Author: Samantha Horton

Categories
ResidenceLife

Lousy Laundry

So Max and I have been putting off our laundry for awhile…two weeks to be exact. Mostly because we have both been feeling crummy lately, also because the weather has been less than ideal for hauling two bags of clothes (and a basket!) to the laundry room. It wasn’t until today, when we realized the complete lack of clothign we were facing that we decided to man up and get washing. We waited until the late evening, 9pm, to be exact, because we knew we would be using a lot of washers/dryers and we didn’t want to inconvienence anyone. Lucky for us, the place was desserted.

Now, prior to this laundry endeavour we each contributed $20 to the laundry card…this is because putting money on it is kind of a big pain in the butt, and we can never be sure how much one trip will cost. So, as we loaded the clothes into the washers, this is where we started:

Money – $40
Time – 9pm
Washers Used – 6

Okay, so I am a little ashamed that we needed SIX packed-full washers to clean all our clothes. Granted, we included our bedding and our rugs, as well as 4-6 dirty towels. Thirty minutes and $6.90 later, we were loading our clothes into all the open dryers. Standings as follows:

Money – $33.10
Time – 9:30pm
Dryers Used – 4

To be honest, I despise residence dryers. Half the time it’s broken and it eats your money, the other half it takes a lifetime to get your clothes dry. We spent about half an hour sorting out our items under some stress, and set all four dryers to 90 minutes (the most time these dryers allow). When we returned, and hour and a half later, the clothes were still mighty damp, damp enough to warrant a second round of 90 minutes on each dryer. Which brings us to now. Here is where we are.

Money – $19.75 (yes, our laundry has costed us $20.25 thus far)
Time – 1:45am (that’s nearly five hours of waiting….)
Patience – 2 (let’s just hope that those clothes are dry when we check them…)

I suppose the moral of the story is that doing laundry in residence is never really that fun, especially if you procrastinate with clothes. Also, they kind of rip you off. Trust me, if I had one third the clothes I have in each of those dryers, they still wouldn’t be dry after 90 minutes of tumbling. Oh, and always use the high temperature setting, or else you are just wasting your money. Maybe I should invest in a drying rack…or six.

I guess the upside is I will certainly appreciate my own private washer/dryer, whenever I have enough money to live somewhere else!

EDIT: The clothes were, in fact, dry. Though we spent just under an hour folding and hanging them all! (Current time: 3:11am —- Start to Finish: 6 hours, 11 minutes)

Categories
Academic

Polly DO NOT WANT a Cracker!

Sitting in Geography 102 this morning I came to a vast realization as to the properties of information, and why I have a hard time in university level science courses. My realization?

Facts are like crackers.

Now, given that facts are like crackers, what do I mean by fact? It could be a piece of information, a book, a lesson, just a tidbit of knowledge. We’ll say that a whole box of crackers is on the average exam. Now that that is sorted out, let’s explore how the average English class consumes crackers:

Prof: “Everyone take a cracker. Now, see that edge there, start to nibble it. Now, try to interpret what the cracker tastes like, what it smells like, how it feels, how it makes you feel. How does it relate to other breads? Is is salty? Sweet? Regardless, isn’t it a tasty snack? Let’s eat a few more over the weekend and see what else we can learn from it.”

This is my pace, breaking down a work to its parts and seeing how they harmonize. I am always happiest in my English courses. Granted, sometimes they require a bit too much reading (or cracker analyzing) but I can cope. On the other hand, this is what my Geography course is like,

Prof: “Here, have a cracker! Oh, you’re hungry aren’t you, have another! Actually, why don’t you take two or three more! Yes, more crackers everybody! You know, you look skinny, you should grab at least a handful. Now chew! Chew damn it! You need to make more room! Aren’t these crackers AMAZING!  Eat more! More! MORE!”

While you often leave the class full, it is almost impossible to swallow that many crackers without choking. As interesting as geography has been thus far, I am rather afraid of the volume of…crackers…that will be on the test.

