Trying to keep busy...

I really wish that my blog had more readers. It would be nice to get a little feedback here and there.

I've really been meaning to pick up a new hobby or craft. Just something interesting to get into, to keep myself occupied and maybe discover a hidden talent I didn't even know I had. Any ideas?

My degree's name is too long.

In June 2009, I will be the bearer of a B.A., Honours Double Major in Professional Writing (Institutional Communications Stream) and Communication Studies.


But, fret not. I love my majors.

Review of StumbleUpon

This was a review I wrote for one of my multimedia classes. I supposed I should share it online in case there was a (very small chance) that anyone would ever be interested in reading it! Here you go.


StumbleUpon: Personalize Your Browsing

If you’ve ever wished for a personal helper to find the greatest websites, then StumbleUpon is a perfect choice for you.

StumbleUpon is a toolbar that sits at the top of your browser and connects you to the most popular and highly rated sites. You can share and recommend your favourite websites with friends and other Stumblers like yourself.


What is Stumbling?

StumbleUpon was created to provide users with an alternate to ‘searching’. The difference between searching and stumbling is that stumbling brings users to content they might not necessarily have found otherwise. Stumblers are directed to websites that match their interests and have been rated well by their friends and fellow Stumblers.


How Does Stumbling Work?

By clicking on the Stumble! Icon in the toolbar, you can stumble from site to site. The best part is that you get to choose what you see by giving a thumbs up or thumbs down for each page.

What else? StumbleUpon automatically records what you like to show you more sites that better match your preferences. When you find a page you like, you can add it to your favourites or send it to your friends. Your ratings also help provide the best content to other Stumblers.


Stumble Features

When you first join StumbleUpon, you can manage your interests and choose to view websites from over 500 hundred different topics, including:

• Arts and History
• Computers
• Music and Movies
• Science and Technology
• Sports
• and many more...

The greater your selection of interests, the greater number of websites you’ll be able to view. StumbleUpon tailors websites to your interests for a personalized feel to provide you with the sites that you want.

What else? For each site you like, there’s an option to write a review. You can leave a message for other Stumblers to give advice, share thoughts, and link them to other sites.


The Internet is Always Changing

StumbleUpon realizes that the Internet is constantly evolving and relies on its users to help contribute to a database of interesting websites. Stumblers can help keep websites current by participating and recommending relevant websites whenever they’re found.


Stumbling on Web 2.0

Stumble Upon incorporates characteristics of Web 2.0’s writeable phase. Stumblers constantly contribute to StumbleUpon by adding websites and reviews, giving ratings, and sending recommendations to friends and fellow Stumblers.

What else? StumbleUpon demonstrates its role as a social platform of users with similar interests. The architecture of StumbleUpon reflects its progressive and collaborative community framework with a user-recommended media form.


My Rating: 4.5/5

StumbleUpon is an incredibly easy site to use. It manages your favourites and provides you with a plethora of websites that you normally would never have found.

I love stumbling sites catered to my interests and discovering great new pages to share with my friends and leave ratings so that other Stumblers can enjoy. Anyone who enjoys finding new things on the Internet can benefit from the many discoveries you make while using this site.

Day 68 of Braces

Hey all.

I've developed a tooth ache. One of my teeth is very badly hurting. It's become sensitive to temperature and it's turned me off drinking liquids.

I hopefully will be able to make it to the dentist tomorrow to let him have a look and hopefully fix me up.

Otherwise, nothing else is really new.

This weekend was the Battlestar Galactica series finale (that's right, it's over, tear) and it was pretty awesome. There were a ton of untied plot strings, but it was a great finish up and made me ball like a baby.



On Saturday, I spent the day with David. We chilled out. In the evening, we went out for a Made in Japan experience, followed by some grocery shopping, and then we went out to see I Love You, Man. It was okay, pretty funny, but I'm generally not really into comedies like that. I had a Yogen Fruz and it was good! Until I got to the bottom and then it had a sort of funky flavour. That's when I gave David the rest to finish up.

On Sunday, I met David's new roommate. He seems okay. Hopefully he doesn't bug us.

Then I treated Karen to a birthday lunch at Panera Bread. It was actually incredibly delicious! I had an Asian flavoured salad and half a tuna sandwich. Verrry delish. I can't wait to go back and try something new.

Now it's Monday, and I'm sitting in class, and waiting for it to end so that I can head over to work. I'm really hungry and can't wait to hit up the Timmy Ho downstairs at break.

My next braces appointment isn't until April 14 so I won't have too many updates until then. I'll try to post a new picture of my teeth on the 13th before my tightening.

Day 60 Of Braces

TWO MONTH UPDATE!!!!!


Okay, it's been a while. And I'm sorry to my three readers for keeping you waiting all this time (you know who you are).

I actually haven't yet had them tightened. I know, it's crazy, they've been on now for 60 days and there has still not been a single tightening.

I went to the ortho last month, he had a look and told me that my "wire was still active" and that I didn't have to come back until this month to get them tightened.

I have an appointment booked for this Tuesday at 2:50. So I'll be coming from work and going straight to my appointment from there. I better not eat anything gross that day that'll get stuck in 'em...

Sooo... since it's been 60 days, let's compare to see what's happened. On the top, January 15. On the bottom, March 15.



I know, incredibly attractive. Do you see a difference? I definitely do. (Sorry about the blurryness)



I'm incredibly nervous for the first tightening and hope that since it took so long for this stage to "finish" that I won't have to wear my braces for much longer than a year. I'm really waiting for it to be done for January so I can get them off. A girl can dream.


I've been having a hell of a time lately. The strike ended in February and I've been back at school. The second semester started up like a week and a half ago so I've been very busy with new assignments and constant homework. I am proud to say that I've been working like a crazy person and getting a ton of work done.


