Yup, 3 more days. This week is passing much more quickly than I thought it would. Almost too quickly to get everything done. I have a lot of reading for my Environmental Science exam that's at the end of the week and I have to find a place to live next year and pack up my stuff and all that wonderful stuff. It's nice to know that after I get home on Friday, all I have to worry about is finding a job for the summer and getting set up to volunteer at the Winnipeg Humane Society again (and this time hopefully with a good friend). I also have to fundraise money for my trip to Costa Rica and figure out the logistics of the plane ride there and back and everything. But all that is fun stuff.

I am so ready to leave here. Overall the caf food here in Howe Hall was better than I thought it'd be and they did have vegan options most days (except for Sundays) but I can barely stomach it anymore. All I get is carbs. Cereal for breakfast. Bread and hummous for lunch. Bagel and peanut butter for supper. I'm sick of it. I want a kitchen so badly. A kitchen and a sewing machine will be the most welcome things to return home to. Other than my single, quiet, dark room, my family, and my friend, of course.

So, yup, 3 more days. Today will consist of reading ENVS, packing up some stuff that'll stay in storage over the summer, and going to my last Aquafit class. I'm going to miss Aquafit over the summer; it really is awesomely fun. Tomorrow, Wednesday, will be apartment visiting plus more ENVS reading. Thursday will be writing up ENVS notes and studying and then Friday willbe the big one. Exam in the morning, getting my storage boxes picked up, finishing packing up my suitcase(s), eating, hoping on the airporter, and then getting on the plane to Montreal then to Winnipeg. Hopefully it won't be too delay ridden and the exam goes well.

Anyways, I should get back to that ENVS textbook. I can't wait to read all about the uplifting effects of air pollution on the world.

10 more days. 2.8 more exams.

I have been itching to get into a kitchen and cook and bake amazing vegan food to my heart's content, but that just isn't very realistic right now. Unless I want to fail the rest of my finals from lack of studying and be charged with b&e. Anyways, to semi-satisfy myself for the time being, I've been creeping out recipes that look good. I've got a huge list of things to try. I love VegWeb.com because everything is vegan, the recipes are rated, and there are comments on most recipes. I think I'm going to sink into a tofu induced coma if the recipes I have marked are any indication.

Otherwise, my jeans are dying. Quite literally. There's a gigantic hole on the inside of my right thigh and a smaller one on my left. Stupid fat thighs. So, I was originally intending to just throw them out and find a new pair at Value Village or something. But then, I came across this awesome website, diyfashion.about.com. I now intend to make the jeans into a skirt. And I'm gonna dig out some of those old big band t-shirts in my closest that I was going to turn into pillow covers. I plan on trying to make them into halter tops, tank tops, and maybe even a dress. Ah, the joys of t-shirt surgery.

Problems are likely to arise though, seeing as I have never sewn anything except a pair of felt mittens in grade 8 Shops class. Plus we have no sewing machine (not that I know how to use one). I don't even think we have an iron anymore (don't know how to use that either...). We do have needles and thread. I know that much. Well, I guess I'll find out soon enough.

It's like my whole life is waiting until I go home to start. It's kind of sad but there's just so many good things to look forward to there and very little here. School is just the cause of stress. And don't even get me started on trying to find a place to live next year. Gah!

Recently read:

• Animal Liberation by Peter Singer - Wow. It logically reasons the case for animal rights. I wish I had read it sooner
• Choke by Chuck Palahniuk - Nice. Fight CLub still reigns all supreme for me. Chuck has his own style that draws you in, waiting to see what his strange brain will conclude and it does not disappoint. Unlike the movie...

