Celebrate Good Times!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY JETTA!!!!!! Can you believe it? We’ve been together for five years. I remember the first day I got you perfectly.
Laura and I were awaiting the arrival of our new dogs patiently. She on her side of the room and me on mine. The door was open and we could hear the trainers walking in some very excited, strangely named dogs. I can remember thinking, “please no stupid names! I have to take that dog to university with me.” Jeorge, my trainer, was the first trainer to come into our room. He told me my dog’s name was Jetta and that I should call her when he entered with her. (He was very adamant that her name was Jetta not Jetti). Jeorge did not tell me the sex or the breed of my dog until he came back. He took my leash that I had been carefully breaking in for three days and returned with a very hyper Jetta yanking his arm off. He said, “call her,” and I said, “Jetta come here baby.” She was so excited she came bounding into the room, still attached to Jeorge, and ran right past me in typical Jetta style. Then she turned around and ran past again licking my bare leg in the process. When Jeorge finally handed me the leash, I climbed onto the floor to check out the little black ball of energy that was bouncing crazily around. It was love at first sight-well, at least for me. After Jeorge left he shut the door and I sat on the floor touching and petting my new Jetta, but she did not want any of it. She stood perfectly still with her head up and ears perked staring at the door. She stayed in this position for nearly two hours. I was pretty sad that she loved Jeorge so much that she didn’t’ want anything to do with me. During this prolonged stand off, Willow, Laura’s pretty little yellow lab, was brought in. Laura and Willow spent their time talking and petting on her side while I still sat in the hall of our room trying to persuade Jetta that I really was interesting. Although we have had rough times-including those first two hours, we’ve come a long way and she is my best friend now. We still do things that annoy one another, but I know that she would give up her life for me and I would do the same for her. We work well as a team and I wouldn’t trade her for any other dog. That said, unfortunately, I can’t do anything exciting with her today because I have to swim twice today. So, we’ll be heading back to the pool this afternoon. Perhaps tomorrow I’ll take her for a nice long walk and we’ll stop in at the pet store to find a new bone or something. 
Happy anniversary to Laura and Willow too!!!!!!!!!