I'm also still in the process of applying to grad school. Have a crapload of stuff to do tomorrow and early this week. Ah well, such is the life of an almost-graduated lady.

Day 18 Of Braces

Hi all!

Nothing new to report.

Tonight went out to the pub to watch the UFC match with David. We had a great time. The fights were really good and we had fun conversation (as per usual).

Goat cheese is delicious.

In the afternoon, there is a surprise party for my aunt turning 60 so I'm going to that.

Afterward, I'm not sure yet if I'll return to David's to catch the Superbowl. I guess we'll see soon enough.

I just want to add that David is sooo cute and I wanna eat him up.

My next braces appointment is February 17th for a tightening (just three days after V-Day!)

Anyways, we're really tired now (we just got in from the bar and watched an episode of How I Met Your Mother which is one of the funniest shows ever) and we're gonna get our butts to bed.

So good night and stay tuned for some pictures of my teeth before the next braces tightening session.

OH, and school resumes on Monday so I'll finally be busy.

Love,
Rach

Day 14 Of Braces

Two weeks of braces coincides with my two year anniversary with David.

I love you, Davey. You are my best friend and mean so much to me. ♥




PS: Don't get jealous, Laur, you're my other number one. ;)

Day 10 Of Braces

No pain in my mouth today. All is relatively calm.

Last night, David and I exchanged gifts for our anniversary. I got him Iron Gym but apparently, it didn't want to cooperate with David's door frames. My dad came over to look at the door this morning and is coming back here next weekend to install a block of wood so that the Iron Gym can sit properly.

I also gave him a bottle of Glenlivet Scotch Whisky. Yummmm!

David gave me a really, really beautiful necklace.



David had to help me with this one:




And there you have it! We're going out for groceries now. Bye!

I'm really excited for this weekend.

David and I are going to be celebrating our two year anniversary. January 28th is a Wednesday, so we're moving our festivities to the prior weekend because the next weekend is UFC 94 (which should be AWESOME).

Today I spent the afternoon with true blue bud, Lauren. We had lunch and did some serious shopping. I bought two sweaters and am going to return one because I had a case of "looked good in the store but not good at home." Don't you hate that?

I am looking forward to Shabbat dinner and then a quiet evening tomorrow night. :)

I've been really stressed out with this strike and the worry of when we'll get back to school. I've also been doubly stressed out about grad school. I feel sick to my stomach just thinking about it. I should have been doing it months ago, but I just felt too nervous about it I kept putting it off to let Future Rachel worry about it. Now, Future Rachel is definitely worried.

Hopefully I can get it taken care of tomorrow. I have quite a few errands to run tomorrow so I'll be happy to get them all out of the way.


I can't wait to see David. ♥


Update on the Braces:

Food got stuck in them for the first time today. Definitely not used to that. Thankfully, I had floss on me and solved the problem swiftly.




Rach

I really want sushi.

I do not know how to eat sushi with braces.

What could go wrong?

Well, for starters, there's the seaweed, the tempura, and the sticky rice.

These three are likely culprits to make my sushi-eating far more difficult than it need be. For, my braces are a haven in which all three could get seriously stuck.


My advice to myself: just stick with the sashimi. Salmon sashimi is so soft that I needn't worry. However, I do love me some rolls. Perhaps a roll with rice on the outside would be easier to chew. Who knows, I'll have to try it one of these days. I'll let you know what happens, then.

Day 6 Of Braces

There is still discomfort but not really any pain, unless I'm eating (still a bit hard to chew) or flossing.

I've been having a really hard time with flossing because my teeth are so tight together from the braces. I went to Shoppers yesterday and bought Oral-B Superfloss "ideal for braces" but the floss was too thick to fit between my teeth. Instead, I've been using Oral-B Satin floss because it's thin enough that it actually fits in the really "hard-to-squeeze-in" places.



There were a few dental flosses at the store for "tight teeth" but nothing said for braces and I was worried that they could damage the wire if I pull the floss upwards with too much strength.

Oh well, soon my teeth will be perfect and the only metal left in my mouth will be a small metal retainer behind my four front teeth. I am also really happy because I think having braces is really going to improve the care I take of my mouth - flossing, brushing, tongue- and cheek-cleaning, and mouthwashing. My mouth and teeth feel a hell of a lot healthier already.

I encourage everyone to try, for at least a couple days, to floss their teeth before going to bed!


Oh, one last thing...
A Wish From Rach: Happy anniversary, Laur + Josh!

Day 5 Of Braces

Still hurts to eat. Nothing else new to report.

I have a terrible sushi craving but don't feel like I'm ready yet to try it out of fear that I won't be able to properly chew yet. I'm having great difficulty with biting into something using my front teeth - they still feel incredibly weak and I'm terrified of breaking them.

Only 360 days left of wearing them. Only 360 days...

Ditto.

David's cat is the cutest cat in the whole wide world. I love her so much.

She's 17.

Happy half-birthday to me!

I almost forgot.

Today, I'm 21 and a half.


:)

Day 3 Of Braces

Today wasn't so easy, either. Woke up with terrible mouth, gums, and tooth pain and wanted to punch something.


Poor David, had to listen to me complain all night and day. Spent the day with him. We went for groceries, watched a movie, and I ate Jell-O. We had a fun day and it was pretty successful at distracting me from the pain. Now he's watching UFC (I am too sort of, behind him and watching over his shoulder). Figured I'd update. So yeah, hopefully the pain is much better by tomorrow.



PS: I'm brushing my teeth like I never have before, it's so weird. Four times a day, baby. Gimme a kiss.

PPS: I forgot to add that the face that David's making is a joke and he does not ACTUALLY smile like that.

♥ Rach