All Style, No Content - Version 4.0 - Best viewed in 1024 x 768

Tuesday March 15, 2005 @ 10:23 AM
WHO FINISHED HER ESSAYS??? ME!!!

So I had TWO essays due today (History and Women's Studies) and they are READY to GO!! YAYYY!!! Oh my God, seriously, last night I stayed up writing the history in Katie's room and... Ugh, I'd rather have gnawed off my own toes than written that boring-ass essay.. Like seriously, who cares about the specific speeches during decolonization? Well, I mean I guess decolonization is sort of important, but why do I have to write so much about it?
So now I'm sitting in the computer lab with my friend Amanda (the white UTSC one). Yeah... Okay, so I'm going to go buy myself Lime Green Tea Snapple and Peanut M&Ms and skip my philosophy tutorial because I'm over-tired and far too awesome.

~Shayla

Monday March 7, 2005 @ 7:00 PM
TAKE MY QUIZ!!

Sorry! I put the wrong quiz address in before, it should work now:
Sorry guys, no time for an update... Essays due... But TAKE MY QUIZ!! If you guys make quizzes, leave a link in my comment box??

~Shayla

Friday February 11, 2005 @ 1:00 AM
Ah-Happy birthhhdayyy... Mistahhh Presssidennnt-uh...

    Yay, so it's now OFFICIALLY my 19th birthday!! :D I'M LEGAL, BABY!!! ...Yeah, like that's going to change much, right? ;)
    So Andrew took my out tonight in honour of my birthday. :) We went to Romezzo's, which is a nice Italian Bistro thingy... I wanted to go somewhere nice that I could dress up a little. ;) Because winter is seriously disgusting, as far as my clothes go... Like, okay, I always say I'm not going to dress like a total slob for school, but then I wake up and my room is FRRREEEZING, and it's just so comfy to toss on my U of T sweater and some sweat pants... Which is what I wore today, because I had a midterm. :P
    Oh yeah, but anyway, yeah, Andrew took my out for my birthday, which is what I wanted. :) PS. Andrew's a big dorkus, but he's kinda sexy when he dresses up... ;)
    Oh, and he smells REALLY good. :D
    But yeah, my reading week has officially begun! :D No school for me, and no work for me either because Dr. B is on vacation. :D So I have a relaxing week off, and Andrew is even super cooler because he's going to burn me Spyro 1 and Crash Bandicoot 1, 2, and 3!!! :D YAY!!! Yeah, I used to have all of those games (except Crash 1), but I lent Spyro to my stupid friend in grade 8 and he lost it, and my Crash 2 and 3 and just too scratched up to play anymore. :P But YAY, I'm so excited to do nothing but sleep and play video games for a week. :)
    On that note, if anyone's bored over the course of the next week or so, CALL ME. I'm sure I can fit you in to my busy schedule. ;)
    Yeah, so I actually have one or two people I sort of consider friends at UTSC now... Which is a big deal for me, because I've made a TON of small talk, and I deserve to have SOMEONE good to talk to in school. :) But yeah, these girls Katie and Amanda (don't worry, they're just replacements... they've got nothing on the REAL Katie and Amanda... And the Amanda is NOT brown, although she DOES have very large breasts...) are nice... We were sitting together in women's studies, and the prof was lecturing on women's reproductive control, like birth control and abortion and stuff, and she was saying USE A CONDOM. And I got bored so I drew a cartoon of this condom on a penis, with a speech bubble saying, "Use a condom!" and the penis had little stick hands and it was funny. And then I tore it off and passed it to Amanda and she laughed... And then Katie wanted one, so in the break I made her one, except Katie's not so innocent as Amanda, so I made hers quite a bit bigger, with big beefy arms. :)
    Anyway, expect more frequent updates from me -at least for the next week or so... Lord knows I've got nothing better to do... Maybe I should start actually doing the readings for my history course...
    Maybe.

~Shayla

Tuesday February 8, 2005 @ 11:04 AM
Cut the Small Talk...