I'm Back

All right so it's almost been a month since I wrote last. I don't know what has been up with me this past year, but I just havent' felt like writing. Maybe I feel like everything in my life is kind of mundane and the same lately, so I figure I'll save everyone else from the boringness that consumes it. Hmmm, well that sounded slightly mellow-dramatic didn't it?
Well, to catch whoever still peaks at this blog in hopes of something to appear up...
School: I am finally almost done my degree. Starting in September, I'll be working on my last year. I took social statistics this past semester and it was a total disaster, but it's finished and I will never have to take that stupid class again. Right now I'm taking a Sociology of Health and Illness course and it's very interesting. I like the professor because she lets us use our personal experience as long as we back our ramblings up with scholarly analytical thinking...I can so do that!
Jetta: Jetta is wonderful and still cute! Recently she was sent to the groomer's because she rolled in a dirt pile and turned into a chocolate lab. Brown dirt was falling out of her a week later and I decided it was time to get cleaned. She's gained a few pounds and the vet says I have to try to get them off of her-four pounds to be exact. I've cut her food down a bit and I'm trying to exercise her more. Hopefully I can get the weight off. I do have to remind myself that she is six and a half and a lab. Labs are famous for their middle age weight gain, so I'll just have to watch it. Other than that, she is happy and loves me. She is actually showing more affection towards me and her working is still really good. Wait, scratch that...her work is really good when we're not going to the pool for the second time in a day. :) She hates it, but I can't blame her. She's stuck sitting on the deck for 2 hours while I flounder around. It's hot and it stinks like chlorene...who would want to go there willingly? Oh, wait, I go there willingly. lol
Swimming:
Swimming is busy. I am swimming between 3 and 3.5 kilometres a practice. I have started doing dry land workouts before practices just to strengthen my core. Plus I am swimming doubles some days. I am also going to buy a hoolahoop because I think it will be a fun way to strengthen my core muscles even more. I am going to an invitational meet in July-Canaa invited the States-and hopefully everything goes well there. The end goal is to swim well in Brazil in August. I made the Para Pan-Am Games' team in March and they are going to be held in Rio Brazil from August 6th to the 20th.
House life: Carmen and Christena have both moved out for the summer. Carmen is leaving for Jordan in a few days for the third time. Christena has come home to find a summer job and help her mom. Her evil step dad is finally moving out tomorrow...it seems like it's all a dream and we're going to wake up and he'll be back. Actually, that would be classified as a nightmare. lol He has his own apartment now and the rest of his furniture is being moved out tomorrow. *happy dance* Ahem, sorry...I digress. Dyan-that is how you spell her name-a girl in archaeology is subletting from Tenie and although I was really worried about it in the beginning, it's a great living arrangement. She works a lot and I swim a lot and we only see each other at breakfast and for our bedtime snack. We also see each other all day on Sunday, but we get along and have started doing things together-like going for hikes and fun things like that.
Kittens' update: They're fine. Sisu and Loki turned 2 on June 1st. I am planning on buying them new collars for their birthday present. I know I'm late, but I've been home since May 31st. Loki is now bigger than his sister, but they are both really small cats. Sisu is very cuddley and Loki is more so when it's just me at home. I guess he's a one person kind of cat. They have an eventful year of killing the mice that sneak into our house, playing in their new blue, yellow and red crinkle tunnel; rolling in catnip provided by one of their humans; stalking squirrels that are bigger than them in the window of our kitchen; yowling ferociously at other kitties who dare to step foot on the deck outside their kitchen windows; and many other kitty things. :)
Home home: My Dad is still working with a student after school. Actually he is there this weekend. My mom has been down to visit me in Waterloo once already and she is driving me back this Monday and staying for a week. We've booked a cottage to stay in for my cousin's wedding at the end of September and Tenie's coming too. My grandparents are doing well and my Dad's mom is as rediculous as always. She called last Sunday and said she was not coming to her great grandson's birthday because she thought had broke her wrist. lmao! I mean, oh poor grandma, let us dote on you and make your *fake* broken wrist feel better. I love my family...really, I do. Another cousin got married in May. So now that means that two of my cousins are married and the third is in the works.
Stuff I may have missed: I cut my hair-about six or seven inches. I really like it and everyone says that it makes me look smarter and more mature. I figured I'm going to be 24 this year, maybe I should chop the long hair off that I have had since I was like 9 and get a new hairstyle. I'm standing up in one of my very good friend's weddings in July. I am picking up my hemmed dress on Tuesday and I am very excited. Jetta gets to wear flowers on her harness for the wedding. :) Tenie's coming and Chris is playing the piano for the ceremony-he is tickled pink. I'm getting fitted for new eyes this week-I don't know what colour, but I guess I'll know in a few days. Ashley has officially been accepted to McGill and her transfer is final. She has a new place in Montreal starting July 1st. I am going to miss her. It's going to be weird without her. Jeevan has a new job in Toronto and so does Chrispy and Cathy. Everyone is graduating and going away. It's kind of weird. But, I guess that will be us next year. I've decided to skip Vancouver for now and take the massage therapy program in London. They also have an Equine program and that is what ultimately made up my mind. I'll take human massage first and then equine after that. So, I think that is it...well, of course condensed. :) I know I've said this before, but maybe I'll feel more inclined to update more often. Then, instead of pouring out a bunch of information, I'll be able to ramble about what is actually swimming around in my brain-actually, this morning when I woke up it was mostly the stuff I just wrote. I think there has been a lot of change and things will continue changing, but I am pretty excited about it-especially the massage therapy stuff. :)

"Asking too much?"