Recently watched:

• Dawson's Creek (Season 1 and 2) - I can only find up until 209. I'll have to download them when I get home
• Choke - So, after reading the book, I figured I had to watch the new movie. And it was quite a letdown. I didn't like any of the actors and it lost its darkness and humour for me. The characters weren't very well defined. I really like the part in the book where the rocks start piling up and I waiting for it in the movie but it wasn't there. Neither was a major part of the ending. I wish Chuck would write the scripts for the movies, I bet he could. I guess it's because of Fight Club but I just couldn't stop thinking of how good Edward Norton would have been in the role of Victor.
• The Matrix - It had been years since I'd seen it and I figured it was time to see whether I still liked it. And I did. Cool concept and one of the two movies Keanu Reeves does a good job in (the other being Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure).

Well, that's all for now. I should be sleeping. 2 more days of classes. One more week of clouds and rain. Seriously, it's only supposed to get sunny next Monday. Depressing. And no beautiful vampires here to take my mind of the lack of sun.

I seriously only have 2 weeks and one day before I get to go home for the summer and start trying out some delicious vegan recipes.

Another great thing about summer? Anti-Flag is releasing a new album. Yes! It has ten tracks and the first one, Sodom, Gomorrah, Washington D.C. (Sheep in Shepherds Clothing), can be found here. Yay, so excited for this one. Actually, I'm just excited to hear some new music, I feel like there has been nothing good in a long time. Or maybe that's just because there's no more Freq107, which is where I always seemed to find my new music.



I had the DalDance recital on the weekend which went really well and I've got one exam down, one next week, and two the next. Can't believe it's all coming to an end so soon.

What I've watched lately:
- tv show: One Tree Hill (season six)
- Thirteen
- Crapshoot (watched for Enviro Sci tutorial)
- Half Nelson

I liked all of the them a lot.

Alright, so, 9 more days of classes and then one long week of exams. I get to go home on the same day as my last exam so, I get back on the 17th. That's fairly early, which is nice. But, I've got to look forward to a Chinese unit test, quiz, oral, and exam, as well as a SOSA exam, PoliSci exam, and EnviroSci exam before then. Plus, I've got to go look at a house where I'll hopefully be living next year. Aaand, I have a dance recital this weekend. I'm excited for it but also not looking forward to it in many ways.

Speaking of dance, I have to go get a picture taken with my Beginner Jazz Dance class. DalDance is really cool. $25 for a whole semester of classes. If you go to Dal, you should check them out. You don't have to do the recital in the end either.

I'm just over halfway through the winter term. What have I been up to? Over spring break (or "reading week" as they call it at many Canadian universities) I went down to Mississippi with Dalhousie Habitat for Humanity. The trip took 10 days, including 2 days of driving each way. An amazing 150 students went on the trip in 3 buses. I was on the quickest bus (#1) and it took 44 straight hours to get there. We had two bus drivers and they switched off so we got there as quickly as possible. In order to summarize, I'll just say it was amazingly fun and I hope I can afford to go next year with a friend. Here's what happened:

Friday: 7pm-ish, leave Halifax on busses
Saturday: All day, drive, eat, repeat
Sunday: 2pm-ish, arrive at Camp Victor in Biloxi, Mississippi
Monday: All day, help beautify a street in Biloxi (priming, painting, weeding)
Tuesday: All day, MARDI GRAS, go into New Orleans and experience costumes, drunkeness, beads, and happiness in general
Wednesday: All day, start working with Habitat. Went to a street in Biloxi where 31 houses are all Habitat houses. Planted trees in clay.
Thursday: All day, same street, cleaned porches, did random physical clean-up labour
Friday: All day, same street, worked inside a nearly finished house, caulked, swept, vacuumed, wiped, touch-up painted
             8pm-ish, left Biloxi
Saturday: All day, drive drive dive
Sunday: 6:30pm-ish, arrive in Halifax again

It was exhausting (we were up at 6am every morning) but I'm so glad I went. People there were so appreciative of our attempt to help. It has been years since Katrina struck but there's still so much damage there. One woman talked to me and the one other vegan on the trip and thanked up profusely saying it meant so much to her after losing her home and her husband. That was a touching moment. There were quite a few along the trip. Thanks Habitat, everything went well.

