Days 35-40

Tuesday, July 17, 2007 through Sunday, July 22, 2007: Okay, I am just terrible now with blogging. I feel as though now that I am settled, things aren't as new or exciting as they were in the beginning. Now it's just daily life, and blah blah blah. So let's see...Tuesday, I just worked, and then Andrea, Robin, and I went to see the new Harry Potter movie (Order of the Phoenix), and it was spectacular! I loved it!! I was now so excited for the last book to come out. I looked up the summary for book 6, since I had read it a while ago and needed a refresher. I actually also decided that for the final book, which would be released Friday at midnight, I was going to wait in line for my pre-ordered copy, weather permitting. It's weird because I have never really been as excited as this over a book before, and I am not such a huge fan that I would stand in line forever, but I was just looking for something fun to do, and I would be making history!!! That in and of itself was worth it--just to be a statistic, haha. So then Wednesday, nothing too exciting happened...John and I got to go to Old Montreal to get something framed, so we ate lunch at this really nice outdoor restaurant. Then, I went home after work and my internet at HOME was not working, so I was really mad about that. First work, now home? I sat at my computer troubleshooting for at least 2 hours. Then I gave up and went to bed. Thursday, we were supposed to have a work lunch in which we would go to O. Noir. However, they apparently only serve at 6 and 9pm. Bummer! So instead, Andrea, John, Rosalind, Nairra, Miklos, David, and I went to the Irish Embassy...a bar. (They call it a pub here, hahaha) They had pretty good food!!! The Irish Embassy is only like half a block from work, so that's good! It was raining pretty hard all day. I was actually supposed to meet up with David later after work to go to the Just For Laughs festival, but I was feeling really sick. I had a headache and a stomachache. I ended up going home, calling David to cancel, and then going right to bed, at 6:30pm. I slept until 10pm, got up, wrote some emails, and went back to bed. I was surprised I actually slept through the night with no problem, but I probably needed the sleep pretty badly. Friday, it was really rainy again---I worked, went to Three Amigos for lunch with John and Andrea, and then went home. I did my laundry, went grocery shopping, and then waited around for it to be 11pm, so I could leave to go stand in line at Chapter's to get my Harry Potter book! I left, and it had finally stopped raining. I got to Chapter's, and the line for the book was outside already (from the inside!) An employee instructed me to go inside and upstairs to get a wristband so they could check me off their pre-order list. I did just that. Now this is so interesting---there were people all dressed up as witches, wizards, quidditch players, you name it! Old people, young people, every size, shape, and color. I thought it was so cool that people (myself included) can still get so excited over a book. And there are 90 year olds and 9 year olds reading Harry Potter. It was a House Elf that gave me my wristband!! I saw that there was a costume contest going on. They had cats and owls (I think, although I didn't see them) in cages...it was crazy! The madness was delightful to be a part of! So after I got my wristband I had to go get in line for the book, which had now extended around the corner of Chapters. I ended up, as I discovered, in about the middle of the line. I have to laugh though, because a grown man of Middle Eastern descent actually shoved me to get in front of me in line. Seriously, he couldn't wait like 2 more minutes to get his book? I ended up talking to him. He was complaining he didn't get the special edition. I was just thinking, "My God, you are like 30...seriously, don't you have bills to pay or something?" He was so scared someone was going to get their copy, then come running out and shout the ending and spoil it. There were reporters and camera crews everywhere filming the craziness. It was truly amazing. Then it was midnight, and the line began to slowly move. It went down to the basement and then wrapped zig-zaggily all around the shelves. I finally got my book, and I was ecstatic! I ran out of the store, put my head phones on and headed straight home, where I proceeded to read the first 3 chapters. Then I was too sleepy and so I closed my eyes and went to sleep. Saturday morning, I woke up and showered, and then prepared to spend the whole day with Harry Potter. I read in my room, in the living room, and outside for a couple of hours. I think I started around 11am, and finished around 7pm. 607 pages of sheer genius! I promse I won't spoil the ending...a true Harry Potter fan would never do that. I actually would have finished much sooner if I didn't take breaks in between to move around, and get food. I made a grilled cheese at one point, and also watched TV for a bit. But it was such a good book! I remember spending many hours reading books long ago. Now it seems I just don't have (or make) the time anymore. I miss it! Books take you to a place you wish you could be, and I always feel as though my brain has had a workout after reading a book straight through. Hehe! After all that, I went to go find some dinner. I wanted to go to this one burger place a few blocks away, but they were closed for vacation. Bummer! So I went instead to Schwartz's and got a smoked meat sandwich, fries, and a black cherry soda. I could only eat half the sandwich--there was so much meat on it! I saved the rest for later. Speaking of saving meat, I learned a valuable lesson this week. Meat doesn't keep for very long. I bought some ground beef last week with the intention of making it this week, but I sorta forgot about it. It turned this odd brown color, and the expiry date said 7/16/07. Well, considering it was the 21st, I didn't want to take my chances. I was so mad though...meat is not cheap, here or anywhere! That was not cool! Then I watched a little bit of Wishmaster, which is a really dumb horror movie by any standards, but my sister, Nikky, my cousin, Brittany, and I always have a good laugh at how cheesy it is. I actually hadn't seen this one before, so it was....well, interesting. Basically there is an evil genie that goes around and grants wishes in a perverted way, and then collects souls. He rips off people's faces and stuff, so that's gross. Anyways, Sunday, I went to church, and then decided to go downtown and do a little shopping for fun. I went to St. Catherine Street, where there are tons of shops, malls, and restaurants. I went to 2 malls for fun. I went to Winner's, of course, and left a winner! I got a black shirt and a black dress for $30. The dress was $30, but I told the cashier the zipper was broken, so a manager came and gave me $10 off of it! I was so happy. I could make a Mastercard commercial. Black top: $10. Little black dress: $20. Getting your way after being extra nice: priceless. The zipper problem is not bad at all. I might have a tailor fix it eventually, but I can still zip up the dress. YAY! Then I went to this big department store called Simon's. They were having this HUGE sale in the junior's section, where all these tops were $10 each. So naturally, I found 2 I liked. I actually tried stuff on this trip, because I had time to! It was so great. My goal was to not go inside stores that we have in the states because that kinda defeats the whole cultural experience. I only went to Old Navy to see if they still have the shoes I love, and they did. But I didn't buy anything there, I promise. I couldn't make up my mind about what I wanted to eat, so I copped out and went to McDonald's and ordered some McNuggets. I ate about four of them, and then got sick on globalization. Then I got a nice strawberry smoothie from Second Cup, and went home. I had to laugh---there was this guy standing on the sidewalk where I had to walk past, and when I walked by he had this little like recorder thing and he pressed a button, and it actually went, "Bah chick-a wah wah!" HAHA! Boys and their attempts to pick up girls can be so sad sometimes. Later on, I went out to get groceries, and call the family. My cousin Jason got married this weekend, and so I talked to my sis. I am sad I missed it! I am sure it was a blast. This is the second cousin's wedding in 2 years I have missed! They need to stop having them in the summer. There aren't many left also!! Last year why I missed was because of camp, and this time it would have been camp again, but it was the internship. Poop! I have to say, on another note, this internship has been a great opportunity for me to be really on my own. I don't answer to anyone (well, my boss at work, and my landlord at home, but still...), and it's kinda nice. I do what I want, when I want! But anyways, I am confident now that I can be on my own, which stresses me out a lot less for the what-the-hell-am-I-gonna-do-after-college quest. Stay tuned! :)