Obligatory New Year's post (7/10)

This year, like every year, I suppose there are small ways I've improved as a person. Like every year, in general I've gotten more comfortable with myself. I suppose that some notable things that have happened are the friends I've made, how I've actually managed to stay around the people I want to be around. I've developed some close friendships while also being pleasant acquaintances with all sorts of people. I also got a job, which when I didn't have one I always felt like I was obligated to get one, so I have peace of mind over that, money in my bank account and coffee in my cupboard.

Despite the general rep of New Year's resolutions, this year I want to stop procrastinating on things. I want to be a person of action, as opposed to a person that considers doing something but never gets around to it. Whether it's reading a certain book (I'm yet to read Lord of the Rings) or watching a certain movie or looking up a band or learning a new skill, I want to stop over thinking things and just dive into it. I want to be a bit more impulsive about things that don't need to be over thought and stop using the excuse that I don't have time for anything. As a large portion of potentially brain damaged and annoyingly ironic individuals say repeatedly all day, everyday: YOLO. When it gets to the end of 2013, I want to be impressed by how much I've accomplished, the new skills I've learned, the people I've met.

There's also the whole graduation/university thing coming up. That's scary/exciting. I don't even know what city I'll be in come eight months from now.

Happy New Year's. I have confidence that 2013 is going to be a good year.
Hearts,
-J-

Barista holiday woes (6/10)

Working at a coffee shop, I get to see a really strange side of people.

There are the nice people, who smile, chat with the baristas, and sometimes even remember our names. There are also the mean people, who are awful to us and we make their drink, which many times is super customized, which we would totally be fine with if they weren't a dick about it. Maybe they feel like the money they give us means they don't have to be a decent human being. I feel like telling people that just because they had a bad childhood or marriage or job or whatever, that they shouldn't take it out on the person giving them coffee. But alas, I must internalize my rage and sass.

Today was a bogo day and bogo days are especially awful. For some completely unknown reasons, people are especially mean and unreasonable when they can buy a holiday drink and get a second one for free. It doesn't help that they all seem to bring an unreasonably large amount of people with them. It seems to flick a switch inside people's heads that says "Oh, bogo days! I should bring my wife, my kids, my second cousins, my entire street!" There was also a recurring thing that happened today where like six different people were unreasonably angry when we didn't use our magical barista mind reading powers and give them their drink as a frappuccino without them stating that they wanted their drink as a frappuccino, which unbelievably enough is an essential part of that process. But alas, we can't just say "Deal with it" and move on. No, we must put up with whatever they say to us and make it the way they want. That's a wearing process when they can't put words to their very particular specifications and we have to keep at it until they're happy and we're internally plotting their demise.

It doesn't help that the last few shifts, my supervisors have been quite on edge. They just ran out of holiday cheer or something and figured I was a good scapegoat for most things that are done wrong. Despite that I haven't been responsible for about 80% of the things I've been condescendingly told not to do in the past two shifts, somehow I still get lectured 100% of the time. Yesterday, I put a syrup stand in the sink to wash it and my shift said,"NO, you never put things in the sink!" and moved it quite agressively. I was a little dazed by this and replied that I was washing it, at which point I was begrudgingly forgiven and given a lecture to never put anything in the sink unless it's being washed right then, exactly what I had been doing. I'm learning to quickly deny false accusations of incorrectly done things when it wasn't me and apologizing when it is me. Other than withstanding these few days of excessive lecturing on health and safety, protocol and standard, I quite like my job most of the time. And after this on edge lecturing thing dies down, I'll probably be drastically better at my job anyway.

Basically, my job has taught me that people take themselves too seriously sometimes and need to chill out. Also, I can deal with books much better than people at times.
Hearts,
-J-

'Microwave adulthood' (5/10)

I passed into a weird stage of (pre?)adulthood today.

It was a small milestone: I bought a microwave and a toaster. I've started actively collecting things for when I move out. I suppose there comes a time in every high school senior's Christmas break when they pause for a moment and say,"Shit. Soon I'm outta here." Maybe it's from all the relatives asking about your future or seeing all the university students visiting home for the holidays. But that "Soon I'm outta here" moment happened today and it scared me a bit.

To me, the microwave shows that I'm preparing to be self sufficient. The idea of relative self sufficiency shouldn't scare me as much as it does. I mean, I'm a pretty independent person and I have been for years. But the idea of having to living a sizable distance away from my parents is frightening. I don't think much about the effect my parents have on my life because they're not very notable and I'm at a point where most of my dependency on them has evolved into coexistence. When it comes down to it, though, for the most part they've been extremely good at being a constant and it's coming to a time when that one constant I've always had will be gone.

In around eight months, I'll be creating a new home, away from my family, my close friends, the things I know. I'll live in a new city in a new environment with new people. And I have little idea what that will actually entail. What isn't scary about that? But it's something that I know needs to happen because resisting change would be even worse.

