huzzah!
so today i had a meeting with my bosses to see what the deal is going to be with my job over the next few months/year...
i knew that i was getting a raise, but had no idea by how much.
turns out, that as of mid- or late-april (depending on paper work), i will be making 20 bucks an hour!! hurray!!!!!
other good things:
-my job is so flexible this summer that i can schedule myself whenever i want, with the option of working entirely from home some weeks... (or from new york some weeks?)
-instead of only doing proof-reading on grants, i will be doing research on government policy pertaining to medical research funding, and helping grant writers to align their proposals with government/funding mandates. EXCITING! (actually)

also:
-sunshine!
-photos!
-potlucks!
-change your hair, change your life!

CLOUD SEEDING!

also... amazing vegan food blog

furthermore, tonight i went veganomicon crazy and made their black bean burgers, sour cilantro cream, and mushroom gravy... plus yam fries.
i modified the second half of the veggie burger batch by adding extra tomato paste, plus a bunch of soy sauce, and some chopped up walnuts. YUM!

i need:
-more photoshop skills.
-a new camera lens and a dedicated flash.
-for the weather to dispense with the raining, already.
-to decide what vegan dish to make for wednesday.
-to find out when my US visa application is due.

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i've been reading a lot of creepy things about the beijing olypics lately...
for instance, there is a large river that used to run through beijing, which they have "revitalized" for the olympics... turns out that they likely just diverted ground water from poor farming communities (ps. there's a huge drought in that area of china right now...).
There was another instance where they brought in a crew to "green" a small town just outside of beijing... literally. There was a huge, unsightly rock face next to a forested area, on a highly visible, low mountain... they PAINTED IT GREEN so that it would look as though is were also covered in trees. Not to mention the displacement of over 100 000 residents for the olympics, and the fact that they will likely be seeding the clouds several days before the olympics so that the air is clean enough for the events to actually take place... FUN!

I LOVE GOOD DESIGN!

dear dustin,
your family is amazing.
hearts!
-altaira

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-this weekend, i took a trip with dustin to nanoose bay his dad's 60th birthday.
so much rad.
-i took over 600 photos.. and hopefully they don't turn out to all be crap when i actually see them at a size larger than 2x1.
-dustin's 80-something year old grandpa was all savy on digital cameras and computrons. amazing.
-some guy ate some goldfish. this was gross. it made me hate things.
-sometimes when you miss the ferry, and dustin's dad is still kind of drunk from the night before... he'll just pay for you to take a float plane instead...
-do you know gary bromley?!?

edit: also... here's a thought to leave you with... PATCHWORK LEATHER SHORT SHORTS.
like father, like son?

-cold tea is the work of the devil.
-i have so many hangovers.
-i told myself that i wouldn't talk about certain things anymore... then i did. oops.
-i want to sing in a band.
-hey friends, i want to sing in a band.
-why does the 10:30 ferry happen?
-djarums are better for my health than cell phones.
-(i'm still a little drunk).
-time to get some juice.

i like:
-getting mail that is not composed solely of bills.
-things that are handmade
-stationary
-writing notes
-drawing

this summer, i am going to start writing letters to peeps that i care about.
if anyone is interested in a mail exchange, even if you live in vancouver, hit me on my beeper... then we can start gang-banging canada post together.

OMG!!!
I am actually almost done this god-damn paper!!!
i never want to write anything about climate change ever again!!
oh wait, i have to write about it in my environmental assessment of VANOC and the IOC!!
shit, son! i've slept like 16 hours in 5 days!!

how's that for overzealous, DUS-TIN?!?!?

remember the movie "ghost dad"?

EVERYONE IS MOVING TO THE WEST END!!! HOLLAH!!!

things that i like:
-almond butter
-not wearing pants
-long, meaningful conversations
-crushes
-blogspot
-flax, walnut and grapeseed oils.

things that i do not like:
-apples that are all powdery inside
-the lack of interesting tights in vancouver
-breakups
-how sensitive my skin is
-the feeling of mediocrity
-foot cramps

several peeps have been very encouraging wrt nyc... i really think that it's going to happen... and i am so incredibly stoked.

so... it turns out that there's a reason that i am always the one doing laundry....

light pink v-necks, anyone?


(i love you, jake!!!! hearts!! better luck next time, little muffin!!)

last night i had a dream that i just kept rinsing out this pot, but no matter how much i rinsed, it was still full of dish soap.
mike lecky then came into the kitchen and got angry at me for being a hypocrite and wasting water...

isn't reading about other people's dreams both interesting and exciting?

-i've decided that my look for the summer is going to be tweed dress shorts, with v-necks, cardigans, knee high socks and canvas sneakers.
-the stock market makes the best soup ever! if the water taxi or whatever was cheaper, i would come home from school/work via granville island every single day.
-i am SO TIRED of doing research.
-also... SO TIRED (literally) as a result of doing research.
-the sun outside made me so happy today.
-dear thurday, i can't wait until have come and gone and this last f-ing term paper is done (until the last one, which is due on the 28th... do do do)
-la!

best dinner ever!



burritos filled with:
- shredded beets and carrots
- spinach
- sprouts
- a mixture of black beans and tomatoes
- mushrooms sauteed in veggie stock
- slice of vegan cheese
- amazingly tasty sauce made with tahini, garlic, lemon, dill, paprika, avocado and flax oil.
- mixture of jasmine and black thai rice. (black rice has more iron!)

YUM!!

OMG, KIDS!!
I've just been informed that i've WON THE IRISH LOTTERY PROGRAMME!!!
Holy shit, bitches!!

the internet!

sometimes you have to accept that there are just some things that you will never know.

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something that i mentioned in passing in a recent lj post... but that i actually really need help with...
i'm doing my damndest to go to new york for a few months this summer...
help!
connections!
advice!
i need it!
if new york turns out to be too expensive, there is a chance that i will go somewhere else just to get the hell out of the 'couv for a few months... in any case, if you can offer any help with new york stuff, whether it be friends who want to cheaply sublet their apt/room/alcove with a couch in it... or hookups for a potential job that can actually support me financially while i am there...
or you want to pay to live in mine and jake's closed off dining room (bedroom) for a few months...
yeah. that is all.