    Sorry I haven't written much lately... It just seems there's very little to write about.
    That's what I think the problem is, you know, with talking to strangers. I can only talk about "somethings" for so long... "Soooo, what program are you? What year? What courses are you taking? What's your favourite? Oh, I'm in that one too... Blah blah blah..." It's even worse with people you half-know because you've already talked about that and you can't just re-use it. And besides, neither one of us cares about the other, and we have nothing in common.
    I just don't think I can small talk any more. I just don't have the strength. I know you kind of HAVE to small-talk in this world, or you never get to any other level of communication, but... I guess I'm just sick of having to talk to a whole bunch of people I don't really care about, and who don't care about me. Aren't you sick of that?
    I wish we could all just say what we wanted to say, and then we could at least talk about SOMETHING. I would LOVE to just walk up to someone and say, "Hey, I've been thinking a lot about the issue of prostitution lately. Do you think they should legalize it?" OR "My sister and I are huge dorks and we spent half an our last night quizzing each other on geography. Can YOU name ten countries in Africa?" OR "Your high-pitched voice is REALLY cracking me up right now because I'm still a LITTLE bit high from yesterday." I would like to skip the "factual" details of my life and actually tell people about myself when they ask.
    I would like to be honest and uncensored, because I'm just so sick of small talk.

In other news, I'm handing in a history essay, a critical summary and two philosophy assignments, all in the next three hours... I'm so awesome.
And it's my birthday on Friday... DON'T FORGET ME! :)

~Shayla

Sunday, January 30th, 2005 @ 8:40 PM
The Simple Life

    I miss when I was seven years old, and I hadn't learned any of life's really hard lessons yet.
    When I was that age, I only knew what little information about the world that I was told (or assumed). I knew there had to be a God, because why else would all of these millions of people go to church every week? I knew I'd grow up and have a perfect body and meet the perfect man and it would be love at first sight, because that's what happened in all Disney movies. I had heard a little bit about the environment and pollution, but that could all be easily fixed if people just recycled and planted trees, right? And I certainly knew that if I really wanted to, and if I worked super hard, I could be Prime Minister some day, because any Canadian is eligible to be Prime Minister. And besides, my parents told me I could be anything I wanted to be.
    When you're young, life is black and white. There is an imperial right or wrong. You know that all you have to do is make the correct choices, and you're sooo sure that when those choices come you'll be ready and waiting for them.
    Little does anyone suspect that along with "black" and "white" there's a whole lot of grey. The hard part isn't selecting the "right" choice, but deciding what on earth the "right" choice is in first place. You realize that life is like one big multiple choice quiz where none of the answers are really correct, so you can only pick what you think is "least incorrect."
    What I know now is that scientists predict that in the next century over half of the species on Earth will have become extinct. I know that if the designing of cities doesn't get seriously smarter soon, the pollution caused by cars going between work and home, and the amount of traffic on city roads and highways, and the level of taxation is going to get really crazy. I know that the man who I want to be attracted to me is being exposed to the lipo-suctioned, implanted, photo-shopped, perfect women in the media and that it is physically impossible for me (or any real woman) to ever look like that. I know that deciding who to vote for in any most elections is difficult simply because there are no "good" candidates (pick the "least incorrect"). I know that most of the homeless people downtown are mentally insane, and incapable of supporting themselves, and there's not a damn thing I can think to do to help them. I know that half the time people become special because they're famous, not famous because they're special. I know that in a few hundred years no one will remember my name.
    And I know that I'll never be Prime Minister, because while all Canadians are technically eligible, only the rich white men are taken seriously.
    When you're young, life is simplified and you think you can do anything. Then you grow up and realize that nothing in life makes sense, and you can't think to do a damn thing.

~Shayla

Wednesday, January 5th, 2005 @ 7:05 PM
Greetings from We're Good Again, Canada

Good evening. Shayla Duval (with one L) is away tonight. I'm Andrew Butash. So in a nutshell, Shayla doesn't adjust well to operating on a schedule for five days. I wish I knew that before we went down. Or even while we were down there. :P I wish I hadn't been a big jerk. (She made me write that.) So we're good again, and she's sleeping on my bed. (Score!) I haven't been to HomestarRunner.com lately but Shayla wants me to finish this entry for her. She just razzed me. (She doesn't want me to write that. Heh heh.) Thus concludes this caper. Buh bye!