asking too much

asking too much
i want somebody who sees the pointlessness
and still keeps their purpose in mind
i want somebody who has a tortured soul
some of the time
i want somebody who will either put out for me
or put me out of misery
or maybe just put it all to words
and make me go, you know
i never heard it put that way
make me say, what did you just say?

i want somebody who can hold my interest
hold it and never let it fall
someone who can flatten me with a kiss
that hits like a fist
or a sentence, that stops me like a brick wall
if you hear me talking
listen to what i'm not saying
if you hear me playing guitar
listen to what i'm not playing
and don't ask me to put words
to all the silences i wrote
don't ask me to put words
to all the spaces between notes
in fact if you have to ask, forget it
do and you'll regret it
i'm tired of being the interesting one
i'm tired of having fun for two
just lay yourself on the line
and i might lay myself down by you
but don't sit behind your eyes
and wait for me to surprise you
i want somebody who can make me
scream until it's funny
give me a run for my money
i want someone who can
twist me up in knots
tell me, for the woman who has everything
what have you got?
i want someone who's not afraid of me
or anyone else
in other words i want someone
who's not afraid of themself

do you think i'm asking too much?

(Again, Ani Defranco can express it better than I can).

This is soooo true!!!

This was sent to me in the form of a national team newsletter. I thought it was helarious and there were definitely elements of truth in it. If you are a swimmer you will understand-happy reading. :)

You might be a swimmer if...…

Whenever you hear an electronic beep you instinctively jump.
bugs die of chlorine poisoning when they land on your skin
the phrase "This set with fins" is better than hearing "You just won $1000,"
you answer, "I don't need to" when someone asks when you showered last
You know how to squirt water 15 different ways
your long term goal is to slap your bicep on your lat
your friends have stopped asking you about your plans for the evenings
a friend asks how a certain guy dresses and you reply, "I only see him without his clothes
on"
the phrase, "50 double armed backstroke with a breast stroke kick makes you happier than
anything
you have hickeys on your neck
you sweat chlorine even after showering
getting smacked on the butt doesn't bother you at all
someone asks if you have any siblings and you start listing teammates
you suck at running
you have to try on 30 shirts just to find one that fits your shoulders
when the life guard tryouts say you have to swim a 500 in less than 9 minutes you laugh
there are wet towels over every door in your house

Oh the glorious, glamourous life of a swimmer...lol

Fun Random Stuff

Carmen sent me this in an email a few weeks back. I finally finished filling it out and thought it would be fun to post. I think I have posted something similar before, but meh... Happy reading. :)
1. WHAT IS YOUR FULL NAME? Jessica Anne Tuomela

2. WHAT COLOR PANTS ARE YOU WEARING? Faded blue jeans…nothing too exciting

3. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT Now? Nothing…Paul can’t talk and play music at the same time-well he can, but I can’t understand him

4. WHAT'S THE LAST THING YOU ATE? A turkey sandwich and cranberry juice, but it is definitely time to eat again

5. DO YOU WISH ON STARS? Yes-at least I would if I could see them lol

6. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? PURPLE, do you even have to ask? Then again, maybe red?

7.HOW IS THE WEATHER RIGHT NOW? BEAUTIFUL!!! Finally-perfect picnic weather.

8. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Chris, asking him to come with us for a picnic.

9. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT YOU THIS? Only when she makes me coffee. lol

10. HOW OLD ARE YOU TODAY? 23

11. FAVORITE DRINK? Chocolate milk or pineapple juice on a summer day

12. FAVORITE SPORT? Swimming-wel, at least it better be considering I am in the pool 5 days a week and next week it’s about to increase.

13. HAIR COLOR? brown

14. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Lol Hell no…very counter productive.

15. SIBLINGS? Just me…unless Sasha and Flash count.

16. FAVORITE MONTH? That is too hard-I like each month for different reasons…maybe May or September because they’re not too hot, but they’re still nice out.

17. FAVORITE FOOD? Barbecued steak

18. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Lilo and Stitch-I will never get sick of “Cute and fluffy!”

19. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR? July first-it’s fun celebrating and eating too much food

20. WAY TO VENT ANGER: write, go for a walk or do something physical (like swim hard in practice), Oh and rant too.

21. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD? The dollhouse my grandpa made for me. I still have it!

22. SUMMER OR WINTER? I like both for different reasons, but probably summer-I like being outside in the sunshine.

23. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs-you can never go wrong with a hug.

24. CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA? chocolate

25. DO YOU WANT YOUR FRIENDS/FAMILY TO WRITE/ E-MAIL BACK? probably email, faster

26. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? No one. I am putting this on my blog.

27. WHO IS LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? see above lol

Not sure what happened to questions 28 & 30 <-- WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! i see....

29. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS? in a house, with Christena, Carmen, me, Jetta, 2 cats 2 plants and hopefully a lobster…right girls?

31. WHAT IS UNDER YOUR BED? I don’t want to know!!!! There a few suitcases, hair balls, some textbooks and I don’t want to know what else. It’s a double, there is a lot of room for things to be under there.

32. WHO IS THE FRIEND YOU HAVE HAD THE LONGEST? Christena-16 and a half years…yikes!

33. WHAT DID YOU DO LAST NIGHT? Helped Christena move all of her shit into the basement-she is going home for the summer and her subletter wanted to put her own damn furniture in Tenie’s room. If anyone ever wants help disassembling a bed…you know where I am.

34. FAVORITE SMELL? Vanilla…and earth smell after it’s rained.

35. WHAT INSPIRES YOU? People who give and love others unconditionally. Just to see love and utter bliss inspires me.

36. WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? Hurting someone.
37. PLAIN, BUTTERED OR SALTED POPCORN? buttered

38. FAVORITE CAR? uhhh RORY!!!! aka jacquie's car that you can hear from a block away lol *agreeing with Carmen on this one*.

39. FAVORITE FLOWERS? orchids are pretty, but they better be purple.

40. NUMBER OF KEYS ON YOUR KEY RING: None. We have keyless entry.

41. CAN YOU JUGGLE? HELL NO! I can barely keep from spilling my coffee. Should the blind girl really be juggling anyway…? lol

42. FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK? Friday-I don’t have to swim Saturday morning so I can actually hang out with my night hawk friends that night. 

43. WHAT DID YOU DO ON YOUR LAST BIRTHDAY? It was at least interesting. I spent my birthday working out at a camp last summer. I didn’t think anyone knew, but a few of the campers found out and sang to me while I worked mini putt and at supper the councillors high jacked me and made me sing “I’m a little Teapot” standing on a chair in front of the whole camp. Then, after supper they surprised me with the most delicious cake ever-it was even decorated! It was so pretty! So, I’d say it was pretty damn good. 

44. HOW MANY STATES HAVE YOU LIVED IN? 1, but maybe soon to be 2 if I move out to British Columbia for massage therapy.

45. HOW MANY COUNTRIES HAVE YOU LIVED IN? one…but I have travelled to seven

46. WHAT CITY'S HAVE YOU LIVED IN? 3; Sault Ste. Marie, Brantford, and Waterloo

47. HOW MANY CARS HAVE YOU HAD & WHAT WAS THE FIRSTCAR THAT YOU HAD? Zero…although my dog’s name is Jetta…does she count?

48. WHERE *the hell* WERE YOU BORN? Sault Ste. Marie…go Northern Ontario!

The end!

"Where is the Love?"

In light of the very recent shooting at Virginia Tech. College I thought I'd post these lyrics. They're a bit old and a bit corny, but they kind of spoke to me right now. They fill the void that I cannot fill with my own words right now because I am so appalled and disturbed that people feel the need to pump others full of bullets just because they are disgusted with their own lives.

