Archive for January, 2005
January 31, 2005 at 6:58 pm · Filed under Evil Things
I just got a phone call from a travel representative at the Ramada Plaza Resorts because I was demographically chosen out of 1000 entrees at an event I attended a few weeks ago. He called to tell me that I was chosen to receive a Florida to the Bahamas vacation package. My first words were an exclamed, “REALLY?!!”, but his hesitation in joining me in my excitement made me realize that this was not so much luck as it was my being a 24 year old single white female. He explained the details to me and slowly I realized that by securing a payment now, I would have a cruise guaranteed for me in the future, provided that I also flew down to Florida. He spent 5 minutes going through his little bit and then I got him to clarify the expenses. That I would have to pay on the phone right there and then to secure a trip I could maybe take sometime in the future. I realized at this point that their are two types of people: those that can make impulse (and I mean impulse) over the phone and those who cannot. I was one who cannot. He was going off about suites and spas and orlando and free car rental and I was thinking about plane tickets and medical shots and how much money I would waste shopping if I were sent down south. I was adding up how much everything would cost in time and money and before he finished his speech I had figured that it would be more than the “deal” I would get on this package. I could not do it. Damn him for making my heart race with thoughts of sand and turquoise sea.
I later did some googling and found some testimonies of these vacation packages at the Ripoff Report. I was right to think it’s a “scam”. Not just that they make you feel you are getting something for free, but they don’t tell you of your obligations to sit through several 2-hour long sales pitches for time shares. Still, I’m amazed at the alarm that rang in my head as I continued talking to the Ramada fella.
We are so used to people trying to rip us off that if someone actually wants to give something away, we find all the strings attached. All the contests, and sweepstakes, and sales, and surveys that you fill out to enter and win BIG… …they are not taken seriously because they have been abused. They are abused. Is there anybody who does not abuse them? Is there anybody who is really going to give something away for free. It bugs me that I don’t think so.
January 30, 2005 at 1:24 pm · Filed under Reflection
I’m at Noah’s and we were looking out his window at the rain. The window being at ground level, I saw small budding crocuses in wet rich dirt.
The season changes in Vancouver are so different from in Saskatchewan, it shocks me a little. The days become so extremely short in the winter, though it doesn’t register that it is winter because of the lack of snow. When springs rolls around in February, I feel as though I have hardly had to endure enough of the harsh winter rain. It motivates you but you wonder what has happened to your lazy, I don’t want to go outside it’s too cold time.
I guess the early flowers will motivate me to get my thesis work done as spring means summer is coming soon which means that my deadline is soon approaching. YIKES!
In other good news, our installation submission for NIME 2005 was selected! YAY!
January 28, 2005 at 6:55 pm · Filed under Random Thoughts
When I was younger I had this obsession with all things crafty, any kind of paper, pens, markers, glues, stickers, and tape oh especially that colourful tape that Mr. Dressup used. I remember having a friend with a “art corner” in her house and I was so jealous at the amount of things she had to make other things with.
Today I went into a stationary store and realized that this obsession stills lingers with me into my adulthood. I had to stop myself from buying bright coloured notebooks and star confetti. I imagine though, if I have a child that child will have an arts & craft ROOM.
January 25, 2005 at 3:09 pm · Filed under Dreams, Thinking
I had one of those long lasting fade into your morning dreams last night. I think the basis of it came from the Lush raffle I bought tickets for yesterday. The prize was the Northern Lights hatbox, a Lush gift box containing all sorts of soaps and goodies. I bought 24 tickets with $40 going towards Tsunami relief. The raffle box was close to empty when I made my purchase, with only 3 hours left to go for ticket sales. Still, even with my good odds, 9pm rolled around and I realized that they would have called me by then if I had won. Part of me was very stuck on the idea that maybe they were not calling the winner until today. That part of me came into dreamland with me. My dream was very hopeful in feeling. There was some party at my apartment, then another party down by a lake. Many people from my past came in at some point or another. When I woke up today, there were elements of my dream that were still very stuck with me. For example, I dreamt that I moved my apartment keys to another more accessible position on my keychain. Leaving for the gym this morning, I was surprised that I had not actually moved my keys – that had been only in my dream.
The question is: should I organize my keychain? Do dreams that seem to blend in so well with the real world hold any lessons for that world or are they just processing? Are they just my brain trying to organize what has already happened without actually producing any answers?
January 24, 2005 at 9:44 pm · Filed under Experiences
Adam and Noah just left with Daisy. The place feels lonely again. I’ve been detached from the responsibility of a small creature yet I still feel attached. After saying goodbye and closing the door I looked over to where her cage was. She left reminders in the form of hay and bunny chocolates but that will probably be swepted away before the morning. I opened my bedroom door to circulate the stale air in there, and then went to the bathroom and kept the door open (I had been closing the door before, as to treat daisy with the same respect I would give to a guest). As I sit here at my computer I can feel the temperature in this room slowly dropping. It is no longer being heated with a little furry heart-racing animal. All these things will slowly go back to normal and then having Daisy here for a week will just be a memory.
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