Andrew

Sunday, January 2nd, 2005 @ 2:45 AM
Greetings from Bumblefuck, USA

    I was lying awake on a cot in the living room of Andrew's Uncle's house in Smalltown, Pennsylvania when it suddenly dawns on me that it's 2005 and New Years Eve has already come and gone and I can't help feeling like I missed it.
    Before I go on, I'll warn you that this is a "downer" kind of entry, but it's really just me being honest with myself (which may or may not be my new years resolution, I'm not sure) so if you're in a good mood and you want to read a happy entry, skip this one.
    Where do I begin? Well, first off I'll say that Andrew's family is super nice and we all got along fine... To be honest I really just don't think I'm built for this sort of thing. In a nutshell, they're good, all-American, Christian, board-game lovin', family-fun kinda people, and that's cool.
    Jesus, when did I become NOT one of those kinds of people? I dunno, I've just been bored out of my mind here over the last few days, and I wasn't even tipsy on New Years and everyone here falls asleep before 1 AM. Their New Years party was good family fun, but it ended at like five minutes after midnight. I mean, I could have jumped back into the car when it was over and driven the eight Godforsaken hours back to Toronto and still caught an after party... Let's just say that for me, good clean family fun and new years just don't mesh well. Even if I'd partied with my parents and grandparents in Gravenhurst (that's Bumblefuck, CAN) I'd have been at least tipsy and have stayed out late enough to feel like I didn't totally miss New Years.
    And the worst is that if I have to spend another day with Andrew I think I'm going to strangle him. He's ignored me most of the time down here, and when he's actually noticing that I'm alive he ends up just pissing me off... So basically, I've spent the last four days among virtual strangers and at this point I'm as emotionally distant from my boyfriend as possible. I just feel so alone here. I've sort of been clinging to Jon and Matt lately... Sadly, it feels like at this point and time (and location) they're just all I've got. Jon played chess with me, and he laughs with me. Matt and I stayed I'm talking last night (New Year's Eve) until 5 AM because everyone else went to bed at 2 AM.
    And Andrew's just been a bit of a jerk to me through this whole trip... Well, I mean, not me specifically or anything, I mean he hasn't been MEAN... Perhaps a lack of kindness/caring better describes it. Example: two nights ago I was supposed to sleep on one of the cots downstairs. There are five cots; Andrew and his cousin Gary get the comfortable ones, and Jon, Mat and me (well, actually I only slept there because his cousin Greg wasn't here yet... I was originally supposed to be sleeping upstairs on the couch) get the less nice ones. So that's fine.
    So Andrew, Jon, Mat and Gary are playing videogames, and I'm reading a book, lying in Andrew's bed because it's the most comfortable. I ended up falling asleep there. After they finish their game, Andrew comes and wakes me up and sends me back to my own bed so he can sleep in the comfortable one.
    Now, there's nothing wrong with that off the cuff, but it's just... Why? It's just cold, that's all. Like, hell, I would have let him sleep in my bed, if it were more comfortable and that's where he fell asleep. Nice to know where his priorities lie. It's just little things like that, all through the trip, and over time I'm just sick to death of him. It's gotten worse over the last day and I half, because I've kind of started being a little catty, just because I'm pissed off. I'm trying to be nice, but I find myself acting more and more hostile toward him as the time here goes on.
    And I know it's only a matter of time, probably a few days, before he reads this and posts some big sappy message in the comment box, or calls me as a rebuttal or an appology or whatever, but at this moment right now I just don't care. Because I've been alone in a huge crowd of strangers for the past four days, and I just want to talk to anyone who will hear me out on this. So, sorry Andrew.
    But you know what, I'm really not even, because deep down inside (if we're going to be honest, let's be honest) I'm probably blaming you for all of this because you're the reason I'm here right now, and not at home getting high with my little sister and eating delivery pizza and watching cartoons, which is really where I would love to be right now. Or out seeing some of my friends who are probably getting ready to go back to their universities right now. Or watching a chick flick with my mom. Or whatever.
    Like, geez, don't you know me at all? When it comes right now to it, it's just selfish, that you pack me into a car for eight hours each way to sit around with your family while you ignore me. Like, thanks a lot, this seems like super fun for me.
    And why am I not saying this to Andrew right now instead of posting it here like a bitch? Mostly because the only thing worse than being ignored by the only person you know among a sea of strangers is being in a fight with him.
    It used to be that I'd feel lonely like this, and think to myself, "All I have left is Andrew. He's the only one who understands me."
    Right now all I miss is Katie. We're really the only ones who fully understand each other, and she's almost definitely awake right now, and she almost definitely has a better New Years story to tell than I do. You might think that I'm just being stupid and feeling sorry for myself, but she would understand.

