The Girl: Juliet, Julie, Jules. 27. 5'3". Proud Canadian and Toronto resident. University girl no longer, recent addition to the real world. Capricorn on the cusp of Aquarius. Owner of 1 blog, 1 website, and 1 fanlisting, which is enough for now. Insane. Honest. Loyal. Caring. Occasionally witty. Dreamer. Realist. Dork. Oxymoron. Walking contradiction. Addicted to Buffy, The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Our Lady Peace, Savage Garden, movies, various movie people, fanlistings, fanfiction, the Internet, and addictions. ( More? )
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You know, a GPS navigation device for my life would be really helpful
Had a bad dream last night, the first in a long while. In the dream, it was very late at night and it was raining, and I decided I needed to go somewhere so I got in my car. When I got into the car, I'd been thinking of going somewhere specific, but because it was so very late and I was so completely exhausted, as I drove along I forgot completely where I was trying to get to. I also eventually realized that I was driving along this road without any headlights on and I was just so tired but eventually I managed to turn them on. Still had no idea where I was going or why I was driving. Took a right turn really badly somehow and ended up on the wrong side of the road in oncoming traffic and of course this resulted in several car crashes and the like. And that was it, the whole dream.
I think my exhaustion in the dream was just a reflection of the fact that I really was exhausted at the time I dreamed it. The other stuff - not knowing where I'm going and why, not having any control over it? Hmm. I did spend a lot of time yesterday thinking about what I want to do with my future, depending how my accounting exam result turns out later this week, but I really don't know what to do at all or what plans to make until I know how that goes. Being a repeat-writer already, I'm actually really dreading the release of the results list.
Anyway I was telling my mom about this dream this morning and I was like I have no idea where that came from, it was weird. And as we were talking I was like, Huh! My head is like, so totally deep thoughts and layers, lol. I mean, who knew my mind enjoyed creating dream metaphors? Haha. Today was fun; went shopping for a bit with my mom and got a new coat and a scarf. The coat we found at the last minute, when I'd run out of energy to shop and totally didn't want to go into the stores anymore. Good thing my mom's a much better shopper than I am :D
Last Thursday night, I had two different dreams as I slept, and in both dreams I'd somehow managed to pass the UFE (the third and final professional accounting exam, for anyone just joining us). Sadly, however, as I discovered on last Friday at noon, this was not meant to be. Again. But next year! By George, this exam is GOING DOWN. [Or it'd better, anyway...]
On the plus side, I didn't do nearly as pitifully as last time, but still...not doing as badly is not, of course, the same as actually passing. I don't have any Gandalfian "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" icons on this computer, but I think one of those would be appropriate here. ;P
The Christmas party on Saturday went well, I think -- no BNL for Susan to squee over this year, but we were suitably entertained and we didn't have to sludge through any snow or get pelleted by little slivers of ice on the way to the subway like we did last year, so win-win!
Speaking of dreams (well, two paragraphs ago, at any rate), I have no recollection now what I dreamt of last night [early this morning, more like] but whatever it was managed to wake me up and also made me cry. Weird. I wish I could remember what it was...
L'anyhoodle, that's it for now...I'm still at work and I've basically finished what I need to do today but I'm not off for another hour, so...time to look busy. :P
This Friday, I will find out (again) whether I passed the accounting exam I took in September (again)...and just like last year, the likelihood I am successful or not is completely a 50/50 split and there is no way to predict one way or another what's going to happen this time. Argh. I suppose it will be good just to get Results Day out of the way (again) so I can concentrate on...
The company Christmas party is this Saturday, and I'm excited b/c my non-date of choice, Susan (strophie), is coming with me. Unfortunately, the Barenaked Ladies are not performing at our party this year, so hopefully she'll still enjoy herself...
I have yet to post anything about my two week business trip to Houston, mostly because I have, as usual, procrastinated about uploading my photos to my computer. I've got to show and tell you all about my hotel tribulations...although probably everyone who actually reads this, I've already voiced my complaints to. Lol.
Er, I think I thought this entry would be more interesting than it turned out being. I'm too tired to be funny, I guess, because I have yet to (procrasinator!) correct my messed-up sleeping habits (eh, maybe I'll do that tomorrow?). Someone yesterday thought my sleep habits were just messed up as a byproduct of my trip to Texas, but ha! No, this is more of a structural fault in the system than just a temporary time change.
