At 1:15 pm (a.k.a. Naptime)

Michelle: You know, Jodi, Bucky's not looking too good. I think he might be on his last legs. He's all hole-y and stuff.

Jodi: Uh oh.

Michelle: You know what that means.

Jodi: No, what?

Michelle: IT'S TIME TO GET MARRIED!!!!

Michelle: Because, marriage is, after all, the only legitimate reason to get rid of a baby blanket.

Jodi: No, I think you should seriouly still keep him even after you're married.

Ringmaster

I think it is unfortunate that there are not more teachers worthy to remember. Indeed, there are many teachers we do remember, but most often for reasons that we shouldn't.

I always thought Mrs. Peterson was a teacher worth remembering. When I started the sixth grade, she started teaching sixth grade Language Arts for the first time, and unfortunately, I think it may also have been the last time. Normally she was a grade 2 or 3 teacher.

Mrs. Peterson gave us room to roam. She gave us room to create. To write. To explore. To publish. She was the young writer's dream teacher.

She was also the reason why I wrote the following story at age 12, which won a provincial writing contest at the time.

The Wooden Circus Set

There it was, sitting in the corner of my room, the little red wooden cage full of wooden animals, people and poles, and a tent, finely decorated with paint and silver sparkles. Best of all, in bright, gay yellow lettering on the top of the cage were the words: SHRINE CIRCUS. My five-year-old imagination ran wild when that little cage was opened and the contents were put together.

Dreamily, my eyes closed, and I felt dizzy and small. As I opened my eyes, I saw the wooden tigers and elephants, the clowns and acrobats, ALIVE! I couldn't believe it! I was actually in my circus set, except that there was a crowd! But where was the ring-master? I felt a tingle up my spine, I wasn't wearing my simple plain dress, long stockings and black shoes. But what was I wearing? As I looked down I saw a ring-master outfit!

"Come on!" a clown yelled, "You're on!" As I ran into the ring, not knowing what to say, I remembered what the ring-master had said at the Circus I had gone to the year before. I began: "Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls..."

Copyright Michelle Johnston, 1991.

They Have a Word For It

"Finding a name for something," says Howard Rheingold, "is a way of conjuring its existence."

torschlüsspanik: the German word for "the frantic anxiety experienced by unmarried women as they race against the 'biological clock.'"

kyoikumama: The Japanese word for "mother who pushes her children into academic achievement."

bol: The Mayan word for "stupid in-laws."

treppenwitz: The German word that refers to the "clever remark that comes to mind when it is too late to utter it."

- from "They Have a Word for It: A Lighthearted Lexicon of Untranslatable Words & Phrases," by Howard Rheingold.

Fame

"On the Web everyone will be famous to 15 people."
- David Weinberger

Bark Bark

Do you ever just find it absolutely useless to fight the insatiable urge to bark at a tied up dog outside that you know can't chase you?

Because, sometimes I just can't help myself. ;)

Question

What is your favourite post? On any blog, I mean. On your blog. On my blog. On Bob's blog. On Mr. Joe Schneider's even.

Hmm... I think Mr. Joe Schneider's would be, like, the coolest blog name ever. I wish I had thought about mine more before I called it Mikao's World.

Anyways, I digress. Thank you for your answers in advance.

Yours truly,
Michelle

New 'Do

Me and my roomdawg Jodi went and got hair cuts tonight. We were a little concerned about whom we would have cutting our hair. Jodi ascertained that she would rather have someone young and hip with a few years of experience choppin' her locks. I concurred. Thus, we selected what we thought sounded like the hipper salon out of the two at the mall from out of the phone book and made two appointments.

We arrived. Two older ladies showed up from their break. Jodi got the older one. She got a big 'do. I am sure it will be okay once Jodi can style it herself.

I got the younger one. My hair isn't too bad. But you know when you go shopping and afterwards your hands feel all gritty? Especially, like, after you go thrift store shopping and you forgot to bring Purrell or WetNaps with you? That's what my hair feels like. I am sure it will be fine after I wash it.