Well, almost everything. It was soooo hard to find vegan food in the South. Hell, you were hard pressed to find even vegetarian options on the menus. Every salad had meat. Every soup. The camp caf didn't seem to understand what a vegan was and failed to change any recipes for us. They cooked spaghetti noodles in butter (who the heck cooks noodles in butter?! Really...) Fortunately, there was a restaurant called the Mellow Mushroom which had a deligious vegan tempeh hoagie and even pizza (although no soy cheese). Otherwise I would have had to subsist on salad.

Midterms are over. I'm getting psyched to go home. Time seems to be dragging by. I'm looking forward to signing up for some interesting courses next year (I've picked them all out and scheduled them already; such a nerd...). There is something to look forward to though.

On Saturday, March 14, there is an anti-seal hunt demonstration here in Halifax in front of the public garden gates. I'm really looking forward to meeting other activists (and possibily vegans). I joined this new animal rights group at Dalhousie (DalVag) and am hoping to drag some kids from that out to the demo. I also learned that if I get enough signatures, I can go meet and see Rise Against on their Canadian tour. Holy crap, how amazing would that be? I was just trying to figure out how I could get to Saskatoon to try and go to their show when I disappointedly realized how expensive the show is. I'm just waiting on the Stop the Seal Slaughter action pack from peta2. I sure hope it gets here before the weekend.

Hm, that's probably all for now. I'm totally wishing that I could make some vegan cookies or cake or something right aobut now. God, I can't wait to regain control of my parents' kitchen when I go home for the summer.

There's this great thing going on where you can help peta2 raise money without actually giving any of your own. It only takes a few seconds to do and it's for a good cause.

As peta2 says:

"I don't know what the weather has been where you live, but it's been really cold, windy, and rainy here lately. It's a reminder that we should be thankful for all the privileges we have as human beings.

With that in mind, we're teaming up with SocialVibe to raise money through Valentine's Day (February 14th) to support our work in speaking up for the voiceless. You'll see updates all over our site for the next month, and we really need your help.

While we're all fortunate to have a shelter from the weather and a safe place to enjoy our lives, this is sadly not the case for animals around the world suffering from neglect. PETA's cruelty caseworkers and volunteers, for example, work on reports every day related to dogs and cats left out in the freezing weather, chained up, and otherwise totally mistreated. I've helped out, too, and the horrifying reality we see every day is truly heartbreaking."

So help out by clicking below. Thanks.

Here's some more. Feel free to take what you want. If you want them a different colour or altered in any way, just tell me.





Make some goodies and give it, along with the recipe, to your friends.






That's all I have right now.

I just watched Obama's inauguration. Holy crap, how sweet is that? Let's just hope he actually do all the thing's he's promising now. He most definitely has the potential to do a lot of good.

Peace.

So, what have I been up to? Right now I'm looking for a place to live next year (hopefully a room of a house). I want it to be fairly near campus and under $600 a month. I've found a few places that I like and contacted the posters but I have yet to hear back from anyone. Otherwise I've just been going to classes (all the same as first semester except that I dropped journalism) and going to the Dalplex and I signed up for some dance classes (Hip-hop, ballet, jazz, and conditioning). I've also been searching for a job but I haven't come up with much.

Over the break I visited with most of my friends and stopped over in Ottawa to visit my best friend. I had an awesome time and I can't wait to go back to Winnipeg for the summer. I really miss having my own room and being around so many really good friends. We went skating and had a mini party and I got to go over to my brothers' place and try out some new Rock Band songs (Rise Against!!).

But what did I do with all my time at home besides watch So You Think You Can Dance Canada with my mom? I baked vegan goodness, of course! Here are some things that I made:

Peta Pancakes. The best, fluffiest vegan pancakes I've tried. Plus it takes no egg replacer or other such strange ingredients. They're great with blueberries in them. It came with the veg pack you can get from Peta. Get yours here. Or just go here for the recipe.


Chickpea burgers. These came out really good. They were sort of crumbly but they tasted great. My mom loved them. They're awesome left over as well. Great on whole wheat buns. They smelled a lot like stuffing, which was cool. Recipe is here.


