I feel out of my element here

It takes an instant to destroy, and a lifetime to regain. If you don't give someone a reason to trust, how can they?

THE ONE WHO STOLE MARILYN'S BANANA,

my roommate who smells good


my last Laurier dining hall perogies, ever. what? i'm nostalgic

after a boys drunken night out, jam session at kevin's house. that is marcus passed out on kevin's floor

kevin was really into singing about killing whores. he's scary when he's really drunk

shannon is a master of freestyling. and also at doing chin ups in mid-air

last Sunday, I made Spinach Cannelloni's for my roommates, it took forever!

...but it was worth it! yumm

HILARIOUS!!!

OMG IT SMELLS SOOOOOOOOOOOO BADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Okay, this is my third time telling this story. I warn you, please don't judge me for the things I am about to say. I am not a racist, I am a realist.

hahaha
my new roommate is a nightmare

how bad?

we were BEGGING for Winnie back

It's LAUUUUNNDDRRRY time. Not.

yesterday was a good send off with all-you-can-eat sushi for dinner with a whole bunch of people. later on, dustin and gang hit up morty's but me and becky didn't end up going. i had a lot of packing/cleaning to do, and i ended up sleeping around 5AM.

exams - over!
the absolute delight didn't come until right now. just spent the last four hours packing and cleaning. all my shit is upstairs ready to go, and now my room is echoing as i type. it's brilliant.

everything in the kitchen area is clean (it's probably going to be a mess once winnie comes storming through), but i still feel satisfied nonetheless

cathy, you're good to go.
and so am i

happy last day of school

• Koziol is biased and an overall poor professor. I don't care if you think I am being harsh, it still doesn't make the statement any less true. I would gladly debate this topic to anyone who knows her and who's had her teach you. Otherwise, if you don't know her, you have no opinion and no right to say that I may be wrong

• Girls are either best friends, bitches, or backstabbers. Why can't girls have the same kind of "chum" camraderie as males have with each other? They care about popularity, vanity, impressing guys. What happened to the hos > bros statement that Brooke so adamantly supported? Guys will break your heart so why do us girls keep going back for more?

• It's all about looking cool. Why do people act different around me or treat me differently depending on the group of people around us? I'm tired of being people's "secret" friend in private, but being completely dissed in public. It's insulting how I'm such a good friend and listener one moment, but another, I can't possibly be seen with.

• I deserve better. Lately, my standards have been steeply declining as I struggle with my feelings of self worth. The environment around me is making me feel like I am a lesser version of myself. My inadequacies are evolving into a sense of desperation. I'm only freakin 20, but why do I feel so rushed for time?

Okay hold up, this started out as a bitch entry about Koziol.

The thing about me is that when something belongs to me, I'll be very reluctant to share it with other people. If it's mine, it's mine. If you want one of yours, then I'll be more than glad to get you one of your own for you to enjoy. Just don't take or use mine.

Like food. When I buy lunch, I don't like it when people start digging into what I have. I bought this lunch for me to enjoy and if I felt obliged to share it, I would have bought a bigger lunch to begin with.

Or using things like my laptop, my hair straightener, my printer.

I don't like when people take or use my things at home without asking, like a water bottle or my shampoo. Or using my personal pots and pans. And I always feel like I'm supplying everything, like the toilet paper, the paper towels, tissue paper, the dish and hand soap, even the dish-washing gloves. I wouldn't mind if everyone was pitching in, but now I feel like everyone is using my stuff and the minute I stop supplying, no one will do a thing about it.

it's ICE week. basically, classes are done and all of the third year BBAS are randomly put in groups of 5 or 6 and have to take part in this "integrated case exercise." it's an in-depth case analysis where we are presented this 23 page case on a participating company (this year, NuComm is our focus) and have to develop a recommendation on how to solve the underlying issues using external research and integrating everything we learned in business up to this point.

ICE is definitely a big deal. they hosted this ICE kick-off party at the Turret yesterday and i was pretty deadset on not going. also, Dustin was having this pre-drinking party for our core. since clubbing is really not my thing, i decided to just have some drinks and then go home and put together the Operations report since it was due the next day.

around 9, me, becky, hassina, shannon, kevin, mario and renee left our place for Dustin's. me, shannon, renee and kevin were drinking this nastiest vodka ever mixed with coke and then i made renee play rock-paper-scissors with me and she kept losing and i kept pouring her straight vodka and forcing her to drink it. I GOT POOR LITTLE RENEE SO DRUNK! a lot of people from our class was there - it was fun! and then everyone headed to the turret, but for some reason, me, Spencer, Shannon and Gerald were the last to leave so we ended up walking together and having a nice conversation.

by that point, i was pretty much drunk. i really didn't want to go to the turret but they forced me to go, and thus is the explanation for my infamous line of the night: "I gotta go home and do Ops!"

i basically said that line all night, and i realize that when i'm drunk, i don't say a lot of stupid things, i just stupidly say one thing over and over (refer to Vanessa's drunken birthday party where I kept saying "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!").

