[SccHarpGirl]

I think I need to increase readership in my blog. haha :-)

Anyway, Wednesday at Bible Study (though not techincally bible study at the moment) we read this passage, and it stood out for me:

Origen, one of the early Fathers of the Church, basing himself on the reading of Jesus’ words, called Jesus the autobasileia, that is the Kingdom in person. Jesus Himself is the Kingdom — Jesus leads men to realise the overwhelming fact that in Him God Himself is present among them, that He is God’s presence. The same father of the Church, in his treatise on prayer says: “Those who pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God, pray without any doubt for the Kingdom of God that they contain in themselves, and they pray that this Kingdom might bear fruit and attain its fullness.” Did not our Lord tell us, “The kingdom of God is within you.” The kingdom of God then is not to be found on any map. It is not a kingdom after the fashion of worldly kingdoms; it is located in man’s inner being. It grows and radiates outward from that inner space. So if we want God to reign in us then sin must not be allowed in any way to reign in our mortal body. Then let God stroll at leisure in us as in a spiritual paradise; and rule in us alone with His Christ.

It reminded me of a meditation called the "Heart Room" that my pastor at home used to teach young kids about prayer, and something I still use to this day. I particularly find the image of God fashioning a kingdom within us where he may stroll about in spiritual paradise, to be a beautiful one.

just thought I'd share.

[SccHarpGirl]

So I might have demonstrated Epic Failure on the Regression in class midterm, but I kicked behind on the data analysis take-home midterm. It was awesome. Is it sad that I actually really like doing those data analysis? I suppose it's a good thing, considering that on the career track I'm currently on I'll be doing a lot of them. At least my other friend also is dorkily into this class with me, so I don't feel like such a loser Not that that would bother me.

I also went to watch curling at the RMCC again this weekend! Our team sadly lost, though. Curling is still a fantastic sport and I fully intend to learn how to play before leaving Canada! Today I am just taking it easy, for the first time in a long time. I made an apple cake and by the end of today will have eaten half of it. by myself. I went to Scottish Highland dancing, which was fun as always, and a brief grocery store visit, and have spent the rest of my day not doing my optimization homework (which I am going to do NOW!). I did however do some job searching and e-mailed the contact person for Post Graduate Diplomas at the University of Auckland. I still have no idea what I want to do, but we shall see! I found a cool job at Alaska Airlines. I think the airline industry is super awesome because it is a really unique, interesting application of operations research type problems, and also the travel perks for employees rock. Free flights on Alaska as long as there's space? Can't beat that! And with a pretty global friend base - next year my best from McGill and my best friend from high school will both be living near San Francisco! - that could come in very handy. But on the other hand, I really do want to do a master's degree. So we shall see! I'm continuing with the "Job search and see if anything really attractive comes up, while continuing to look into the graduate studies programs". Decisions don't have to be made till at least this summer.

The family back home is once again going nuts. I'm worried sick about my grandpa who is currently in the Madigan ICU with internal bleeding (they had to take out his gallbladder and I guess it didn't go so well), my parents who are already stressed to the breaking point are taking turns making the hour and a half drive to Tacoma every day. There's other family stuff going on, too. It's hard because I really wish there was something I could do. But there's nothing. My grandpa made everything possible for me, and I realize that more and more as I get older, just what the extent of his contributions are. I feel pretty crappy that I can't now be there for him. I mean I call him every day but that's not the same. I have to remember that he wants me to succeed and do well in school, and so the best thing I can do for him is really apply myself and do well here. It's just added stress that's difficult to deal with on top of everything else.

And that is what is going on.

[SccHarpGirl]

I am going to a Partylite Candle party this afternoon.

I feel the snake of adulthood creeping around my leg.

[SccHarpGirl]

Today I am happy :-)

Even though I am still totally up in the air about after graduation. Right now I am leaning towards grad school but it is a lot of money (not tuition which is only like $5,000 a year, but living costs are high).

I promise I'll quit whining about it, but it is something that's been on my mind.

[passinthru]

I just wanted to check up on how you're holding up with all the family things back home and being so far away and trying to still juggle school. AKA How're you doing?

love and prayers.