Check Your Spam

Well well!!
The world breaks everyone and afterward many are stronger at the broken places.

Would Worlld thhe in Sofftware Reetail Beest and Newwest have to like you?
Beolw the stofware of hundreds many examlpes few a are titels we have available to you :
Microfost Windows XP Pesrofsional 39.95
Microsooft Offfice XP Prrofessional 59.95 (frrom 579.99 retail)
Coorel Draw Graphics Suite 11 69.95
Adboe Phoohtsop 7.0 59.95
3D Studio Max v6 229.95 (from 6500.99 retail)
&more &more &more and MORE


All porgramsAEM
It is not the insurrections of ignorance that are dangerous, but the revolts of the intelligence.

12:45pm, At The Kitchen Table

"We're talking about Michelle's toothbrush and we don't even need any clarification. This is just wrong."

- Mike

Brush Your Teeth

I currently have three toothbrushes and three tubes of toothpaste on the go.

It's not because I'm obsessed with personal hygiene. I mean, I think personal hygiene is important, but let's not be obsessed about it.

The reason I have three toothbrushes in a Mary Poppins' mug on my bathroom counter is because of the following factors: I have this really cool one that really should go... but it's hard to give it up. It's a good brusher. Then I bought a new blue one just before Christmas, and then I got a new lime green one for Christmas. The new one I just had to try, instead of save for when the blue one got old. So, thus, the three toothbrushes on the go.

The three toothpastes are due to the fact that I got one for Christmas and the other two I had because I like variety. Seriously, who wants to use the same toothpaste every day? Is this necessary and/or even logical? I don't think so. There are too many good flavours and/or mouthy freshnesses to choose just one.

Christmas 1983 I can remember getting this lovely mint green toothbrush with "Michelle" written on the handle in white capital letters. My American aunt gave me the toothbrush, so that automatically made it cool. But the fact that it had my name on it made it even cooler. I had that toothbrush for a long time. I kept it in one of the drawers under my bed when my Mom said I couldn't use it any more, just so I could take it out and look at it, it was that cool. (Mint green, by the way, was my favourite colour for about 15 years... I pretty much can't stand it anymore though after living with a barfo mint green desk for a year and a half of art school).

Back

So, I made it back at 6:15 this morning... I'm dead tired but it's nice to be here. :)

The following will describe my trip:

- very long
- mothball smell
- too many people
- 3 1/2 hours in Calgary
- freakin' COLD bus
- faux fur lady
- not enough sleep
- my luggage made it with me (Jodi's did not. She's been back from Brazil since Sunday. She thinks it's in Toronto. Maybe).

I should be writing papers, I have two due tomorrow. Thankfully my copy of this book arrived from amazon.ca, so I can attempt to finish the one paper that I started back in December.

Have a great day.

I like Christmas Holidays

If you do a search on Google, Mikao's World just happens to be the #1 result, and only result, for the query "I like Christmas holidays."

This is of course true, and the Google results are due to the fact that last December 27th I wrote a post where I used that phrase. I think it's neat to be reminded of where we were a year ago sometimes. i like Christmas holidays because they have no agenda... there is nothing specific that i need to accomplish.... nothing too exciting going on in my life these holiday days and that is just fine. : ) "

Today I find myself in pretty much the same spot as that. My Christmas holidays were spent with family doing nothing in particular, and I spent much of it knitting. :) My Mom got a scarf for Christmas, similar to the blue one I made last Christmas but a tad more complex.

I still wear that blue scarf. I'm still blogging on about Christmas holidays. I think I've done much in this past year between then and now. many things have changed, but some things remain very similar.

I'm thankful to be where I'm at. Today I spent the afternoon chatting with old friends. I'm looking forward to this new year and seeing what all it holds. Thank you to those who have chosen to be a part of it.

