings.
Hermit
P.S. I am stupid and haven't taken it out yet because I know that it will be stuck in the same position once I take it out and I don't feel like dealing with that right now.

I Hate Advertising

In advertising it seems that anything and everything is okay. Things that in any other situation would be considered morally or ethically wrong etc. but suddenly in advertising it's fine.
What brings about this leetle rant? There is this billboard for the Sun (which I despised before this but now feel that I have even better reason to do so) that reads 'Six Appeal' a shows a photo of a youngish, presumably considered attractive etc. female journalist whose column is found on page six. So innapropriate in my mind, since when it is ok to sell your employees in that fashion?
GLARE
But yes, I think it largely has to do with the audience they cater to (hello semi-nude teenagers in the middle of it) but still, I don't think that should be allowed and I certainly would not be pleased if I was that employee but anyhow.
End rant.
Hermit

7 Things you don't know

I have seen this around on the internets, where people post 7 things their readers don't know about them. However in our/my context this is much harder (or maybe it's just me, anyways) but I was determined to do it so for the past few weeks (I know, it's pathetic!) I have been thinking up my seven and I think I finally have them.

-I have taken up brushing my teeth without toothpaste, first it was largely out of laziness or lack of toothpaste but I have found the job to feel and look similar to brushing with toothpaste so I have just decided to leave it like it is. In thinking about it more, I figured that it was nice to rid myself of all the chemicals that are in toothpaste anyways.
-The idea of being a hand model kind of appeals to me, as it lacks the notsogreat aspects of real modelling and involves good moolas so as to be able to fund other, more important things. Unfortunately it is apparently also a very competitive field. On that note, at one point I think I liked the idea of being an actual model too, but it was mostly in theory as I really had no idea what it entails and the fact that being shy is definitely not an asset in that business.
-I read hollywood/star news off the MSN homepage. I feel bad about it and don't want to but I always skim the headlines and if something particularly juicy or interesting hits my eye, I am off. Stupid and shallow and I am kind of embarrased to admit it but there you go.
-Me (supposedly mostly but really le parents aussi) is growing a whole bunch of outdoor bedding plants, flowers to be specific, in the intent of selling. I am not so sure this will work out amazingly well but it was mothers grand plan for moneyness while still being able to do all me other stuff that doesn't really allow time for a job. We ordered the seeds a bit ago and the first set are hopefully germinating on top of the fridge.
-I don't think I have talked about this (hehe, just went to check the past few posts) but I have been thinking a bit about interior design. I don't know where these thoughts will go but there is an apparently very good interior design school in vancouver so I have some plotschemes, more on that later (if I remember).
-In my quest to go vegan I have hit some rather large speedbumps. Namely, parents, I thought they had kind of figured it out without me spelling it out for them but I guess not as the other day mother was 'it's just a bit of milk!' when I snafooed soymilk into some recipe of hers before she could use cows. Also it seems that bread is really good at having sneaky non-vegan ingredients in it, very frustrating. Lastly, white chocolate, me is a big fan, and it has milk ingredients in it, and I haven't seen vegan stuff in any of the health food type stores so pleh. But I am having plots of trying to acquire cocoa butter (have been for a while but more determined now) so as to try making my own.
- I am plotting of cutting my hair (I will wait while you pick yourselves up off the floor!) actually. Not hugely chopped off but a decent sized chop. My thinking is that if I want it to be nice and long, emphasis on the nice, then I should trim it to where the ends are unevenish (I don't know what the deal is but there seems to be a thinish patch in the middle section, annoying but yes) so that I can start growing with it all the same length.
Hooray, I did it! Haha, that was unreasonably dificcult! No more stuff today since that took SO long.
Hermit

Photography Friday

I have decided that Fridays get to be dubbed 'Photography Fridays' on this here blog. Thus, each Friday, or more likely, whenever I happen to post on a Friday, it will be all, or mostly all about the pictures. Unfortunately my favourite subjects photos aren't available yet (the machinery is trying to ruin my life I tell you) buut I found some pictures I mean to post last year so they get to have the honour of being the inaugural post.

So these were taken at some place pere and I visted last summer that I can't remember the name of, some botanical museum type dealy. Anyhew, as you might imagine, I was enamoured with food-bearing plants, so you get to see.



First off, bananas! The plants were HUGE and so many bananas!




A little green orange.

Coffee! Again, there were a ton, the little bean pods were all over basically all of the larger branches.

A wee pineapple, I was quite impressed at how small the plants were with the fruit.

Sugar cane.

Papayas.

Lastly, my favourite, Cocoa! Unfortunately the reddish pods (more ripe) were at a basically impossible angle to photograph, but still, chocolate, right there! If I worked there I would sneak in at night and snafoo a pod or two.

Not food, but this little fellow made me very happy. A fern of some kind but just this one front what almost white, none others, so strange and swell!

And that is the end of the photos this time.

