we are all a bunch of animals who never paid attention in school

[ishyface]

I haven't updated this thing in a while. Not properly, at least. So here's a basic life update for all three of you who still use LJ.

- I finished my first year of graduate school in April. It was not, exactly, the hardest thing I've ever done, or the least rewarding, but it was up there. I managed to finish the semester with three As and a B, though, so I guess that's something! Here is a picture of me drinking wine after finishing my last assignment of the year.



- private____ryan has been having some INSANE health issues over the last half a year or so. Fainting at work, always weak and sore, drifting off mid-coversation, all that good stuff. She went to the doctor about four times, and each time receieved a different diagnosis from the same dude.

1) "Oh, it's definitely diabetes. Here, get all these tests done."

2) "Oh, it's not diabetes? Probably your electrolytes, then, drink more Gatorade."

3) "Gatorade didn't help? Oh, uh, then it's prrrrrrrrrobably a horrible heart condition that means you'll be dead in like five years. Have fun with that!"

4) "... Yeah, maybe I should recommend you to a specialist."

After an EEG, an EKG, and an MRI, it looks like the most likely cause is epilepsy. Which, compared to "a heart condition that will kill you," came as almost a relief. At least epilepsy can be medicated! Here is a picture of private____ryan in a glamourous hospital gown.



- I completed my summer practicum, and it was just fantastic. I was assigned to a public library located in a community center in a low-income neighborhood, and got to try my hand at a little bit of everything. I worked on the circulation desk, helped run puppet shows and teen tech nights, shelved and weeded, participated in community meetings, and even got to plan and execute a program of my very own (a zombie craft night and walk-off competition for preteens). After a fairly disheartening year in library school, it was a relief to find that I do, in fact, enjoy library work. I'm good at it, even! I was very sad when it was over, but received as a parting gift a lovely review from my supervisor. I may frame it. Here is a picture of me drinking beer after coming home from my practicum.



- I NO LONGER WORK AT SUBWAY. At the end of June I received a tipoff from a classmate regarding a work in the Research Services department at Dalhousie, and a week later, there I was. My official title is "office clerk," but it might as well be "mostly you can just sit here and dick around on Tumblr because we don't really have any clerk stuff for you to do." It pays better, I get weekends off, and I get to wear people clothes all the time. It rules, basically.

- At the end of August, private____ryan and I went to see wavesandmoon get MARRIED MARRIED MAAAAARRIED. The journey there involved two plane rides, two bus rides, and a lot of panic (on my part). But I managed to get us there thanks to a highly detailed itinerary and the mapping capabilities of my Smartphone. Thank God for that, because otherwise I am pretty sure I would still be in downtown Toronto, and Toronto is, as I learned while hauling a suitcase past the Eaton Centre, a total pit.

Also, LOOK HOW BIG LAKE ONTARIO IS.



FUCKING HUGE.

The wedding was held in a butterfly conservatory and was so beautiful I cried because apparently I am now that person who cries at weddings, like a sad aunt. (I'm pretty sure "The Book of Love" will make me all sniffly for the rest of my life now.) The reception involved a school bus, a magician, and Niagara Falls. I'm not sure if wavesandmoon would be okay with me posting pictures of her and her wife on here, so instead here is a wedding selfie!



I had, like, mad boobage in that dress, man, it was borderline inappropriate.

This was the first time I'd been out of the Atlantic provinces since 2005, when I went to Ottawa to see My Chemical Romance as a wee tiny baby, and I was shocked and delighted to realize that the squirrels in Ontario are crazy fluffy black mutant squirrels who look a lot like my cat Penny. How the hell do you guys even stand it. I think we spent half of our time there trying to catch one. I never got a picture of the squirrels, so here's a Penny!



And what the hell, another Penny. She's so fluffy.



It was a great trip, I had a marvelous time, and I hope to go back sometime soon. I mean, I'll probably have to, there're a fuckload of libraries out there.

- The always-lovely withoutawhy participated in a script program in Halifax over the summer, so I got to see her a lot more than I usually do! At the end of it I also got to see her pitch her script to a room full of Canadian film bigwigs, and I felt like a proud mama hen. Even though she is older than me and I am not her mother.

- I have, alas, started grad school again. It is a hopeless, draining, exhausting slog. But! It is a hopeless, draining, exhausting slog that is no longer followed up with making sandwiches for minimum wage. So yay.

- I finally understand about Parks and Recreation.

Fuck it. Here is a third Penny for the road!