When I'm up, I can't get down.

So, I'm in Halifax and words can't describe my excitement. I left Sackville this morning on the bus and arrived in Halifax three hours later. I'm sitting in my friends', Andrew and Meg's apartment surrounded by eight of my friends. The guys are clumped around the TV, sipping beer and playing NHL on the x-box; The girls are sprawled out on the couches, listening to Great Big Sea, and gossiping. We have about four hours before we head out to the concert. That means we have four hours to eat some pizza, get ready, and have some drinks.

It's only Thursday but I know the weekend is going to be great. Sackville is a great location because I'm able to get away to Halifax (where a lot of my friends happen to be) and it's only a three hour bus ride away.

We've been counting down to this concert for months now and I can't believe the day is actually here. Already, the sun is starting to shine a little brighter and I can feel its warmth increase each day we get closer to the summer. I've drawn the conclusion I'm ridiculously anxious to move out of my current house and move into my new one. We got another oil bill today - $92 each. We just paid another oil bill less than two weeks ago, on top of an electric bill, and the rent. Next year our apartment is only going to be $400 each per month - everything included and I CANNOT WAIT to not have to worry about bills every two weeks. It will be a major load off.

But the fact that I can feel Spring coming around the corner is getting me excited. I've already started packing to move. My friends think I'm crazy to start packing so early; However, it's not the same as the last two years. The last two years I was in residence and all of my stuff was confined to a small space which was my dorm room. This year, all of my stuff is sprawled out all over the house in every room. It's going to take me a while to gather it all up, sort it, and pack it. So, I've started now to avoid "stress overload" as the end of April gets closer.

Alright, I think it's time for me to join in on the singing of Great Big Sea songs to get me pumped for the concert.

I'll be sure to post lots of pictures.

Have a good weekend, folks!

Weight Loss Challenge

So, you've probably heard of the freshman 15 and perhaps you feel invincible. I was pretty oblivious to it and pretended to be. But let me tell you...

There's nobody stopping you from eating the unhealthy choices cooked in meal hall every time you have to have to eat. There's nobody stopping you from grabbing that delicious dessert topped with extra whipped cream. There's nobody stopping you from grabbing a second dessert, and you really have no idea how tempting it is until you're in this situation.

Other factors contribute to those unwanted pounds:

• Late night snack at meal hall
• Unhealthy munchies stored in your dorm room
• Lack of exercise (walking to your classes doesn't count as exercise)
• Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol

When away at university, you have to take control and become more responsible about your health and eating habits.

There is a gym on campus, but some people (like myself) may find it intimidating to try to shed the pounds surrounded by people who I'd give anything to look like.

My roommates and I decided to do a 14-day weight loss challenge to see who can lose the most weight in two weeks. This is my fourth day into it and I've lost three pounds already! I've been doing the cabbage soup diet which claims to have you lose ten pounds in a week. I've tried this particular diet several times before but this is the first time I've actually been sticking with it. My roommate, Leah, and I also do a workout down in our basement every day. You can get some really great workout videos and, this way, you don't have to worry about having to go to the gym. Our workouts last about 90 minutes a day.


Eric, creating the chart where we monitor our weight each day.

The soup - the bane of my existence right now.

I've been feeling fantastic! It was extremely hard the first two days to avoid grabbing the leftover bag of chips in the cupboard but I'm doing great now. It's definitely more motivating having people do this with you. I probably would've given up if it wasn't for the challenge we created. I'm not sure I'll be able to look at cabbage again after this week...

The cabbage soup diet helps improve your urinary and digestive system which means you can lose weight faster. During the diet, you tend to urinate more because you're getting rid of toxins and other bacteria in the body. The soup is full of Vitamin C which boosts the immune system and energy levels. If you're interested you can check out the recipe and meal plan here It's probably one of the most reliable and affordable diets out there.

Anyway, I better go head down to the kitchen and warm up some soup!

Music is my cure.

I'm sorry I haven't blogged in awhile. I had an amazing break in the Cape but it was very very busy. What should have only been a nine hour bus ride turned into twelve hours because there were so many people traveling home for the break. I was a bit bitter but happy to be back on the island when I finally was.

My break consisted of putting off all the work I brought home to do, relaxing, seeing friends, taking 30 minute long showers, having ridiculously hot bubble baths, eating delicious home cooked meals, and sleeping in past noon. I was home for ten days but it really felt I was only home for a weekend. However, I cannot believe it's now March and there are only six weeks left of classes. I know it's going to fly by; It always does.