What's wrong with the world mama?
People living like aint got no mamas
I think the whole worlds addicted to the drama
Only attracted to the things that bring you trauma
Overseas yeah we tryin to stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin
In the USA the big CIA the Bloodz and the Crips and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And if you hatin you're bound to get irate
Yeah madness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how anger works and operates
You gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love y'all

People killing people dying
Children hurtin you hear them crying
Can you practice what you preach
Would you turn the other cheek?
Father Father Father help us
Send some guidance from above
Cause people got me got me questioning
Where is the love?

It just ain't the same all ways have changed
New days are strange is the world the insane?
If love and peace so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don't belong
Nations dropping bombs
Chemical gases filling lungs of little ones
With ongoing suffering
As the youth die young
So ask yourself is the loving really strong?
So I can ask myself really what is going wrong
With this world that we living in
People keep on giving in
Making wrong decisions
Only visions of them living and
Not respecting each other
Deny thy brother
The wars' going on but the reasons' undercover
The truth is kept secret
Swept under the rug
If you never know truth
Then you never know love
Where's the love y'all?(I don't know)
Where's the truth y'all?(I don't know)
Where's the love y'all?

People killing people dying
Children hurtin you hear them crying
Can practice what you preach
Would you turn the other cheek?
Father father father help us
Send some guidance from above
Cause people got me got me questioning
Where is the love?

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I'm getting older y'all people get colder
Most of us only care about money making
Selfishness got us followin the wrong direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting their young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what the see in the cinema
Whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness and equality
Instead of spreading love, we're spreading anomosity
Lack of understanding, leading us away from unity
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feeling under
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feeling down
It's no wonder why sometimes I'm feeling under
I gotta keep my faith alive, until love is found

People killing people dying
Children hurtin you hear them crying
Can you practice what you preach
Would you turn the other cheek?
Father Father Father help us
Send some guidance from above
Cause people got me got me questioning
Where is the love?

Lindsay Here Again!

Once again, changes have been done. I was customizing the blog using templates offered online, however, blogspot has their own person commenting system that I just couldn't tap into. So a regular blogspot template will have to do for now. Although, it is kinda nifty that you can sorta customize it still. So now to comment, "paw prints left" is the new comments! *smile* I hope you all like it. It has a little bit of girlie colour and a little bit of travelling reference for our little travelling swimmer!
Well that's all I have to say for now... If there's any problems, let Jess know, and she'll pass it on to me and I'll try to fix any problems anyone has.
Ciao Bella and Bello!

I'VE BEEN TAGGED!!!

So, it's been a while since I've been tagged. In fact, I can't remember the last time it happened. I have to thank Laura and Willow for this one. :)
This time it is for the "thinker blog" of the year...hmm, did I write that correctly. Maybe not of the year. I think I made that part up. :)
Anyway, quite honestly, I don't read very many blogs anymore. Between swimming and school and Jetta and everything that goes on around here I barely have time to update mine on a regular basis. So, although I am supposed to post five blogs that really make me think I only have one and it's Laura's. It's the only blog that I keep up to date on, which means, in a sense, that it is the only blog that is making me think enough to read it on a regular basis. :)
So Laura Willow and Stella:
You are my Thinker Blog.
For those of you who want to check her blog out here is teh URL:
http://l-squared.blogspot.com