Hermit

P.S. Finally done psychology, hooray!! Now just rinse and repeat x 3, bleh

1 down, 3 to go

Actually that is a bit of a stretch but it doesn't sound as great saying 1 almost down, 3 to go. See, I am almost done my Psychology (yay!!) as in, done all the quizzes, written the final exam, buut I have yet to finish the final assignment, a stinking 11 page essay (due in uh, 5 days I think *bows* whenever the end of the month is) however, that is soon, so provided I magically become motivated and skilled and everything it will be finished in a week!! This is happy news because just having all of these courses hanging over my head is not so much fun. The other three are erm, coming along, but hopefully with one out of the way I can shoof myself along on them topspeed.
Anyways enough about school.
Well actually I dont have much to say other than that because I don't really do much other than school and go to various ballet things. But I feel the need to blog so yes (heh, rather procrastinate on working on essay)
Oh, well yesterday we (Nomad, Tyger, Wulf and I) went out for dinner avec le trombone-friend de Tyger for catching up typeness and whatnot. Twas good, went to an almost entirely vegan restaurant (they didn't use meat, dairy or eggs) and we got a sampling of different things to all share (there was a lazy susan in the middle of the table to wizz things around on!) which for the most part were good (minus the 'shrimp' right Tyger!?) , some a bit spicy for my taste. So we got to meet trombone-fellow for more than 30 seconds. Beats me what he thought of us, he seemed fairly quiet but tis hard to say since he wouldn't know most of what we were speeching of. (and I lack the social finesse to be able to ask people direct, good questions about themselves)
Creatures are well, I really wish to have more pictures to post, but when I take them with fathers camera, which I like to do since they come out veery nice, they need to go through this special editing software (that I don't know how to use, although I have been pestering him to teach me) before I can have them and pere has been rather busy so yes, someday blog will be back in pictures. (It's bad, I still don't have the ones from Christmas!)

Anyways, enough procrastinating for me, back to work!
Hopefully all is well with everyone, and you should blog more!!
Hermit

Social Skills

I have determined, or rather, solidified the fact that I am majorly lacking in the social skills department. Unfortunately it seems to be backfiring on me as of late, case in point;
There is this extremely outspoken fellow who has been on the bus the same time as me the past few days and, of course, decided he should strike up a conversation with me. First off, I am paranoid (thus severely limiting the information that can be discussed), secondly I am terrible at talking to people in general but especially people who don't fall into my general age-range, and lastly I am ackward in general with regards to speaking to people I don't know, all together that makes for a lousy situation. But really, why me? There are so many other, likely more skilled at speaking, individuals on the bus that one could choose to converse with, bleh.

I have not been up to much that is interesting as of late however at the moment I am in the middle of building mere a birthday cake (happy birthday to yours Tyger) that is likely to fail miserably. (it seems to be suspiciously not rising)

Lastly, the other day pere was watching le telly and the most excellent commercial came on, makes me SO happy (I am choosing to ignore the fact that it is a beer commercial buuut if they were to always do ads like this, I think my opinion would change about them) anyways, watch and enjoy!



Hermit

Rachel Hale

Is who I want to be when I grow up. I cycle through my infatuations but she is it at the moment. You likely don't recognize the name (I didn't) but I have a feeling you will recognize some of her work.

This?

Or how about this?

As you can see, she takes what I would call 'cutesy animal photos', the kind that I love most! How great would that be, play with animals all day and make a living doing it? Sounds perfect to me!

I actually entertained the idea of seeing about doing that, since those are my favourite kind of pictures to take and from looking at her work it seems that the emphasis is more on the cuteness rather than the skill of the photographer (ie. they are not all photographically perfect etc.) but parents were quick to find many flaws in it, ah well, 'tis still percolating in my mind.
Lastly, a picture that completely destroys me.

Is that not the sweetest thing ever?

Hermit

Check-In

So I have decided that I aught to check in on myself monthlyish to see how I am doing goalwise (so I can't foget them and whatnot, we'll see how long this lasts!) Here goes:
So far I haven't really done much thats tangible towards my goals however I did
- look up universities with dance programs (and found out that they are a) all in the U.S and b) therefore terribly expensive for someone like me to go to, however I am thinking that I might just apply and whatnot, see if I get in, and if I do, deal with the finance issues then, heh, smart plan I know)
-find several smal ballet companies here, I am actually going to audition for one tomorrow (sunday) which also means I get to see Jo and Kes, yay!!!
- work on my schoolwork, however I have decided I am going to need to get an extension (majorly) on my environmental one which is crud, I kind of really want to just drop it but at this point it would give me a withdraw-fail on my record, so parents are not allowing. I have also established that I will most likely have to get an extension for my english, I didn't realise there were quite as many assignments left (and they are big ones too, bleh) and I want to hopefully get a good mark in it because it is one that is highly likely to be able to transfer. But yay for me, I wont have to get an extension for psychology, and I am almost done, just one more unit and an essay and I have until the end of February, yay me, but not really. (however I am choosing to focus on the positive!)
And, er thats about it, oh well I am also taking me Intermediate R.A.D. exam but I am not sure how much that factors into goalness.
Anyhew, must go check on my muffins that are in zee oven. Blog more folks!
Hermit

A New Year

Hopefully this one will see me sort out my life. As I said at the get-together, these are my 'goals' and I am writing them here so I won't forget and they will be more permanent.

-I will do what I want to do instead of just thinking about it but never acting upon it.
This involves things like auditioning and applying for schools, it's not going to happen unless I make it happen.

-I will be more productive particularly with things like my schoolwork, the more I work on it, the faster I will be finished.

-I need to decide what I want and then actually go for it, none of this half-baked stuff. If I want to dance, then I need to commit myself fully to that.

-Make a plan, and largely stick with it as I don't seem to be navigating so well without some sort of order.

And I think thats it for now, I like how they aren't resolutions at all really, as basically none of them have any way of defining them, ah well, I can edit and review as necessary.
Hermit