I'm going to the Great Big Sea concert in Halifax next weekend; So, that's a little something to look forward to to help break up the next month. I was blaring GBS in the kitchen yesterday while washing the dishes when my roommate asked who they were. You've got to be kidding me. I looked at her with my mouth wide open. I grew up with this band and they've been the vital soundtrack of my life for years. Many of their songs bring back specific memories of my life. Isn't it amazing when a song can do that?

Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls, for example. A beautifully written song, both lyrically and instrumentally. This is one we can all relate to; It was a favorite of all of ours. I'm sure that we all get flashbacks from the elementary school dances in which it was blared over the speakers, as we stood awkwardly waiting for our crushes to ask us to waltz.

75% of my life consists of getting lost in music. Sometimes I'm fairly certain I love it more than art. Music is an art form by itself. I never go anywhere without my iPod in my pocket. One time, I went to the dentist and realized I forget it and a nauseating feeling overtook me. I really felt lost and didn't think I could get through the hour of drilling holes in my mouth without having my music to get soaked up into.

There's a song for every mood you're in. Sometimes I find myself muddling through lyrics of songs on the internet for hours. I've been writing down lines from lyrics of songs in a little black book for years; Each is sorted by different mood categories. There's something comforting about getting lost in lyrics that you can relate to. It's therapeutic. Maybe it's because I find a hard time expressing exactly how I feel into words, and when it's already done for me it's so rewarding.

Music is my way of escaping into another world when I don't want to deal with this one for a little while.

What is art?

What is art?

My definitions of what art can be have been shaped and hammered over the past three years since I've been here at MtA. For my Fine Arts Seminar class, I have to assemble a presentation on an artist I like, and an artist that I don't like.

I've been pondering a lot about this over the past few weeks, as my opinions have changed and will continue to change throughout my life. I've decided to sort of play on that concept.

Before I came to Mount Allison University, my mind was very one-tracked when it came to art. I was very close minded about anything other than realism. When I was 12 years old, I took private art lessons from Cape Breton artist, Marie Moore every week and continued to do so for seven years. When I first showed up in her art class in 1999, her instructions right away were to rummage through a shelf of photographs, magazines, articles, etc. to find a picture that I liked. Her next instruction was to draw it - "exactly" what I saw. Throughout the seven years with Marie, every week consisted of the same thing. I worked on an image I found on the shelf and would either draw or paint it. Marie taught me to regurgitate on paper and canvas exactly what I saw. Marie taught me to paint and draw like her. Marie taught all her students to paint this way. I was surrounded by artists in my private class who all thought this way. I wasn't exposed to anything else. To me, this is what art was. For years, I would inevitably shut down anything that wasn't representational art. Anything else was absurd and irrational to me; I absolutely hated it...

...until I came here.

When I came here, I was bombarded with other peoples' perspectives on art - including students and professors. I learned about the different movements and styles; at first it was overwhelming but I slowly, but surely, grew a fascination for the different art realms. Now, art to me is about taking risks and exploring outside the box. My art very much became about this. I was influenced, shaped and hammered by the artists around me which has pushed me to experiment. My mind is no longer one-tracked, it branches off onto so many different roads it is staggering... but exciting at the same time.

So, you may or may not be surprised to learn that the artist I'm choosing that I "don't like" is Marie Moore. Who is Marie Moore? If you go in any house around Cape Breton you will find at least one Marie Moore print. She paints what the public likes... what the public likes to hang above their fireplaces. She succumbs to the pressures of society to make a living. She very much works within her box. She bases her art on nostalgia, creating paintings that people in Cape Breton can relate to; The Fortress of Louisbourg, The Canso Causeway, Moxham Castle, etc.

But who is Marie Moore? You look at one if her prints, and you see just what it is... a pretty picture, a realistic depiction of Sydney's famous castle... but who is Marie Moore? She in no way conveys herself, feelings or emotions into her artworks. It is what it is. Realistic depictions. Sure, they may be aesthetically pleasing but for the most part it stops there. There's no gazing at works like these and getting lost in them. The process of admiring works like these stops at the surface. The conclusion is already drawn and mapped out for you. You have nothing to interpret.

I'd rather paint what I want rather than what the public wants. I, now, believe that art loses some sort of value after it has been reprinted hundreds of times. Even browsing numerous Facebook photo albums, I see Marie Moore prints hung out over peoples' walls. But WHO is Marie Moore?