[SccHarpGirl]

Hello my dear, thank you for visiting my blog!

Things are still tricky with the family. I guess things have stabilized a little bit, even though the doctors can't figure out what's wrong he seems to at least be doing a little better. I'm talking to my family every day getting the updates, but trying to worry as little as I can because there's nothing I can do.

As i mentioned in the prayer request thread, given my grandpa's mindset a little brush with death might be exactly what he needs. It sounds morbid but I think it's true.

How are things with you? How's the wedding planning going? *hugs*

[passinthru]

Originally Posted by SccHarpGirl

Hello my dear, thank you for visiting my blog!

You're welcome.

Things are still tricky with the family. I guess things have stabilized a little bit, even though the doctors can't figure out what's wrong he seems to at least be doing a little better. I'm talking to my family every day getting the updates, but trying to worry as little as I can because there's nothing I can do.

As i mentioned in the prayer request thread, given my grandpa's mindset a little brush with death might be exactly what he needs. It sounds morbid but I think it's true.

I remember when my grandmother got ill and they couldn't figure out the cause or how to treat it - it was frustrating and draining for all of us, her included. I don't think it's that morbid, but then again, this is me. I think it's realistic.

I'll keep you all in my prayers.

How are things with you? How's the wedding planning going? *hugs*

Things with me have been crazy lately. I've been off school for a month now due to illness (details and such in Guthrie's blog which I have taken over *evil laugh*)

Wedding planning is on hold right now. We're pretty sure about locations and formats. We're going to be married at the chapel downtown in a small ceremony. Then it's a free-for-all potluck at the building where I live - which has a large yard area as well as a couple common rooms I can book in case of inclement weather. We want to keep it fun and lighthearted. There will be enough minefields that day with his parents and mine that we want to be able to spend time with people and not feel as though we are on display. Most of the nitty-gritty details we'll work out when Guthrie is here over the holidays!!!

[SccHarpGirl]

That's always frustrating when the doctors don't know what's going on. In any case, he's doing better now. He was taking a lot of unnecessary medication so my mom and his friend (a RN) went through and weeded out what was good/not good for him to take, so that may help. I still haven't been able to get a hold of him, though. His mental state is sometimes ok and sometimes really depressed.

That's so fun to hear about your wedding plans! Low-key is the best. So Guthrie is going out to spend Christmas with you? That's awesome Not too much longer - it's almost the holidays!! I hope everything works out fantastically.

I have been so crazy busy lately! Yesterday was McGill Fall Convocation, and I have some friends who were graduating, including my former roommate and bff who flew out here from California. She's staying with me, which is great but doesn't give me tons of free time as there are constantly dinners, parties, etc. Add into that this real-time sim that I'm doing for Operations Analysis (we're running a plant, an hour of real time is a day of sim time), two major assignments and a midterm all next week, and it's crazy. But it's crazy in a good way, really. It just doesn't give me much net time.

Anyway back to the HW. my friend is out to lunch with her mom, and I have dance at 2 so I seized the hr and a half between her leaving and my dance to get some work done because after that I have to go to Newman for dinner, then Louis and Steve are having a party tonight. It'll be fun and hopefully I'll last longer than I did last night (i'm such a dork. We went out and I lasted until 11:00 and then I left because I was tired. On a friday night).

Take care all. Much love!

[SccHarpGirl]

I spent the weekend running in 19 different directions at once. It was a lot of fun to see and catch up with old friends. I had a great time.

Still, this year is better and even if I could, I wouldn't go back.

[SccHarpGirl]

I'm in organizational behaviour right now and we're talking again about how awesome Walmart is. Right now it's about how fantastic their customer service is.

I can't help but wonder if these people have Ever been in a Walmart. I was in a walmart less than a week ago and I can't exactly describe the service as wonderful. And I have some ethical problems with Walmart as well with their production practices.

Anyway...
I should probably pay attention.

[passinthru]

Walmart is different in Canada than the US - and each Walmart is different when it comes to customer service. I have to say though that their buying practices and other such things are not generally applaudable.