To make up for the lack of interesting content, I leave you with photos of the Chocolate Tuxedo CreamTM Cheesecake I shared with my coworker while at the Cheesecake Factory in Houston... [erm, actually the photo I took on my phone of our actual cake doesn't seem to be on my laptop right now, so I'll add in that photo when I get home. In the meantime, you can have the generic photo from the Cheesecake Factory website ;P]
CHOCOLATE TUXEDO CREAMTM CHEESECAKE Layers of our Fudge Cake, Chocolate Cheesecake, Vanilla Mascarpone Mousse and Chocolate
It is now Week 3 of my 4-week exam study plan and the panic is sort of starting to set in (at the disco). I guess it's good that I have a one-on-one meeting first thing tomorrow morning with the guy who knows how this exam works...hopefully he will be helpful and let me know if I'm doing anything wrong... Man, this exam is annoying. Again. Bah! In more pleasant news, the Harry Potter forum on which I am a co-moderator, The Dark Mark, announced today that I won Staff Member of the Month for August! That completely made my day, gave me the warm fuzzies and all that. :D It's always great hearing that your efforts are appreciated. I don't normally win things like that because usually I either don't have enough time, or I prefer to just keep my involvement at a minimum. But since I became a moderator, I've felt it is my duty to help out when I can, and mostly it's been pretty fun. :D
Hopefully I'll still be able to do as well when I start going back to work... Yeah, that's another thing that's worrying - after the exam is over, we all have to go back to work. And this job - it's like every day is a new job, and every year it gets harder. I'm gonna be a Senior Accountant when I go back, which will definitely be new... More responsibilities, less time to do it in... yeah, I'm not looking forward to that at all. EDIT (09/02/08): Added the actual text of the post that caused the warm fuzzies. ;)
Thanks to all the well-wishers...unfortunately, the exam results didn't go the way I'd hoped they would, but I don't feel too broken-up about it mostly because I knew it could go either way and doesn't mean that I'm not smart enough or anything like that. Mostly, it's just wearisome to think of having to do the studying all over again, making up a new study plan, writing practice cases...I'll need a new study partner, too, because thankfully my friend Michelle passed the exam just fine. It would have been great to put this all behind me, but hopefully I'll pass the exam the second time around, next September.
Christmas party on Saturday was pretty good - Isolde seemed to enjoy herself, what with BNL performing on stage for over an hour; an exclusive Q&A session with the band; a fairly decent meal; and, of course, precious time spent with yours truly. The weather outside left something to be desired, but this IS Toronto in the winter so not much else can be expected. At least the snow didn't ruin my prissy shoes. :)
Had fun on Sunday, too - met up with Michelle and Fast-Talking Joanne at the Eaton Centre but we were all running slightly later than usual so we didn't end up going to a movie. Michelle and I went to my brother's place after that and met up with my bro and two of my cousins, where we played some XBox 360 for a while and ordered pizza. This weekend was a pretty good way to distract myself from thinking about the exam, methinks. I love having weekend plans. Two days is a long time to just sit around and do nothing...ha! Weird sentence for me to type, really, since I'm such a homebody. I think I just miss hanging out with my friends, some of whom I should really see more of more often...
In 2 hours from now, I'll know one way or the other whether I passed the final accounting exam or not. I wish I could just skip all of today and just go straight to tomorrow and Sunday - I've got plans to see friends and that's awesome. I often find weekends where I just sit around a lot a bit of a waste of available time, you know?
Anyway, I keep saying I'm happier the way it is right now - a perpetual state of not-knowing. At least for the next 2 hours. I've been equating it to a television show that gets cancelled before its finale -- something I should know a bit about by now, I think. But anyway, the gist is that you won't ever know what the final outcome was; you'll just remember the good times that preceded it. Sure, you might be a little resentful about investing all that time and energy into that show, but in the long-run you will accept that there will never be a canon answer to your questions [unless they make follow-up comics or movies], and this leaves you free to make your own theories and conclusions.
As Isolde shrewdly pointed out, however, this exam result differs from a cancelled TV show in at least one way -- I DO have to know eventually whether I've passed or not, 'cause it would suck if I was supposed to retake the exam next year and didn't even know I had to. Damn.
My fun weekend plans that I prefer to think about instead are as follows -- Saturday: The One of a Kind Show with Izzy and Kat and another of Kat's friends, where we're pretty sure Kat is gonna die and go to craft and stationery heaven; this is followed by my company Christmas winter party, to which just Iz will be coming with me, because the Barenaked Ladies are gonna be there and they're her favorite group. I don't know how my company managed to get BNL to play our company party, really, but...well, there you go!