~Shayla

PS. And Andrew, if we haven't talked about this already by the time you read this, just chill the fuck out and take it like a man.

Tuesday December 21, 2004 @ 7:30 PM
I'm free, free like a bird...

    So sorry everyone for the lack of updating... Aaaand also sorry about not keeping in touch at all over the last like week... Not the past Sunday, but the one before that I got this WICKED bad cold and I know I was suppose to see Carly and Anne last Tuesday but honestly my throat was so sore that my teeth were hurting. :P Blah.
    Yeah, so I've been lying low for the last week, studying for exams, eating chocolate, taking copius amounts of Tylenol cold (thanks, Dr. B! :D).
    Oh, so I just did my LAST exam of the semester, so as of right now I'm finally FREEEEE!!! The exam wasn't half bad either. It was politics, and when I handed in my paper my prof said it was a pleasure to have me in her class... Aww, what a sweetie... She liked me because I spoke up in lecture. :D
    So let's see, what else has gone on this week? On Saturday it was the Thomas family's annual Christmas carolling party, which rocked my season, as usual. And Grandma made Romaki (row-MAH-kee, or however you spell it) which is the YUMMIEST part of the season... And Mom and I sat together, as usual, and sang every song... I think I'm actually starting to pick up part of "The Holly and the Ivy" which is this crazy christmas song that I'd never heard of but which Aunt Elain and Margaret like to sing. :) And we had to sing "Happy Christmas" three times, the second time because uncle Mike insisted, and the third time so Michelle could tape it... Ahahahaha my Mom and Michelle like to tape and photograph everything. ;)
    And then, of course, there was the "after-party" in Mary's sauna with Mary, Alexis, Tom and I... Ahahaha that was fun, but the singing and the smoking killed my throat the next day.
    Lalala so cuzin Sarah and her boyfriend Scott are staying with us this week... But that's cool, because yesterday they made me a milkshake and they're funny. :D Scott beat me at chess and Balderdash (well, I let him win Balderdash because everyone KNOWS that I'm officially the best Balderdash player on earth). And Andrew beat me at chess too, but if I play him again tonight I'll kick ass.
    Well, that's my very exciting week... Mom and I rented a bunch of movies and Andrew's coming to watch Donnie Darko tonight with sick ol' me. :D So I'm going to pump myself full of chocolate and tylenol cold and I should be both fat and healthy by Christmas. :)
    Guys, call me if you're getting together (thank you Anne, for calling me today :D)!! It'll be an excuse for me to actually brush my hair or get dressed. ;)

~Shayla

Monday December 13, 2004 @ 2:10 AM
History blows...

    Oh my God, if I have to read any more history tonight, I'm going to throw up. I honestly think I'd rather be violently ill for a week than have to read all this history again. Meh, well I guess that serves me right for never doing the readings assigned for the lectures... ;)
    Well I'm taking a small relax break... Actually, that's a lie... I've done nothing but read history all day, and now I'm writing this while I print out the prof's lecture notes off of the intranet. :P
    But I just made some calculations, and I've figured out that if I get just 10% on this exam, I'll pass the course. :D WHEW!! That's a real relief, because I am soooo freaked about this exam tomorrow... But not really anymore, because at least now I know that if everything goes REALLY wrong and I totally fuck things up, I'm SURE I can still score a measly 10% and pass the course. :D I'm probably just freaking out, and I'll end up passing the exam no problem, but if not it's always good to have a back-up plan. ;)
    The exam's three essays in two hours though... Ouch... that's gonna hurt, even for me... Oh well, I guess a multiple choice exam would probably be a lot worse...
    I think I'm getting a cough, but it doesn't really matter. Honestly, I am going in to write this essay no matter what. Like, if I get a terrible stomach flu and I'm barfing everywhere (knock on wood, for God's sake) I'm going to chug some pepto, bring a barf bag, go into that exam and write enough to earn me my lousy 10% and leave... I want this over TOMORROW at 2-4.
    Okay, so I have to go to bed now because I'm going to continue my cram session tomorrow morning. :P WISH ME LUCK!!!