Resisting Change

Where has the time gone? My last class is on Thursday and I hand in my last paper that day as well. I can’t believe that this semester is basically over-well, over in the sense that I don’t have classes anymore. We will still have to go through the lovely experience of stressful exam period, but other than that, it’s over. I had my last social Statistics class yesterday and I can’t say that I really mind much. It’s been a bit of a struggle-partly due to my lack of ability to work at things that I hate and partly to the fact that it’s stats and it’s just bloody hard!
I guess I’m writing because I’m a bit worried about this summer. Most of my friends won’t be around and I think it’s going to be really boring! I mean, of course I’ll have one class and double practices to keep me busy, but I’m a social butterfly and there really won’t be very many people here. Tenie’s going home for the summer-she’ll be leaving in a few weeks. Carmen will be around for a while, but she’s going back to Jordan to dig. Ashley’s given up her spot in her house and is moving home because she’ll be moving to Montreal in July. And, although I will have a few other people left, these three girls are the main players in my life and it’s going to be strange without them here. Tenie also has a sub letter who is terrified of catching blind. Yesterday she came over for a tour and winced any time I walked by her. I tried to verbally engage her in conversation, but she just didn’t’ answer. How does this girl expect to live with me for four months and not talk to me? Hopefully things get better. I guess I’m just frustrated because it always seems it’s me reaching out to the sighted public, educating them about me and then getting shut down by someone who can’t get over it. I’m pretty sure I’m fairly intelligent person, I can usually carry a good conversation and I’m not afraid to answer any of your questions, but bloody hell give me a chance! I’ve been out to formals with Tenie and Carmen before and this particular girl has been in attendance. It was exactly the same situation then too. I asked Christena if there was any way of finding someone else, but she barely answered me and walked away. I guess I’m being a bit of a baby and a bitch. Who knows maybe it’ll get better. At least Carmen will be here with the two of us for the first little bit. Other than that, I don’t’ know what to say. I’m just nervous I guess. I also worry that something will go wrong with Jetta and her. The girl may not completely understand the strict rules of a guide dog and I am afraid she’ll feed her behind my back. It’s happened before-even people who are my friends. People don’t understand how much control they take away from me when they do. It screws up our working relationship big time! I think that is my biggest concern with that.
I guess it’s kind of weird to think that this could be my last summer in Waterloo. As far as I know I’ll be here next year, but if swimming does something strange I may have to go train somewhere else. Not to mention, in a year from now I’ll b done school and having to figure out what I’ll be doing next. What school I’ll go to, what program I’ll be in and if I’ll keep swimming at the level I am at. I think when I do finally retire, it’s going to be very weird. It’s like I’ve always been the swimmer…the athlete you know? I’ll have to re-define my social role in a sense. I think change is good, but it is so much harder to do when you are older. I remember when I was a kid that change was fun and I always looked for change, but as an adult it’s like that side of us disappears. We become more apprehensive and uncomfortable with the thought of things being different.
Oh well, I’ll just have to keep telling myself that change is good and maybe it will turn out all right.
Anyway, I’m back to writing my paper.

Killer Corn

Okay so perhaps calling corn killer is a bit dramatic, but do I have your attention now? (Not to mention it was a great alliteration).
Just this afternoon, I received an email from Green Peace contesting the quality of our corn. I thought I'd paste the email here for all of you to read. (The following email was not a product of my mind...essentially, someone else wrote it and it belongs to Green Peace).
Dear members.
Dear citizens who want to know what you eat.

Corn deliveryOnce again, Greenpeace has acted to protect the environment. This morning, Greenpeace activists dumped five tons of Quebec grown corn in front
of the Quebec Liberal Party headquarters in Montreal.

We reminded Premier Jean Charest of his broken promises of mandatory labelling of GMOs, of the relatively low costs of such a measure and of the strong
wishes of a majority of Quebecers to see that the genetic ally engineered products are labelled.

It’s a great day to remind him of his promises. Now, he has a minority government that makes it easier for a majority of Quebecers to make their voice heard.
It’s time for M. Charest to listen to Quebecers—and prepared to finally act on the majority’s demand that he respect our right to know what we eat.

Mr Charest, our message is clear. Respect your promises. Listen to what Quebecers are telling you. They want to know what is on their plates. Stop listening
only to agribusiness and industry. They are deceiving you as to the real costs of labelling.

Mr Charest, give us mandatory labelling of GMOs. Give us a real food and agriculture policy, one that accounts for the fundamental right to know what is
in the food we eat. There is no time to lose.

Ignoring this right constitutes a potential danger to public health. Just this month, a scientific study proved the risks of a Monsanto GE corn.

Mr Charest, if you hold to your principles, take heed of the precautionary principle and label GMOs.