Sunday: Plans with my study buddy Michelle - hopefully we'll still be up for getting together, depending how today's results go. I think we've decided we'll do something regardless of today's outcome.... Plan is to do a bit of Christmas shopping and probably see a movie (Enchanted, most likely) and then play my new XBox 360 games. Should be fun. DESPITE today.
Anyway, that's all that's up for the moment. If I pass the exam I'm going back to the office and then Hard Rock Café for celebrations. And if not...well, then I'll just be here. Trying not to mope. I look forward to it.
Okay, so in about 14 hours from now, Day 1 of my three-day final accounting exam will be starting, and I must admit, I'm sort of freaking the hell out.
On a rational level (and yes, I do have one of those; be quiet), I know that I've done what I'm supposed to do to prepare and there isn't too much more (though there is a little) that I can do that will actually help my odds at passing the exam.
And it does come down to odds -- even if we're presented with topics/issues we understand, that's no guarantee that we'll actually write about and discuss them the way the board of evaluators wants us to. No guarantees. That's always the worst. No idea whether what you're doing now to prepare will payoff in the slightest on the actual day(s) themselves. Sigh. I feel completely unprepared despite what I've been doing for the past few weeks. Not. prepared. at. ALL.
Anyway, yes, this IS my passive-aggressive, oh-so-subtle way of asking you all to pass your good-lucky vibes in my general direction (Mississauga, specifically, in case someone sends the vibes to downtown Toronto instead, which won't do me any good) over the next three days because good lord do I need 'em.
One way or the other, this will all be over for at least another year (over forever, if I pass! Though "forever" is a funny kind of word), so that's not nothing. BLAAARGH.
Must go crazy prepare a bit more now. See you on the other side, I guess...
(Also, why isn't anyone else guessing song titles on my previous post? Too difficult, or just not interested? Cheat if you must. ;) I expect those all to be done by this weekend :P)
Caution Disclaimer: I am currently in one of my self-pitying moods and will proceed accordingly. You should now consider yourself warned.
During these weeks I have off to study for my CA exam (the UFE, or Uniform Final Evaluation), I'm supposed to take the weekends off to recharge and regroup. I don't know, somehow...this past weekend I had both Friday and Monday off as well (because my study partner took a short trip to NYC over those days) and yet I feel more disheartened now than I did before the weekend, on Thursday.
It's just...every day of my long weekend, I did the exact same as I'd normally do if I had an evening off, say, or had a bit of time on my hands. But when you've got a 4-day break, that's hardly what you want to be doing: more of the same old crap. You know? But everyone else was busy or out of town (or both, in some cases) and even the current spate of movie releases isn't doing anything to pique my interest, and so I basically just stayed home all weekend -- not counting a couple of errands and a visit to my grandmother, anyway.
I don't know what I expect to accomplish by writing this all here or complaining again that my weekend was boring (Isolde and Kat have already heard these complaints), but...apparently, that hasn't stopped me.
Also, combine all of this with this: on the one hand I've got people telling me, "in the end, this is JUST an exam", but then on the other hand you've got my parents and the back of my own mind saying, "this is the biggest exam of your life...shouldn't you be doing something?" Arrrgh. We're a week into our 4-week study plan and I do not know anything. You won't believe me, though.
So it's about that time, kids. Time for me to retreat from the Internet in a last-ditch effort to preserve my non-spoilery existence.
I've been meaning to cut myself off way before now, but obviously I kind of use the Internet kind of a lot possibly, so it's been tricky. But I think enough is enough, 'cause Pottermania is running amok. Offline, too, but offline sources are easier to contain. Except for those wretched unlikely sources that catch you offguard, of course.
Anyway, I'm gone...my accounting exam results are out tomorrow morning, so one way or the other I'll be needing HP: DH to cheer me up (if I pass the exam, I have a practice exam on Sunday followed with training, etc. about a week after that; if I don't pass, then, well, I haven't passed, and I won't be able to rewrite this exam or write the next one until next year.) (That was an unnecessarily long-winded parenthetical addendum, but I'm sure you can all work it out with those large brains of yours.)
Ta! I'll talk to you all after The Book has been read.
ETA, 07/23/07, 2:27 AM: And now I'm done. Still need to process, of course, or I wouldn't be me. Feel free to discuss... in the meantime, I should look into getting some sleep or something. Work in 6 hours from now! W00t.