Well, better get snacking!

P.S. Just for the fun of it, this is what a Philosophy class is like:

Prof: “Would you like a cracker? What defines a cracker? Are they all the same? Does the property of a cracker change by the box it comes in? If we all eat a cracker are we eating the same thing? Where does my cracker start and your cracker end? Can a cracker taste itself? Does it feel the pain of you crushing it as you eat it? Nobody eat any crackers until we get this sorted out….”

Categories
International Wellness

You’re Stuck in Here with Me

I realize that I kind of failed at the Decemblog! thing. This was mostly due to the magic of Christmas and trying to spend every ounce of time with my mom, and later Max. Also, I have been unable to sleep any longer than six hours a night, which has been causing me to pass out pretty early these days. I’m not really all that sure why…but I was an insomniac for years, up until I met Max, so maybe it’s just resurfacing again.

I am currently in transit, taking a nightmare of flights to get from Toronto back to BC. I have been reading Watchmen practically the whole time, and I have to say that this is one of the best graphic novels I have read. Granted, I am kind of new to the scene, though Max assures me that Watchmen is one of the greatest of all time. I highly recommend it.

I used to love flying when I was growing up. I started flying alone when I was six years old, which was a bit upsetting, but mostly because I was flying between parents. Lately though, the industry is starting to wear on me. Nothing is easy anymore, in fact, on my last two flights they were charging TWO DOLLARS for a beverage. I was infuriated. I paid over a thousand for my crappy seat, and now you want two more for a tiny bottle of water?! I think not. Oh, and now bags cost money, changing your seat costs money, soon they will be charging us to use the toilet!

…I have really come to hate flying, but I think it’s the industry’s fault. I don’t know why they get to treat us like crap, probably because we have no choice but to fly.

I am just tired of jumping through this miserable little hoops. I am looking forward to a break from the planes.

Categories
Personal

Decemblog! 22/31 – Muddy Buddies

Here’s a recipe I made today, it’s one of my favorites, though I am not sure if you can find the main ingredient, Chex Cereal, in Canada. Anyway, here it is:

Chex Muddy Buddies

Ingredients:
9 cups Corn Chex®, Rice Chex®, Wheat Chex® or Chocolate Chex® cereal (or combination)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preparation

  1. Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
  2. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
  3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

It is so easy to make and it tastes amazing. Seriously, this is one addictive party favor.

Original recipe can be found here.

Categories
Personal Spirituality

Decemblog! 21/31 – Gifts from the Heart

I spent my day wrapping presents for friends, family, and Max, of course. It’s weird, I have got him quite a few gifts, but none of them really seem perfect. I hope I can find that perfect present before I find my way to Toronto.

I have received quite a few gifts in my life that were perfect, from the very expensive to the very cheap. I was thinking about them as I wrapped the presents, and I think I will list them here. From most expensive to least:

My Education
When I decided I wanted to go to UBC I knew the price tag was more than a little steep. At $20,000+ a year, I knew I would be putting my parents and myself into aboutl $100,000 of debt by the end of my degree. My parents could have easily told me no. They could have told me to go to the only other school I got into, Cal State Monterey Bay, which was cheaper, but not at all for me. Instead they supported me, they shouldered the debt, and they asked I do the best I can. For this I am incredibly grateful, and though I know I will be paying off this education for a good part of my life, I am thankful for the chance to attend my dream school.

My First Laptop
I got my first laptop from my dad for Christmas when I was still in high school. I remember I had received less presents than the rest of the family and I was worried that something was wrong. Then they pulled out the box, which was hidden behind some other presents, and told me to open it last. I was so shocked when I realized what it was, which doesn’t happen to me very much, as I tend to ruin my surprises.

My Tiffany’s Heart Bracelet
I got this from Max last year for our first Christmas together. It is one of those shiny silver heart bracelets from Tiffany’s that feel heavy and cool on your wrist. I had never gotten jewelery from a boy, and it made me so giddy. Granted, I didn’t realize what it was, even though it was in a tiny blue box with white ribbon…sometimes I make a terrible girl. I still wear the bracelet almost every day.