All of this was sparked by a the purchase of chunks of plastic and metal allowing future Julianne to heat and toast food. The future nostalgia is setting in. Is it normal to have strangely defining moments doing something as mediocre as buying a microwave?
Hearts,
-J-

Boxing day review (4/10)

My boxing day included feeling Les Mis feels leftover from yesterday and adding on to my Les Mis feels by listening to the soundtrack. I think this is at the same level with my Sherlock feels at the end of series 2.

Also, since Noah is visiting family around here for a week, we ended up hanging out in Starbucks for exactly 5 hours and 40 minutes because we legitimately had nothing better to do (Fun fact I found out today: apparently, where I get invited to parties to be damage control, Noah gets invited to parties because of his lingering reputation of being able to make a bong out of anything.) Maegan came in for a shift and introduced me to her coworkers to prove that she has friends. I was then accused of being a 'friend prostitute.' However, I was in Starbucks so long that I think I reached almost friend status with the baristas, as one of them said bye to me as he left. Maegan gave me a free iced tea with one and a half times the usual amount of syrup and wouldn't let me complain because it was free, despite that I was drinking liquid diabetes. Eventually Noah and I left because we felt that were loitering to a ridiculous extent.

Now I'm listening to classical records because those are the only records in my dad's collection that aren't cringe worthy artists from the 80's and 90's. Damn straight I set up a record player in my room. I'm just adding to the elements of me that will someday add up to me becoming a super eccentric individual.

I don't know what to do with all this time. I think it's time to break out the ukulele and/or guitar.
Hearts,
-J-

So many Les Mis feels (3/10)

I know you guys are probably hearing tons of Les Mis related ramblings in the past 24 hours but I need to add to it so deal with it. 

Last night, I headed out to see Les Mis with Moriah, Missy and Noah. Moriah, Missy and I were freaking out because of our Les Mis feels before we were even in the theater. Everything was so perfect. The live singing instead of studio recording, the actors, the cinematography. Bhhhhaaaaaaaaaa. I was so worried it wouldn't live up to my high expectations and I would be disappointed and I wasn't. As a super cynical person, that is not something that often happens. I was super pleased with how they went about everything, especially how for the songs, they went for emotion over musical perfection. So much brilliance was channeled into this movie and, as far as I can think, it's the most beautiful screen adapted musical I've ever seen.

It was so intense; I was so exhausted by the end of it. We were all such messes of emotions, feeling all the things. I'm seeing again on Saturday because I need to see it another time to absorb it. But even now I'm kind of questioning why I'm not currently in the theater, seeing it again.

Go see Les Mis. Just do it. And someone should also throw Oscars at it, kthx.
Hearts,
-J-

Edit: someone decided to break down every song and whoever did this is my spirit animal when it comes to criticism. 

Baby, it's Consumerism Outside (2/10)

 My Christmas Eve was pretty chill for several reasons:

• It was my first day to sleep in around two months.
• I had a legitimate sugar hangover. I ate a lot of small cupcakes when I was baking with Tatyana yesterday night. I not only had a headache all morning but I threw up at 5am (TMI, I know) after being woken up by texts from my friend Will, who for unknown reasons thought that I would be up at that time before his super early flight. This incident has led to his demotion. His brother is now my favourite because Alex doesn't text me at bloody 5am.
• Late Christmas shoppers scare me. After spending half an hour getting out of the parking lot at work on Saturday, there's no way I would dare venture out on Christmas Eve. My title says it all.
• After finishing my gift wrapping, I went on a cleaning frenzy in my room. It is now devoid of dust, mold and anything else that turns me into sneezy disaster. My OCD and allergies can rest now.
• The only time I had planned for today was an hour at church for Christmas carols and accessing my inner pyromaniac. How are they expecting good things to happen when they give us candles to fiddle with for an hour? Noah made an appearance for the first time since summer and somehow Moriah took a picture of us that looked like an indie folk band album cover.
• I'm going to read A Wrinkle In Time now because I have the lingering feeling that it is appropriately Christmasy when in reality it isn't Christmasy at all. Neither is Les Miserables but that isn't stopping me from seeing it tomorrow night.

She & Him - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Hearts,
-J-

Yearbook mysteries and apocalyptic baked goods (1/10)

Here is a promised picture of my fantastic Christmas sweater, with Maegan. Not going to lie, I kind of stole this pic off the yearbook drive at school and I have a feeling like I'm not particularly supposed to do that. I didn't ask, so whatevs, broskis.

Speaking of yearbook, I did my first work on my shared seven page section today. I sorted through all of the folders to find pictures of the faculty, which took an entire class, as the yearbook drive is a deposit of every picture, good or bad, ever taken at a school event. As that hour proceeded, the collection of photos from upwards of ten different people got progressively more unintentionally hilarious. There was an anonymous album that was 90% dedicated to my friend Allan donating blood and an folder from one of our vice principles labeled 'Faculty and etc'; somehow that meant five pictures of teachers and one picture of that interesting character from my co-op class, QHD, with a chair stuck on his head. The lack of context that the yearbook drive offers leaves me with so many unanswered questions.