The past few weeks have been rather eventful, at least compared to the nothing that usually happens.
Saturday, May 19 I met up with Michelle at 10:30 for brunch at Milestone's (waiter: "Have you been here before?" Me, on not enough sleep: "Uh...well, I've been to a different Milestone's...does that count?") and then we watched Spider-Man 3 at noon. The movie was...all right, I guess. I liked it enough at the time, but now I'm sort of meh about it. There were parts I liked, but there were also parts where I just wanted them to get on with it and get back to the story and issues at hand. Also, the story sort of took its sweet time getting started in earnest, although I didn't mind all the MJ-and-Peter relationship angsting as much as some other people did, on account of me being a sap and all.
After the movie I let Michelle challenge me to a re-match of the Scene It? DVD Game, Movie Edition. She did manage to win the last round, but mostly I am still the uncontested random movie trivia champion. Yay me? Gosh, so much useless information, so little brain space...
Right after that I drove off to London to visit with Izzy for the rest of the weekend, which brings us to...
Sunday, May 20 We actually got some studying done this day - we were so good! The only reason I endeavoured to try to study at all is because of Iz. Her exams started this Saturday (the 26th), so you know...studying was a good idea. We followed that up by going to see Shrek the Third, which was entertaining but rather short and somewhat less amusing than Shrek 2. To be fair, though, Shrek 2 is the only movie that's ever made me crack up with laughter while at the theatre, so this third movie had a lot to live up to.
Monday, May 21 I successfully left London around the time that I'd planned to, for once. Usually I get cajoled into staying a bit longer. :) Managed to get home in time to watch the Heroes finale, which was somewhat underwhelming but still good.
Tuesday, May 22 The series finale of Veronica Mars. Sniff. It was a good season finale, but it was by no means a series finale by design. Wah. I'm starting to get the feeling that if I want a show to have a chance in hell to stay on the air at all, I should just not watch it. 'Cause almost every show I watch is inevitably doomed before its time...
Friday, May 25 Is the day I got back my CKE exam results (that's exam 1 of 3) and found out I finally passed it. Also, I was gonna go watch Pirates 3 to celebrate, but that didn't work out since I had an inventory count to do on...
Saturday, May 26 ...at 8:30AM. But the second that was done, it was off to Pirates. And it was AWESOME. Who wants to go again?? We went to the theatre at 4:30PM for the 5:30PM showing, which was perfect timing because we got there just before everyone else, and I got the rush of being in a crowded theatre without having to deal with lining up or anything tedious like that. :) On our way out after the movie, we saw all the people lined up for the 9:00PM (and later?) show(s) and somehow because I am mean I found it absolutely hilarious that they all had to line up. Mwahaha.
Sunday-Monday, May 27-28 Training and practice exam for exam the second. Not much to say about that. And that brings us to...
Tuesday, May 29 And I'm going to see The Phantom of the Opera tonight at the Princess of Wales Theatre with Mom. I was too young the first time the show was in town and I thought the Phantom was scary. :) Mom loves it though, so it should be fun! I expect it to be fully cheesy.
Well, at least after my morning cup of tea, anyway
I'm beginning to realize that when I wake up in the mornings, I'm actually usually in a relatively good mood...and then I talk to my parents. Some days I don't even have to see them before my mood is gone -- I can usually hear them from my room before I actually see them. It's always either one or both of them, and they'll just say something or tell me something that will just rub me the wrong way, and, well, there you go.
I think I might actually be a morning person after all, but I don't know for sure.
Going to my bro's place to study today. Pros: no computer, no TV. Cons: no food, Xbox 360, the fact that in the absence of a computer and cable TV, I still have a bookshelf of my books over there. :P Wish me luck. (Exam's on Monday! =/)
P.S. - In the meantime, may I point out that the Movie Quotes Meme I posted way back in October was never finished? In case anyone wants to take a crack at it, it's here. :)
Who knew that you could feel incredibly bored and incredibly nervous at the same time?
I certainly didn't, until this week, anyway. Tomorrow is the day before my exam and that is terrifying. It would be really bad if I didn't pass the exam because everybody knows I'm writing it; you know? I have sacrificed a lot of holiday time to study this crap, and if even after all that (granted, there have been, as always, distractions, but that is not the point and I did try to be good), it doesn't pay off, it'll all have been for nothing, almost. Also, it doesn't help to have two accountants in my immediate family who think they are helping but in actuality are just making me feel worse. Everyone (family, friends) is telling me that I'll pass for sure, but I don't know where that certainty has come from. Mostly my fellow exam-writers know better; this isn't a sure thing for any of us, really, except the huge brainers.