My MacGyver Toolbox
I got this as a graduation gift from a friend who refers to herself as the Female MacGyver. It is a toolbox filled with everything from a turkey baster to tube socks to paper clips. This has come in handy more than I ever guessed it would, especially in dorm life. We have used the turkey baster during a dishwasher flood, the paper clips to fix the toilet and hold up the cuffs of my jeans when it rains, and the tube socks to keep our feet warm when the heating cuts out. Clearly a lot of thought and effort was put into this gift, and I am incredibly thankful for it.

My Rainy Day Books
I came up with the idea of a Rainy Day Book when I was compiling a list for my birthday. I needed something to remember my friends by as I moved across the globe. A Rainy Day Book is something someone else makes for you, usually a notebook or journal, filled with pictures, poems, quotes, drawings, anything creative to remind you of the time you spent together. It is called a Rainy Day Book because you can look at it when you are sad and missing that person to cheer you up again. So far I have recieved three such books and I treasure them dearly.

Coloring Books
Ever since I can remember, my grandma has included a coloring book and crayons in my Christmas stocking. It is always a generic coloring book, with pictures of cartoon fish and dogs and such, and I love coloring in it. This is a tradition that makes me smile, one I plan to carry on to my own kids when the time comes along.

Really, every gift I recieve is special in its own right. These are just a handful of the ones that made me smile, ones I still cherish and remind me of the person who gave them to me. I hope this holiday yeilds more of the same.

Categories
International Wellness

Decemblog! 20/31 – Letters Home

I really did miss the United States. It all has a new air to it, you can tell Obama has really changed the outlook  of a lot of the people here.The hope is tangible, and really exciting.

Today mom took me out to lunch and we both got haircuts. I didn’t chop it all off, just a nice trim, and I really like it. We then went to Borders Bookstore and bought lots of presents.

I have missed my mom a lot, and it is nice to see her and hang out with her. She has always been one of my best friends. I really missed my dog, too, but I think I will save his story for another day, as I seem to be a bit short on words lately.

It is good to be home, but there are parts of me that miss Canada already.

Categories
International Wellness

Decemblog! 19/31 – Shop Drop

Today I shopped until I dropped.

…goodness, I missed Target.

and I miss Max.

….Sorry that there is nothing to say, I am just so tired these days.

Categories
Personal

Decemblog! 18/31 – Trrrrrrrrrravel

Gah. I really don’t like flying sometimes.

Vancouver – Chicago
Chicago – Washington DC

Total Travel Time = 6.5 hours

Total Sleep in the Past 24 Hours = 4 hours

…going to bed now.

It’s good to be back in the states.

Categories
Personal

Decemblog! 17/31 – Going Home

My flight leaves at 2pm Thursday afternoon. Getting a cab is kind of bugging me, but I think it will go okay.

Today I cleaned, changed Ferdinand’s water, and mailed my Christmas cards out. I miss Maximilian.

Categories
Personal

Decemblog! 16/31 – Post-Exam Season

Post-Exam Season is:

  • Spending four hours on Christmas cards, but failing to remember to mail them every time you leave the house
  • Realizing that all those things you planned to do when school was over (like wash your bedding, reorganize your closet, give your room a good cleaning) are even harder to get done when you have nothing else to do.
  • Going brain dead from trying to unlock everything in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
  • Eating far too much ice cream and not going to the gym because it’s cold outside
  • Waking up at 4pm, going to bed at 6am
  • Wandering around the village/residence/campus and marveling at how freaking empty it all is
  • Packing your suitcase for home 4 hours before your flight leaves
  • Having 7 of your friends decide to all randomly drop by….at the same time.
  • Doing the laundry at 4am, while it snows
  • Checking for your grades every five minutes, even though you know that they haven’t posted yet
  • Not being ready for your boyfriend to go home yet.

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