Art to me, now, is about taking risks... is about painting more than what you see. It's about painting how you feel, and if people can appreciate art driven on this level than that's truly an accomplishment for its maker. I've learned that I will do everything in my power not to succumb to the pressures of society, painting what other people want. I will paint what I want, and if people love that - then that's amazing.

He's Just Not That Into You

If you ask any of my friends what something is that I speak passionately about they will jokingly answer, "He's Just Not That Into You"; however, it's not quite a joke. You've probably seen the trailers for the movie that has just been released but I wouldn't recommend seeing it. It was nothing compared to the book. Oh, that book.

I will preach to every girl - single or taken - to go out and buy this book. It completely changed my perspective on guys and relationships and myself. It really opened up my eyes and made me analyze my past relationships. That book transformed me into an independent woman in three days. I actually bought four copies of it to loan out to my girlfriends who then loan it out to their girlfriends. The majority of straight females will agree that men are one of our top major annoyances (retract your claws, boys... I know it works both ways).

Have you ever stayed up all night, staring at your phone or computer.. anxiously waiting for a text, or message from your guy? Are you sick and tired of the games? I used to be one of those girls (inevitably) until I read the book. "If a guy is treating you like he doesn't give a shit, it's probably because he doesn't give a shit." Realize it, embrace it, move on! Read the book. Read the book. Read the book.



A little taste:


Dear Greg, This is dumb. I know you're not supposed to call guys, but I call guys all the time because I don't care! I don't want to play games. I do whatever I want! I've called guys tons of times. You're such a square, Greg. Why do you think we can't call guys and ask them out? Nikki

Dear Nikki,

Because we don't like it. Okay, some guys might like it, but they're just lazy. And who wants to go out with Lazy Guy? It's that simple. I didn't make the rules and I might not even agree with them. Please don't be mad at me, Nikki. I'm not advocating that women go back to the Stone Age. I just think you might want to be realistic in how capable you are of changing the primordial impulses that drive all of human nature.

Or maybe you're the chosen one.

Men, for the most part, like to pursue women. We like not knowing if we can catch you. We feel rewarded when we do. Especially when the chase is a long one. We know there was a sexual revolution. (We loved it.) We know women are capable of running governments, heading multinational corporations, and raising loving children — sometimes all at the same time. That, however, doesn't make men different.

IT'S SO SIMPLE

Imagine right now that I'm leaping up and down and shaking my fist at the sky. I'm on my knees pleading with you. I'm saying this in a loud voice: "Please, if you can trust one thing I say in this book, let it be this: When it comes to men, deal with us as we are, not how you'd like us to be." I know it's an infuriating concept — that men like to chase and you have to let us chase you. I know. It's insulting. It's frustrating. It's unfortunately the truth. My belief is that if you have to be the aggressor, if you have to pursue, if you have to do the asking out, nine times out of ten, he's just not that into you. (And we want you to believe you're one of the nine, ladies!) I can't say it loud enough: You, the superfox reading this book, are worth asking out.

***

Now go buy the book:)

shuffle shuffle shuffle

I was thankful this morning when I walked outside and my eyeballs didn't freeze. I breathed a breath of fresh air and smiled. I stepped one foot off my step and onto my paved driveway, which was no longer covered in snow. I took another step. One more. BOOM! I fell. I cringed and picked myself back up. The walk to the end of the driveway was completely treacherous as I shuffled my feet along what seemed to be continuous black ice. When I finally made it to the road, I thought perhaps they may have been salted but the rest of the journey to class was continuous shuffling and slipping along the way.

I was thankful I wasn't the only one catching a breath with each step, as I peered around at cautious students around me shuffling their feet slowly but surely in front of them.

Now, I sit in the library cafe peering out the window, having a clear view of shuffling feet around campus. My heart stops and my gaze locks as ever so often as a student will jog in a hurry to their next class. I have an hour and a half until my next class but there's no way I'm journeying home. I find it easier to stay on campus in between classes anyway. There are many places to go including the library, meal hall, and the student center cafe. If I go home, it's more tedious and harder to make myself go to the rest of the day's classes. It's easier to stay motivated and in work-mode if I stay in a working environment until my day of classes ends.

I have one more week of classes left before I go home for spring break. Well, it's not actually "spring" break because it's not spring. I have one more week of classes left before I go home for reading week. Well, it's not actually "reading" week because I won't be doing much reading. I have one more week of classes left before I go home for a week of relaxation. Much better. I plan on drilling myself this weekend and all of next week so I don't have to worry about any projects or work while I'm home. I don't have any set plans for the break. I hate making plans. I find if make plans, the break will inevitably fly by and I won't do much relaxing. I need relaxing; that's for sure.