So, to recap: very nervous, very bored, very tired. Arrgh. I am so watching a movie or seeing friends (assuming anyone's even around after the break is over) or something after this. Um, when I'm not at work, that is, 'cause we all have to go back to work the day after the exam. Boourns.
Arrgh, I don't have anything else to say. God I hate studying. I really miss having the time to properly lounge about with a good book and just read. Bah! 'Course, all this studying didn't stop me from reading stuff online during "study breaks" (which, I must admit, were more frequent than the actual studying on some days) and, um, rereading the end of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Other than that, though, I've tried to stay focused. It's nearly impossible for me, Juliet the Easily Distracted, but I haven't even played with my new Christmas gifts or anything even though I did assemble my Game of Life board and try out my DVDs to make sure they work!
Anyway, hope you all had a good New Year's and all that, and I really hope that this exam won't make me start off my year with a dismal disappointment.
Do I happen to have an mp3 of a song that you want? Check my list here and see if there's anything you need. Send me your e-mail address and state the song you want and I'll send the mp3 to you using YouSendIt.com, SendThisFile.com or SendSpace. :)
Music I need
There are the mp3s I'm looking for. If you have any of these and wouldn't mind sharing it with me, please use YouSendIt.com, SendThisFile.com or SendSpace to send it to me at verbatim119[at]gmail.com. Thanks much! :D
- none right now
Current Conditions
Right now, I am: feeling: reading: n/a. Last completed: City of Glass. working on: keeping optimistic listening to:LAUNCHcast Radio
loving: stories not liking: uncertainty anticipating: (chronological)
- Shutter Island
- Alice in Wonderland
- Deathly Hallows ( view complete list with dates )
Uppers and downers:
Ý new friends
Ý fiction
ßß the unknown
ßß lethargy
Most recent purchase(s):
eBay gift for a friend
Lesson #65: When you are running late or you are low on time, you will always be driving behind the slowest car possible.
Last download: Vampire Weekend albums
Last movie seen at a theater: The Princess Bride
Last movie seen on video/other: Starstruck
Quote of the moment:
"We were frightened of being left alone for the rest of our lives. Only people of a certain disposition are frightened of being alone for the rest of their lives at the age of 26…we were of that disposition." — High Fidelity
Lyrics of the moment: I miss Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Oh God I miss that show
Misspelling/factual/grammatical error of the moment:
"Visitors Parking"
I met up with Michelle at 10:30 for brunch at Milestone's (waiter: "Have you been here before?" Me, on not enough sleep: "Uh...well, I've been to a different Milestone's...does that count?") and then we watched Spider-Man 3 at noon. The movie was...all right, I guess. I liked it enough at the time, but now I'm sort of meh about it. There were parts I liked, but there were also parts where I just wanted them to get on with it and get back to the story and issues at hand. Also, the story sort of took its sweet time getting started in earnest, although I didn't mind all the MJ-and-Peter relationship angsting as much as some other people did, on account of me being a sap and all.
We actually got some studying done this day - we were so good! The only reason I endeavoured to try to study at all is because of Iz. Her exams started this Saturday (the 26th), so you know...studying was a good idea. We followed that up by going to see Shrek the Third, which was entertaining but rather short and somewhat less amusing than Shrek 2. To be fair, though, Shrek 2 is the only movie that's ever made me crack up with laughter while at the theatre, so this third movie had a lot to live up to.
The series finale of Veronica Mars. Sniff. It was a good season finale, but it was by no means a series finale by design. Wah. I'm starting to get the feeling that if I want a show to have a chance in hell to stay on the air at all, I should just not watch it. 'Cause almost every show I watch is inevitably doomed before its time...
...at 8:30AM. But the second that was done, it was off to Pirates. And it was AWESOME. Who wants to go again?? We went to the theatre at 4:30PM for the 5:30PM showing, which was perfect timing because we got there just before everyone else, and I got the rush of being in a crowded theatre without having to deal with lining up or anything tedious like that. :) On our way out after the movie, we saw all the people lined up for the 9:00PM (and later?) show(s) and somehow because I am mean I found it absolutely hilarious that they all had to line up. Mwahaha.