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
- Ephesians 3:17b-21

chuckle chuckle

i miss my friend holly. she's cool. except she doesn't update her blog too often.

but she's still cool.

"you need to have normal everyday conversation before you can have any good you know kind of conversation."
- holly

January Look

So, I've decided to do a new layout. What do you think? Is it too hard to read or anything like that? I'm still not totally done with it, so let me know. :)

And, have a fantastic day.

life

michelle says: i always end up in places i never thought i'd be

carly is converting says: That has to be pretty nice.

carly is converting says: To be somewhere unexpected.

carly is converting says: That's cool...

michelle says: hmmm... i never thought about it

michelle says: but you're right.

just kidding

i didn't actually leave yesterday. the bus was an hour and a half late, plus totally full... so, yeah, i'll try again tomorrow. i'll be later getting to school than i wanted, but it'll be okay.

on the road

Well, I'm once again travelling, I'll be back in Saskatchewan by tomorrow night at 7pm. I would l ike to just point out that it's 26 hours by bus for me to get back to school (via Edmonton and Calgary).

My roommate Jodi leaves at roughly the same time I do, albeit from Brazil, and arrives at the same time.

What's up with that!?!?!?!? :)

"Back to school, back to school, to prove to Dad..."

carries on without a doubt

so i've listened to evan and jaron's "crazy for this girl", oh, about 25 times today. at least.

and i thought i'd come and entertain you. actually, i'll let someone else entertain you. it's the beginning of the month. jay over at the plug has the new issue up. i like the tiny bumper stickers. i think they're hilarious. i want some.

i think i should probably write another new year's-ish post, but i don't feel like it. just yet. i read some of my archives from last year earlier today. i chuckled. i laughed. i remembered. i loved last january.

2003 was a good year. here's to 2004.

she rolls the window down
and she talks over the sound of the cars that pass us by
and I don't know why, but she's changed my mind

would you look at her as she looks at me, she's got me thinkin about her constantly
but she don't know how I feel, and as she carries on without a doubt
I wonder if she's figured out I'm crazy for this girl

she was the one to hold me the night the sky fell down
and what was I thinkin when the world didn't end
why didn't I know what I know now

and right now, face to face all my fears, pushed aside and right now
I'm ready to spend the rest of my life with you
- "Crazy for This Girl," by Evan and Jaron

it's a beautiful day

so, like i said to my family about 2 minutes before world idol started tonigh, kurt nilsen of norway won.

and no, i didn't cheat and check on the internet.

i knew, because it's obviously a part of U2's plan to take over the world.

year in review

trip to edmonton. return to school. vermicelli noodles. maria. positional paper stress. exit interview. phone chats with joanne. counselling adolescents and their families. hypothetical surreal valentine's day. phone call. the ten commandments (silent and classic). trip to Gramma's. youth quake. switchfoot concert. film class. assignments. scrapbooking. spring smell. seattle? soul searching. root cellar roof. cleaning. graduation. goodbyes. month at home. return to camp. june. paperwork. biking. flower pictures. chapel decorating. swiss chalet. staff training. trip to holly's. daily crafts. prayer meetings. mcdonald's sundaes with carolyn in the parking lot. three weeks. weekend in muskoka. whistle. friday note. weekend at heather's. weekend at sarah's. much thought, much prayer. return. scavenger hunt. trip to barrie. much thought, much prayer. staff problems. last two weeks. tuck shop. oscar nights. blue dress. last day. good byes. hugs. exchanged words. msn. week in ajax. flight west. new home. jodi and rachel. grasshoppers. spiritual formation . retreat at echo lake. wheatfield pictures. t-shirt. dropped romans. philosophy of ministry and mission. jillian's visit. trips to moose jaw with jodi. junior high youth ministry (last class). chicken mcnuggets and cheeseburgers. papers. Christmas musical practices. four performances. mrrp proposal. assignments for philosophy. trip to taber. Christmas. rest.

(idea taken from neely)