Also, happy apocalypse. But as far as my knowledge goes, the dolphins are still firmly planted in their earthy ocean home, which makes me a little wary about our planet's predicted fate. However, my day did include party in my history which included clementines, baked goods, and the lovely SRC president, David, with a book of Trivial Pursuit questions sitting at the front of the classroom and quizzing us. Like looking through the yearbook drive, it was also a great use of a class.

I now look forward to an eighteen day stretch of Christmas break: tea, books and hopefully Library Crew. I need to lay on Tatyana's floor a lot to make up for lost time.
Hearts,
-J-

Ten days of Blogmas?

I'm challenging myself: I will be responsible for ten posts over Christmas break, a span of eighteen days. That way I have time to make them a reasonable quality while not having too much time to slack off. I came to a realization that my problem lately is that I can't decide what is blogworthy and what isn't. This is my attempt to rediscover my blogging voice again.

Clever name suggestions for this venture would ever be appreciated. I will feel very lame if I actually use "The ten days of Blogmas." My dignity can't handle that. I'll also try my best to find a clever name. Please help my dignity?
Hearts,
-J-

'Tis the season.

I came to the conclusion that I genuinely love the Christmas season. I've heard so many people lately saying that it's stressful for most people (I get the impression that that's what boring middle aged people do who do everything begrudgingly because they've dug themselves a dreadfully unexciting existence). The way I see it, if you're stressed by the Christmas season, you're doing it wrong. You need to embrace it, with more chill Christmas music ('Seasonal favourites' on the right sidebar), cuddles, blankets, peppermint and ambiance. I don't get stressed by it, and I'm a noob barista in the busiest season in my senior year and anticipating exams at the end of January.

Christmas shopping with a steady paycheck is something new to me. I've had a lovely time with it, as I'm not as limited as I used to be. It also helps that I have a pretty fun, borderline eccentric group of people to shop for. I'm very happy when I have license to buy cute/ridiculous things for people.

Not to mention that Christmas this year brings Les Miserables, which has the decency to come out on a Tuesday (cheap night), and the Doctor Who Christmas special, which in reality is probably going to be pretty awful, but as a committed Whovian I'm excited nonetheless.

How are the holidays treating you guys?

On a different note, I think my youth group was proud of me:

I guess I'm just in a giving mood, as opposed to the usual 'let's see how much food I can eat out of the youth cupboard before someone makes me feel drastically guilty about it' mood (for the record, one pudding cup, two cans of ravioli, three juice boxes, four granola bars and two waffles).
Hearts,
-J-

Julianne 'Damage Control'

I'm officially that person that people invite to parties to keep them from doing stupid things. After two admitted instances of this happening in the course of several days, I'm convinced that I should put 'Damage Control' in between my first and last name.

I guess I just have the perfect balance of common sense, integrity and nonjudgment. I didn't realize that I was so trusted and it's weird to realize it all at once. I am apparently the most reliable embodiment of common sense. Maybe I'm really good at convincing people that things are bad ideas, the person that people believe in to keep them from making stupid drunk decisions. My superpower, maybe. I'm the Batman of parties.

Too bad that some of my friends are such sloppy white hoes. Will and Missy are currently at a stalemate over who is more so. It's frighteningly even.

If this persona turns out to actually be a thing, I have quite a job set out for me when university rolls around. And I'll make a really good old lady someday.

Just musing and trying to get out of writer's block.
Hearts,
-J-

Phantom Style: a Halifax review

Halifax was pretty great.

Highlights include:

•  One pretty intense game of Apples-to-Apples.
• Posing with mall Santa with above group and later the entire choir.
• Seeing Elf the Musical, which was cute
• Going to a dinner theater. We saw a show called "Phantom of the Fishplant" which is as screwed up as it sounds. We came to the conclusions it was written for people of significant levels of intoxication, as the Phantom was Santa's alter ego and 'Gangnam "Phantom" Style' made an appearance.
• Seeing Breaking Dawn Part 2 with ten people. Aidan had the occasional outburst, we gave it a standing ovation and just generally pissed off the entire theater.
• Walking to a gas station in the middle of the night to buy ramen noodles. 
• Visiting a farmer's market and consuming food while we stopped to sing with Christmas songs with a vendor, found appropriate presents for people with hippie parents, and admired expensive and beautiful sweets. 
• Aidan, Imtiaz and my brother all acquired the same stalker: a slightly aggressive and obsessive niner girl. To this situation, Aidan responded with flusteredness, Imtiaz with fear, and my brother by curling up into a little ball of antisocialness, his usual state.

 I found some pretty nifty people to hang out with, some of whom I previously knew and others who I didn't. It was pretty good.

Now I'm back and have a pre-pre-exam rush since exams are at the end of January, giving us only two weeks of school after Christmas break. I also have a time off blackout at work for December, which is a colossal pain because I have a ton of choir things that I shouldn't miss. I'm going to try to convince the guidance office to let me have a free period next semester so I can deal with the sheer amount of things I need to do the rest of this year. So. Many. Things.
Hearts.
-J-