Have fun in OB

(and yes Guthrie is spending Christmas with me - it'll be our first Christmas together )

[SccHarpGirl]

Yeah, the video talked about that - it was about the walmartization of Canada. I haven't noticed a difference between Walmarts here and Walmarts in the states (except here all employees speak french and in the states they all speak spanish), but I imagine a lot depends on location and I've really only been to 2 canadian walmarts.

I'm kind of a crappy business student in that I have moral qualms with so many of the things we learn about in class. We spend a whole lecture on supply chain management (a cool topic) but we focused a lot on outsourcing and how great it is. And I just wonder, do they see how ultimately unstable it is to shift so many jobs out of country? I mean, sure it maximizing shareholder profit in the short run but we've got to think long term and about the economy too. The more I learn in certain business classes the more I regret my decision to study business, as I really don't think I have the appropriate personality to be a manager nor do I think I demonstrate superb leadership skills. Live and learn, I guess.

Anyway I have a midterm in an hour which is probably encouraging the pessimistic outlook haha :-) The work never ever ends. I like this year more than any other but while other years it felt like the work came in fits and spurts, this year it's pretty constant and just lots of it.

Amusing: I actually PASSED the in-class regression midterm. With a C. But I PASSED when I thought I got like a 30%. I only got 50% on the one question I knew all the way - I pulled a major "deer in the headlights" with that one - I got so freaked out when I couldn't do either of the proofs that I missed a lot on the question that I did know how to do. And then I went back and scribbled down whatever I could for the proofs and even though I didn't get either one all the way I got enough marks to not be failing.

I'm just waiting for the take home grades to be posted which were supposed to be up last night and are still not posted, but I think I did well enough on that to have a B overall for the midterm which is fine by me: This is one class I'd settle for a B or a B+.

This weekend should be more fun! Oh I got awkwardly asked out on a date by a guy I met at Starbucks. haha funny story, but it's for later

[passinthru]

Originally Posted by SccHarpGirl

I'm kind of a crappy business student in that I have moral qualms with so many of the things we learn about in class. We spend a whole lecture on supply chain management (a cool topic) but we focused a lot on outsourcing and how great it is. And I just wonder, do they see how ultimately unstable it is to shift so many jobs out of country? I mean, sure it maximizing shareholder profit in the short run but we've got to think long term and about the economy too. The more I learn in certain business classes the more I regret my decision to study business, as I really don't think I have the appropriate personality to be a manager nor do I think I demonstrate superb leadership skills. Live and learn, I guess.

I have some issues with what I'm learning as a business student - but what I really want to get into is government or non-profit work.

I see the benefits of outsourcing, but the continual focus on do whatever you have to to maximize shareholders earnings drives me crazy.

I wouldn't regret your decision to study business cause the skills that they teach us are so transferable into the working world.

Anyway I have a midterm in an hour which is probably encouraging the pessimistic outlook haha :-) The work never ever ends. I like this year more than any other but while other years it felt like the work came in fits and spurts, this year it's pretty constant and just lots of it.

I hear ya girl. It's the same type of story for me too. The work is just never ending.

This weekend should be more fun! Oh I got awkwardly asked out on a date by a guy I met at Starbucks. haha funny story, but it's for later

That sounds like a good story to hear

[SccHarpGirl]

I see your point and I guess I don't regret the business background I have. Ultimately I think it will come in handy for my future career, it's just frustrating at times

When do you graduate, Katie?

Ohh yeah the Starbucks story - I was studying with my friend at Starbucks and we were chatting, and this guy (another McGill student) was sitting at the table next to us. Our conversation drifted for some bizarre reason onto Opus Dei and how it was unfairly portrayed in the Da Vinci Code (don't ask) and so he jumped in with "I couldn't help overhearing your conversation, but you were talking about Opus Dei? I know some people in Opus Dei and it's not really like the Da Vinci code" and we were like "Yeah, that's what we were talking about, incidentally". And then we started talking. For some reason I got the feeling like he was hitting it off more with my friend, but he was a nice guy (studying in Management like me...he's doing Strategy and I think from his course load he's a year or so behind me?), and then at the end he asked me for my phone #, something about a management event he was planning. My friend said "Yeah, right, "management event". Anyway So he called back on Thursday to ask if I could go out with him and some friends, but unfortunately I had a class until 9:00 and a midterm on Friday, so I had to decline, but we're meeting today for coffee or something. He's from France and is about as awkward as me so I'm not sure how this is really going to work. haha. It'll probably be the most excruciatingly awkward 2 hrs of my life, but who knows? I'm open minded and you never know

That is my drama for the weekend.

