Ow, my brain.

Now, for some rrreeelllaaaxxxation before the crunch of exams.

Last night we set up the house Christmas tree. It's just a miniature one that sits on our kitchen table, and we didn't have any decorations (at least we thought we didn't when we started), so we made a bunch out of construction paper. The tree is now covered with Christmas ornaments, hand-drawn portraits of everyone in the house, and a few pieces of sexual imagery to boot. Merry Christmas!

If you're a sap, you may enjoy CHYM FM's "Lovers and Other Strangers". One of my roommates listens to it, and it draws such reactions as swelled-eyes, frustrated taunts, and markers thrown at the radio.

What kind of keener are you when, instead of studying for tomorrow's exam, you're working on the term project for a course that doesn't start until next month?

Not a very bright one, I expect.

If you want to give someone nightmares, tell them this little nursary rhyme:
This little piggy went to Hades
This little piggy stayed home
This little piggy ate raw and steaming human flesh
This little piggy violated virgins
And this little piggy clambered over a heap of dead bodies to get to the top

Now that's mean. Meaner than the guy that broke your hockey stick when you were 5.

Some inspiration from Zug:

In my earlier years, I was a flamboyant Christian. I played in a Christian rock band, spent a year traveling as a missionary, and even met my wife at church camp. Nowadays, I don't go to church, I don't belong to any Bible study groups, and I swear a lot. On the other hand, I do feel quite close to God, as if we're old friends. Sometimes we get on each others' nerves, but most of the time we enjoy hanging around. It's comfortable, like an old bowling shirt.

(See, this is why I could never make inspirational religious posters. "God is like an old bowling shirt" would just not sell.)

Three exams down, two to go.

I must be one of the world's worst studiers. I believe I've played more Dr Mario than studied these past few days. In fact, that game has caused two successive late nights and directly contributed to nearly missing Tuesday's exam. And yet, I can't stop... It's addictive; it must be something in the pills. The game drugs you up so you won't stop playing; it's an effort to stop long enough to type this post, and I don't think I can hold out much longer......

Hockey is my other distraction. Two very good things of note right now: One, the Leafs are rockin'! First place in the Eastern Conference, and second in the League! Woo hoo! The other good thing is that all Canadian teams are putting in a good show. Vancouver is the only team below .500, but NHL.com's Power Index places all Canadian teams in the top half of the league as playing the best hockey. Woo hoo again!

It was almost the perfect plan.

Almost. As it turned out, only documentation stood in the way.

Admittedly, it was a drunken arrangement, but a good arrangement nonetheless. Five days until the next exam left a couple of days free. Perfect for a spur-of-the-moment trip to the economic and excitement hub of the New World - New York City. Nick and I were ready, willing, and anxious to go. But, then, to my despair, I discovered a simple little problem that demolished our plans entirely.

My passport and birth certificate were sitting snuggly in a drawer in my room in Mississauga.

Without that simple little booklet, or that simple little card, I am restricted to my domain. Since there was barely enough time to make it to New York at all, there was certainly no time to make a pitstop in Mississauga on the way to get my vitals.

I have searched all around my room for something - anything - that would get me across the border and back, but to no avail.

So, our plans are ruined. All because of a simple little booklet. Perhaps, of course, reality would have set in when the alcohol had worn off and we would have found other reasons why we couldn't go, but at the moment there is only one, and it is all because for the first term - after six previous ones - I neglected to bring my passport with me to school.

I have been offered a joint by my roommate to calm my tortured soul, but it's not my style, and I doubt it would be of much help. And, so, I sit here disappointed.

But, hear this: We will make amends. I will bring my passport with me next term, and we will make our drunken trip, as destiny has called us to do. We will cause havoc in our neighbouring country's largest city, and we will have a jolly good time, full of reckless abandon and antics that would simply not pass in our quiet little town. Oh, New York, prepare; for the disgruntled UW kids are coming to town....

Yesterday we got an afternoon greeting from the first blizzard of the season. Everything was covered white, the roads were treacherous, and anyone that happened to step outside returned rather wet. So, we decided to do what any mature, sensible, and rational person would do.

We built a snowman.

A nice big one, surrounded by a fort, with an arm poised and ready to throw a snowball at any passer-by.

Sadly, however, some demonic soul must have interpreted it as a provoked attack, and savagely slaughtered him, right in front of his own home. He was a mere two hours old; so young, so much to live for, but now it is gone. We bellowed into the night sky and swore vengeance against those who have punished the innocent. We decreed that we would track them down. We mocked their disposition. We threatened their livelihoods. We insulted their mothers.

They will feel the cold, hard, fist of snowman justice.

Today we celebrated our house Christmas. Jolly good merry fun was had by all, and I came away with lots of chocolate and a plush hockey puck.

I'm tired of exams, despite the unfortunate fact that I really haven't done a lot of preparation for them, and I still have two left.

How long do you think it should take to write an 18-page exam?

Well, I can tell you it's a lot more than two hours.

SPU, displeased.

On the bright side, we got a nice next-to-perfect mark on our big-ass Software Engineering term project. Hooray for that!

Another term has come and gone, and it saddens me to see it go. I find it odd that the worst school term of my life can be followed by the best one - with a little work term afar in between - but I guess life throws you some knuckle balls just to keep things interesting. I spent all of September with little or no work to do, and then when it finally picked up, it was extraordinarily heavy, but interesting work at least. Most importantly, of course, is that I had fun the whole time. This was the best set of roommates I've ever had, and I've left with a new set of good friends, and a whole ton of great stories.

Cheers to fun, friends, and stories.

One term left...

I could have been someone
Well so could anyone
You took my dreams from me
When I first found you

I kept them with me babe
I put them with my own
Can't make it all alone
I've built my dreams around you

The boys of the NYPD choir
Stood singing Galweh Bay
And the bells are ringing out
For Christmas Day

During a break from packing up yesterday, I watched an old '80s classic: Ferris Bueller's Day Off. While Ferris usually gets all the attention, I tend to focus on his friend, Cameron Frye. There is one particular feature about Cameron that encompasses my greatest fear... and if you know what that is, then you know me better than I think I'm comfortable with...

Peace on Earth
Can it be?
Years from now perhaps we'll see
See the day of glory
See the day when men of good will
Live in peace
Live in peace again
Peace on Earth
Can it be?

I moved back home for the holidays, but on the way I made a quick stop to visit CWD insider Kathleen. Mmm... mile high mud pie... Thanks Kathleen!

"Sire, the night is darker now, And the wind blows stronger;
Fails my heart, I know not how, I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, good my page! Tread thou in them boldly:
Thou shalt find the winter's rage, Freeze thy blood less coldly."

In his master's steps he trod, Where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod, Which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure, Wealth or rank posessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor, Shall yourselves find blessing.

Our coffee machine exploded today with a big loud bang. It was pretty funny; there was coffee goop all over the kitchen. Luckily there was no damage.

City sidewalks, busy sidewalks
Dressed in holiday style
In the air there's a feeling of Christmas
Children laughing, people passing
Meeting smile after smile
And on every street corner you hear

Silver bells, silver bells
It's Christmas time in the city
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring
Soon it will be Christmas day

OK, yesterday's coffee-machine story was funny to me, because I was one of the people standing next to it when it went boom, and I received a full blow of coffee goop.

O holy night
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night
Of our dear Saviour's birth
Long lay the world
In sin and error pining
'Till he appeared
And the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope
The weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks
A new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees
O hear the angel voices
O night divine
O night when Christ was born

Merry Christmas everyone, and God bless.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GENERAL CLAIRE! Ring the bells! Sound the horns! Release the hounds!