Stirfry! Probably the easiest vegan meal. Just use our fav veggies and tofu. Fry them up and add a good sauce (like teryaki). I served over brown rice with soy sauce. My dad (who loathes tofu) even ate it. I think he was just happy to have something with mushrooms in it since I never used to eat them.


Mmm. Chocolate chip macadamia nuts cookies. Sooo good. My brothers swallow them in minutes, before they've even cooled. I modified my dad's old choco chip recipe. Sadly, I don't have that with me right now. I use Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, they're vegan and taste just like Chipits. No one notices.


French toast. Great with rye bread. Recipe here.


Carmel corn. It's great for giving out in little bags as gifts to your friends. I attached the Peta2 "Be Sweet To Animals" tags to the bags. I also added pecans because carmel corn is just wrong without it. Recipe.


Yum! Sooo good. Pumpkin pecan pie. Great because you don't need whipped cream on it. This is an awesome recipe. I put it in an oil crust and it worked out really well. I made it from an organic pumpkin. It tasted much more fresh than canned cooked pumpkin.


I think that's good for now. I have more pics and I made much more stuff that I didn't take pictures of, but I have my PoliSci class soon...

I had a fair bit of time on my hands so I decided to make some Peta2/animal rights/vegan/vegetarian cute recipe cards. This summer I'm going to be doing tons of cooking and baking and I find that it's so much easier to use recipe cards than looking off of a website. So here they are. They are all 3x5 recipe cards. You can fit 4 of them on one standard piece of paper if you change the page margins. Click on it  few times to get it to the right size.

This is just a simple white one. I'll post more later:

So, I have one more exam and then I'm free to go home. At the rate time has been flying lately, I'm going to be dead in what'll feel like a year. I still can't figure out if that's a good thing or not...

Anyways, I'm excited to see all my friends again. We're planning a big party, along with two of my brothers and their friends. The idea is to send our parents away to a spa overnight as a Christmas present. Hopefully, all works out.

I'm not even home yet and I've got a lot of stuff to do when I get there. I have a dentist appointment, haircut, possibly helping out at the deli, getting some exercise, seeing everyone, hanging out at my brothers', baking, cooking, preparing for the party, doing the party, a party at my aunt's (which happens to, unfortunately, be on the same night as my beaker party), and I'm sure whatever else decides to pop up.

I've decided to get back to my old I.B. ways lately and actually study. So far, it has really paid off. I got 100% on all but my first Chinese quiz, I think I aced the SOSA exam (too bad I didn't know the bonus question though), and the PoliSci exam went extremely well. I think I did really well on that one, except I know I got one multiple choice wrong. Oh well.

EnviroSci is my last exam. 8:30 A.M. on a Saturday. Are they that cruel? At least, after three hours of pain in a terrible exam writing area (the Dalplex - our university gym) I'll have all day to pack. I leave early the next morning.

We were spoiled in I.B. We didn't have to write our exams with all the people in the regular program in the gym. We got to write in the theatre with only beakers and those going into the I.B. program (grade 10ers). The theatre was small, carpeted and quiet. The Dalplex is loud and huge. Row upon row of hard, old, wooden desks. A sea of pain for those, like me, who despise exams.

I wrote my PoliSci exam in there. Luckily, I had studied so hard (with my new-found Asian beaker buddy) that nothing could distract me too badly. I flew through my essays and wrote plenty, remembering high school. I finished with five minutes left, surprisingly. I usually finish super early. I think it's because the essay questions were so open and I had a lot to say for them. PoliSci is a cool class. I'm still interested in majoring in it. My teacher, Lori Turnbull, is a great asset to the class. She's a really good teacher.

Time to get back to real life, I guess. I have to go print a bunch of stuff for my flight from the Killam (as I don't have a printer). I also told one of the people I interviewed in my Journalism class that I would give her a copy of my paper. I have to go print that and deliver it at some point before I leave.

Peace out for now...