I cannot believe it will be March when I get back to Sackville. MARCH. Do you know what that means? Basically, there will be only one full month left of classes. April will fly by because there are less than two weeks of classes before exams start. I only have one exam because I'm in Fine Arts. Don't get me wrong. Portfolio works are just as tedious and hard work as studying for exams, but I'm certainly not complaining. I have two portfolios - one for Open Media and one for Painting. I also have a take home exam for Art History. THEN IT'LL BE SUMMER! Oh summer, how I love thee.

I plan on traveling to San Francisco this summer. I have a friend that lives there so it's the perfect opportunity to go. The easy part is planning it out. The hardest part is finding someone who will commit to go with me. It's easy to mutter the words, "Yes, I'll go to California!" but it's very difficult for me to believe those words. I get excited, talking to friends about potential trips but the difference between me saying I'll commit and the majority of my friends saying they'll commit, is that I'm actually driven to follow through with the plan. I'm hoping my boyfriend will follow through on going with me, as I know we'd have a blast if we both went. So, I'm beginning to plan out the trip as if it were a definite decision; hopefully he'll get excited about it and not back out!

Anyway, I'm going to go do some reading before I set out to shuffle to my next class.

Take care!

Blame it on the lack of an umbrella.

Me (bitter about the Groundhog Day results): Damn groundhog.
Dad: Blaming it on the animal, eh?
Me: Well, yes.
Dad: If it had an umbrella, it wouldn't have been scared by its shadow. So don't blame it on the animal, blame it on the lack of an umbrella.

It's safe to say I'm fed up with it being winter. Words cannot describe the hatred I have for snow and I'm really hungering for summer to get here... or at least warmer weather.

There is nothing good about snow or winter.

• It is wet, cold, and slippery.
• You have to shovel it.
• It can lead to frostbite.
• It makes the bottom of your jeans all wet.
• It makes your socks wet.
• It makes your lips chapped and hands dry.
• If you're planning to travel, excessive snow can ruin your plans.

So, what are the advantages of snow? Snow is nice to look at for most people, and you can ski or snowboard. THE CONS OUTWEIGH THE PROS, PEOPLE!

There is way more to look forward to thinking about the summer, than the winter. Can you argue that? No. You know I'm right.

I guess I look forward to summer most because of the summer camp I work at, Mira Pines Camp. I was a camper at this particular camp for seven years and when I was too old to go there, I volunteered. I've worked there my past two summers and I absolutely love it. If you've never worked at a summer camp, it's an experience worth living.

Even if you've never done the whole camp thing before, you should do it! There's a camp in Pennsylvania I applied for last year online. It's called Tyler Hill Camp. I got a call back two days after I applied and they ended up hiring me. I didn't have the heart to leave Mira Pines so I turned it down. But if you're interested in working at a summer camp, you should look into Tyler Hill or its companion camps. They cover your cost of everything (fight, food, etc.) and if you watch the video clips you'll be blown away.

I definitely suggest seriously thinking about it and applying! There's no better feeling than knowing you've helps kids have the best summer of their lives. A lot of people don't want to "sacrifice" their summers because you "work" everyday.

This was the issue with my best friend, Dan. He was interested in Mira Pines because he'd heard me talk a lot about it and he was thinking about applying; however, he was worried most about giving up his whole summer. I promised him that if he worked there, it would be the most memorable summer of his life. He was also worried because he had never gone to a camp before, nor had he worked at one. I told him that he'd catch on quickly and learn to love it instantly.

Dan, in the middle of a waterfight at camp.

It was also his first time in a canoe!

I was right. Dan will tell everyone that the summer of '08 was the best summer of his life, because he was introduced to camp. At the camp that we work at, you go home Friday, have Saturday off, and go back on Sunday. It's like this for the whole summer. Last summer was the most memorable summer for me because it was the year the camp staff was the closest. We became best friends and when we weren't at camp, we were hanging out with each other on our days off. We couldn't get enough of each other and it was terribly sad when we had to part at the end of August. But even today, we're still all extremely close and call each other best friends.

My boyfriend and I met at Mira Pines. Here's us and our campers.

Half of the staff hanging out on our Saturday off. We couldn't get enough of each other!

So, I've decided that next groundhog day I will be waiting outside the groundhog's little hut with an umbrella to shield the sun...