oh yeah, before we got to the turret, we ran into renee and mario. they didn't let her in because she was so drunk! LOL. gangbar led me upstairs and i kept the coolest face even though i was so unbelievably freaking gone at that point - and they let me in! also i remember repeating, "They're so stupid! They let me in!" a lot, in the bar.

i lost my money because Dustin offered to buy me a drink but i gave him my money and he kept giving it back but i wouldn't take it. and then he gave me my change and i dropped it all over the floor, and some people told me they saw me giving money out to people - i don't even remember this at all! i lost 40 bucks man!!! damn my drunken generosity!!!

it was a fun night. i remember running into absolutely everyone and having these hilarious conversations, and hugging all of these random people from my core - some of which i've never even talked to in class before. today, a lot of people i don't even remember seeing last night came up to me and asked me if i was alright because i was so drunk the night before, and that i was hilarious because i kept saying "I have to go home and do ops."

i was so dizzy so i wanted to go home, but i couldn't find my keys and i kept asking everyone where they were. i ended up finding becky and getting her keys off her - i ran off home (by myself), stumbled everywhere and toppled over our garbage can, went to my room and i totally forgot i didn't have my keys on me. STORY OF THE YEAR: i tried to knock down my door but i couldn't and then i got tired and i was so dizzy, i ended up passing out on the nasty floor in front of my door, and then i started puking and i fell asleep. i woke up a little after that because i was really cold and uncomfortable, remembered that i had becky's keys so i went into her room and passed out on her bed. keep in mind folks, i still had an ops report to put together!

this is what i found out today. gerald and becky came home, gerald scrubbed my puke and becky washed my nasty pukey sweater for me (i'm throwing it away). i felt really bad. i woke up around 7am and my head was spinning but i wasn't stumbling anymore and i went to my room and saw the door open. becky was sitting on my bed doing ops. at 8, she went to class and i got up and went to my bed and i had to literally force myself to wake up at 11 because there was an ICE information session we had to attend.

i wasn't tired but my head was just throbbing, and i had that constant feeling of wanting to puke. i felt like i had a fever, i was so ill. everything irritated me - noise, sunlight, smells. i can't even think about alcohol without feeling sick. i went to school and it was funny because everyone knew about my puking story or they saw how drunk i was at the turret. me, kevin, colin and hendry had lunch (which made me feel SO much better) and i kept telling them how i STILL had to go do OPS! hahahahaha

we left our last slice of pizza on a plate on the kitchen counter as "bait." this morning, it's gone. winnie ate OUR pizza. who does that? steal someone's food off their plate. next time, we should put vinegar or something nasty on the pizza, and teach her a lesson of not stealing people's food or belongings in general.

our potential fourth roommate aka "winnie replacement" is coming in soon to check the place out. i feel sorry for her because she's going to have to step into her room. she's probably going to be scared shitless. if i like her, i'll show her my room so that she doesn't think all of our rooms look like the aftermath of a hurricane

//pictures


old room VS new room
the most important change is that my bed is against the wall so i can sit back on my bed comfortably. i moved the boxes behind my bed and made myself a little bookshelf/printer area. with the boxes from behind my bed gone, i needed a place to put my alarm clock so i moved my little drawer beside my bed


me and becky never curled our hairs before (at least not by ourselves), so she wanted to try on me and here are the results. i really liked it, even though i can never really get that vanessa hudgens look. becky rocks


me & crazy person aka lilMAN @ sushi on friday


last month. after class, kevin broke off some huge icicles hanging off the AC roof, and we had a duel LOL

some nasty guy shows up at our door asking for winnie. sure. he comes in, goes to her nasty room and they chat or do whatever. that's fine. three hours later, we hear the shower go on and muddled voices of winnie and her friend. me and becky exchange looks... and then becky says, "Walter" and i'm like, "Oh! Right."



half an hour later, the front door rattles and Walter walks through. i'm like, "If you're here... then WHO's in the shower?!" then we exchange looks again...of realization, horror, and utter, utter disgust! we look down the steps and the shower is still on - and we hear Winnie and the guy chatting it up... in the washroom, with the shower on... what the fuck?! HUH!?

i don't care how she decides to orient her lifestyle... gay, straight, bi-sexual - WHATEVER!
but don't be showering it up with random girls or guys alike in our bathtub, giggling and doing who knows what in there! OR AT LEAST WAIT UNTIL NO ONE IS HOME to be nasty!! eewww what the hell... is going on!!!

Hi Marilyn,

First of all I'm sorry the apartment was a disaster when you moved in. Unfortunately, we didn't own the place at that time. There is no way Michelle or I would ever rent a place out that isn't spotless let alone as filthy as you said it was.

As for the rent increase I will drop it to $5 month so it will be $405 for yourself and Becky. Someone will have to take responsibility for the hydro bill and we will need to set that up later (in Aug).

I appreciate you girls are clean and considerate tenants, I hope we can have another good year. Maybe you guys should think about hiding a spare key.

Thanks,
Scott

Hi Marilyn and Becky,

Please forward this email on to your roommates as I only have your email addresses.........