~Shayla

Friday December 10, 2004
Sorry about the lack of updatinging...

    Okay, so first things first... My sister just played a line from a song in "Nightmare before Christmas" on the piano, and I must say that that movie is absolutely amazing... My God, I know every song and I LOVE THEM ALL.
    So I'm sorry about not updating... Exams have started here, and they're not even really finished or anything, but I did my second hardest one today, and I decided to give myself the rest of the night off before I have to wake up tomorrow and CRAM LIKE MADDDD for my history exam (Monday). My God, I'm going to BOMB that one.
    Mannnn do I hate history!! And to think I was considering taking a MINOR in it!! Well, that's down le toilet now, as history blows. If you're considering taking it, do yourself a favour and don't. Take women's studies instead, I'm thinking of majoring in it.
    So tonight was my geo exam... OH, if anyone needs an easy-ass course to take to fill up space and credits, I recommend first year geo. Let's review: I skipped half of the lectures, and never actually did any of the readings until today when I read about half of the "recommended readings for the exam." Basically, I did NOTHING for this course. I did an essay on smoking as a violation of public space, but I wrote it in one day. In total, I may have spent just 42 hours on the entire course (reading, doing assignments, in lecture, studying, etc.). My exam was tonight from 7-10 in the evening, and MAN was it ever EEEEAAASSSYYYY. It was in three parts: definitions, short answers, and fill-in-the-blanks. For the first two, you pick 5 out of the 8 terms, so you're bound to find stuff you know or can BS. Also, the short answer questions (actually, they were topics come to think of it) were painfully vague, so how can you not BS your way out of something like that, right? All-in-all, one of the easiest exams I've ever had. I was out over an hour early (as was most of the class).
    My journalism exam was equally easy, but that's because I'm brilliant.
    Now HISTORY, on the other hand, now that's going to kill me. But you know what, I don't even really care, because it's on Monday, 2-4, and after that I am going to be FREE FREE FREE. History is the only exam I'm worried about right now. After that, there's women's studies and poli sci, and although I'm sure the content will be much more challenging than geo, I'm far less worried about those two exams because I actually went to class and did the readings and found the courses truly interesting. I'm gonna slaughter THOSE two exams.
    I hope everyone's doing okay with their exams too. You guys (especially Anne and Son, who are KNOWN for stressing out about exams), don't freak yourselves out too much. I've got enough luck lately with my exams, I can afford to spend a little of it your ways. :) Carly, Claud and Mandy, I know you guys will keep your heads (well, Claud, you may stress a bit more, but I'm sure you'll be fine) and everything will work out your way. :) Kathy, you don't have exams, so the least you could do it send muchos sympathy to the rest of us (and food, that would be nice too ;)).
    Oh my God, this soundtrack is so great...

"Jack said we should work together..."
"Three of a kind!"
"Birds of a feather!"
"Now and forever!"

Oh my God, I have to download every single song... This is such an amazing soundtrack... Everyone, if you have it, go watch "Nightmare before Christmas." If you don't have it, call me and come to my house and I'll watch it with you (as long as you don't mind me singing all the songs).
Okay, so I have to go check my e-mail, because that's another thing I haven't done in FOREVER!! Don't expect an update until Monday, after 4 o'clock... And wish me luck!! :D

~Shayla

History Blows

"Jack said we should work together..."
"Three of a kind!"
"Birds of a feather!"
"Now and forever!"

~Shayla

See past entries