Other notes of noteworthyness:
*Last night's trip to Vermont to celebrate a friend's 21st in the States was lots of good fun. Burlington is a cute town and I forgot how far $20 goes in the states. Seriously I got a drink, dinner, and dessert for $20. And not at a skeezy place, either!

*My take-home midterm for regression that I thought I did well in? I GOT 100%!!!!!! I couldn't believe it - I've never done so well on something here at McGill (except perhaps my music theory final). Unreal. I'll need it to balance out the 55% on the inclass midterm (I pulled a major deer in the headlights there) but even with that I still have an A- in regression and if I keep doing well on assignments prolly will have an A going into the final. Wow.

*The work never ends! I have a big Operations assignment on inventory management due tomorrow and then a regression assignment due Tuesday, and then final projects etc start coming due the week after this. Where did the semester go?

[passinthru]

Originally Posted by SccHarpGirl

I see your point and I guess I don't regret the business background I have. Ultimately I think it will come in handy for my future career, it's just frustrating at times

When do you graduate, Katie?

I hear ya about it being frustrating.

I (hopefully) graduate April 2008. I then need another 8 courses to get my bachelors in management from Athabasca. That could take awhile though as I want to only do it part-time from here on out so that I can support Guthrie and I.

Future career? Where are thinking of going with your education? iirc, you were talking of grad school, right? but I could be totally wrong there and mixing you up with someone else.

[

Ohh yeah the Starbucks story - I was studying with my friend at Starbucks and we were chatting, and this guy (another McGill student) was sitting at the table next to us. Our conversation drifted for some bizarre reason onto Opus Dei and how it was unfairly portrayed in the Da Vinci Code (don't ask) and so he jumped in with "I couldn't help overhearing your conversation, but you were talking about Opus Dei? I know some people in Opus Dei and it's not really like the Da Vinci code" and we were like "Yeah, that's what we were talking about, incidentally". And then we started talking. For some reason I got the feeling like he was hitting it off more with my friend, but he was a nice guy (studying in Management like me...he's doing Strategy and I think from his course load he's a year or so behind me?), and then at the end he asked me for my phone #, something about a management event he was planning. My friend said "Yeah, right, "management event". Anyway So he called back on Thursday to ask if I could go out with him and some friends, but unfortunately I had a class until 9:00 and a midterm on Friday, so I had to decline, but we're meeting today for coffee or something. He's from France and is about as awkward as me so I'm not sure how this is really going to work. haha. It'll probably be the most excruciatingly awkward 2 hrs of my life, but who knows? I'm open minded and you never know

LOL that's awesome!! eh, see what happens right - though I'm totally doing to be asking for an update *wicked grin*

*My take-home midterm for regression that I thought I did well in? I GOT 100%!!!!!! I couldn't believe it - I've never done so well on something here at McGill (except perhaps my music theory final). Unreal. I'll need it to balance out the 55% on the inclass midterm (I pulled a major deer in the headlights there) but even with that I still have an A- in regression and if I keep doing well on assignments prolly will have an A going into the final. Wow.

WooHoo - good for you Noelle!!!

*The work never ends! I have a big Operations assignment on inventory management due tomorrow and then a regression assignment due Tuesday, and then final projects etc start coming due the week after this. Where did the semester go?

I totally know what you mean about the workload. It feels like everything is due all at once these days. Good luck on them.

This semester can't end fast enough for me - I have all the people in my section this semester that are less than mature and have more or less coasted to get to this point through unproven cheating (or justified through a drug addiction) and group work.

Sides, once this semester is over, Guthrie will be here and there's only one more semester after that one. I'm so ready to be done.