We are working on getting all of the leases and tenants set up for the Sept 08 - Aug 09 period. I just wanted to touch base with you about a few changes to make sure you guys will be staying and that you do indeed have someone to fill Winnie's room.

First change is that all rents are increasing slightly.......
New Rates as follows affective September 1, 2008
Marilyn's room will be $410.00/mth
Becky's room will be $410.00/mth
Ira's room will be $385/mth
Winnie's room $425/mth

Second change is that all units will now be responsible for paying their own hydro bill. We will continue to pay for heating and other building utilities. For your unit (C) the average monthly bill will be approximately $100/mth divided by the four of you. We will have to make arrangements with Waterloo North Hydro to have the billing changed over to your name for September 1st.

No one likes to hear about rate increases however just so you know your rooms are still the cheapest in the house. All of the other 12 rooms in the house pay minimum $450 up to $475 and once you guys move out your rooms will be rented at $450 plus hydro as well. Please feel free to call me if you want to discuss the changes.

Please confirm that you still wish to remain in your unit for next year and let me know if you have someone to fill Winnie's room so I can get a lease signed as soon as possible. If you don't have someone please let me know and I will post the room for rent and start showing it right away.

Hope all is well with school, Becky you're doing well -you haven't been locked out for at least a month :)

Thanks,
Scott

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Scott,
I wanted to let you know that you can start posting the room for rent and filling Winnie's room. In addition, I heard about the changes and I just want to discuss the rent increase with you.

The main thing that attracted us to the place was the rent and the fact that utilities were all inclusive. We were told by the previous landlord that the place was going to be all cleaned up for all of us and the carpets were going to be steam cleaned, etc. by the time we moved in - it was something he was adamant about. When I moved out of the place I previously lived at, we were required to make sure everything was clean and all of our belongings were gone before we moved out. But when we got here, the place was a complete mess.

No cleaning took place at all and you could tell that the previous tenants just left their mess for us. The bathroom was the worse of it. The tub had this horrid stain and there were cobwebs and spiders that infested it; the refrigerator was absolutely disgusting (with leftover rotting food), the previous tenants left so many of their things behind that we had to dispose of for them; and the bedrooms were dusty and dirty. It's really not something I can exaggerate, the place was inhospitable.

Me and Becky spent a week cleaning and scrubbing and killing spiders and vacuuming and mopping. Actually the first time we met you, you caught us cleaning the fridge. The point is, we worked really hard beyond imagine and it took a lot of hard work and effort to make that place livable for us - even when the place was already supposed to be clean, at least, moderately for us.

The reason we're happy here is we worked so hard and we keep the place in good condition as best to our ability. It makes it so much more difficult for us to leave. Now with this sudden increase in rent and having to pay for these significant cost of utilities every month, I feel helpless because we already made the decision and the preparations to stay and now that our rent has increased, we have no choice but to accept it. I am sincerely asking you if we could at least continue paying $400 for our rooms for next year. We have no living area, a very narrow space, one bathroom for four people, and we live in the basement. It's harder to clean, there's constantly insects and spiders, and we constantly have to bear the sound of footsteps and loud noise and music above us. We are willing to pay for the hydro if it is something we are responsible for, but I just want to know if Becky and I can keep the flat rate of $400 for our rooms. We are really thankful to have you as our landlord (especially when you rescued us when we locked ourselves out) and we wish to continue living here.

Thank you Scott for everything,

Marilyn Luong

i just got back from hotpot with the boys, and i feel somewhat disturbed and somewhat sexually harassed (don't ask why). i came back and started taking some pictures of my place for the girl i'm subletting out to. considering i never take pictures (even when i sometimes try to make the effort to), i am taking this opportunity to give you a little tour of my tiny casa.


upstairs. you can see the lovely recycling bins <3 src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2119/2199154238_d8af5671f1_m.jpg">
kitchen. it's pretty spacious, i love it


cupboard/sink area


becky is adamant on protecting her $200 ikea table set, so we have to eat on dollar store tablecloth lol. that's my TV in our faces - we always watch while eating


these very steep stairs lead to the basement where the bathroom and our rooms are. these are also the famous steps where i fell and twisted my ankle because ira put the stupid spider on the window sill which distracted me


this is the washroom, post-toilet crisis. back to normal, spick and span because of becky and marilyn's awesome cleaning skills. you can see our bath mats hanging to dry from yesterday's incident. winnie came home and scrubbed all our bathmats like a good girl so i'm not angry


me & becky occupy the top two shelves. lol all winnie and walter have is a toothbrush and toothpaste


our shower


ira's room. a tiny room for a tiny person. picture from a month ago when justin, james and vinson raided our house while we were working on operations assignment. ira loves monkeys


then they raided my room


becky's room. i took this picture like an hour ago. she has a lot of stuff


some old pictures of my room. it's actually bigger than it looks in pictures


my beautiful desk that i love too much


spidey returns!!!


my open closet/door area. it makes me feel like i'm living in a dorm, but that's okay. i actually like that my clothes are visible and easily accessible


and just for kicks, here's an old picture of me eating at our favourite place (the new one): ye's sushi!