Because Kayla told me to.

Apparently I am a very unsuccessful comment whore. I'm like the Elgin St. of comments. Whatever the case, here are the answers to the questions posed in the two paltry comments that appeared. Liz and Kayla, please make your way to the good books. You'll find a place sectioned off for you.

Liz's "Six things you wonder about me"

1. I wonder what you're up to. I'm just hanging out. I ate a sandwich and some soup when I got off of work. They were quite good.
2. I wonder if you found something to fill that 18 minutes of time on your radioshow with. Yes. And it is glorious. But I want it to be a surprise for all those who plan on listening. Then I will tell you what it is.
3. I wonder what the first White Stripes song was that you listened to (or remembered really liking)
"Fell in Love With a Girl." I remember being struck by the vocals and the drumming in particular. I was not accustomed to so much crash cymbal in a song before.
4. I wonder if a movie ever frightened you as a kid. "The Land Before Time" kept me up at night.
5. I wonder if you appreciate your good qualities enough. I have a theory that you don't. Your theory is correct. If I took time to appreciate my good qualities I wouldn't be working on my bad ones.
6. I wonder what it would be like if we had gone to the same high school, or known each other for a long time. "I want you." "You want me to what?"

Liz's "One question for me"
1. What did you think of "To Kill A Mocking Bird"? I keep forgetting to ask you.

I enjoyed it most hearitly. Possibly more than the aforementioned soup. I feel like I learned more about writing from a detailed reading of this book than from many courses I took at LU.

Kayla's "Six things you wonder about me"

1. What your life was like before you came to Laurentian? Kind of aimless actually. Who knew that you had to go to university to focus your plans?
2. What was the first album you ever purchased? You're going to love this: "Navy Blues" by Sloan.
3. How did you get into acting? My mom was in a lot of play with a local group in Peterborough, and I would be in the chorus of them sometimes, or as "Boy #3" who gets the "Golly! That's swell!" line.
4. How you and Jenny met? I was the assistant stage manager for a play in 1st year, and I showed up for the first rehearsal 1/2 an hour late (I was told the wrong time) and Jenny was the stage manager. I walked into the middle of someone's monologue. Needless to say, I stood out. After the rehearsal I hung out with Jenny while she waited for a ride, and I developed a grade-school crush on her.
5. How did YOU meet Luke? Erica asked me to be in her Directing class Pyramus and Thisbe, and Luke was in it as well.
6. If you would make out with Jack White if he asked you to? I wouldn't even think twice. And seeing as he's so big on the number 3, perhaps Meg would join us.

Kayla's "One question for me."

1. What is one thing you've done that you feel incredibly guilty about?

I unknowingly made a joke about a brain tumour in front of a girl who's father had died three months previous of a brain tumour. In fact the joke was about the girl having a brain tumour. I don't make jokes like that any more.

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Also, I graduated! Effing LU damn near screwed me out of a place in the ceremony though. I was originally slated to be in the spring 2006 convocation, but I had to go to a wedding. So I called them up and had them switch me over to the fall 2006 ceremony instead. On the phone everything was hunky dory. I should have known better than to be so trusting.

So fast forward to a few months later, October 24th. Stephie's gotten her letter telling her where to go and what to do on Ceremony day (Oct. 28th). Ditto Jay, who's had more trouble than anyone getting to this point, administratively speaking. Andrew doesn't have a letter, so he calls up the registrar's office, who promptly tells him that they never recieved he application for graduation. He explains the situation with the wedding, and they tell him they will call him back. An abrupt woman phones back a few minutes later and Andrew explains the situation again. She informs our hero that his original application for graduation (filled out in May) was more than likely thrown out, and that he should have filled out a new one this time around. Andrew explains that this was never presented as the proper situation to him. Abrupt woman then tries her darndest to convince Andrew to simply graduate next June, because "This really won't affect you in any way." Andrew bites back the crushing urge to affect this woman into a coma and tells her that he has family coming from a long distance away and it would be most inconvenient for them to reschedule. She says to come in a fill out a form and then promptly hangs up. A snippet from the conversation:

A: What do I have to do to get into the ceremony on Saturday?

B: Come in a fill out a form.

A: [not taking any chances this time] And that will get me in the ceremony on Saturday?

B: Probably.

A: 'Probably' is not quite good enough.

B: *huff.*

Bottom line, I got to be in the ceremony and receive the diploma, though my name was left out of the program, leaving me to panic until the last moment that I would be next in line to go on stage and my name would not be read, or that the diploma would be on the back of a cocktail napkin. As such, it was read and I got to have a suitably awkward conversation with Judith Woodsworth (whoever she is). Am I wrong to wonder why I'm supposed to be honoured to receive my degree from this woman who I have had no contact with throughout my university career and have no connection with? I'd much prefer to get it from a prof, but knowing my luck I'd be stuck in a photo op with Tom Gerry.

My family was good enough to make an enormous racket as I crossed the stage, which brings to mind this story from my brother's graduation:

[Ian walks onto the stage to receive his diploma. Louds cheers of approval from family.]

Chancellor of Guelph University: It sounds like you've got a lot of support out there.

Ian: I sure do.

Chancellor of Guelph University: Don't let them down.

Contrasting with my own graduation:

[Andrew walks onto the stage to receive his diploma. Louds cheers of approval from family.]

Judith Woodsworth: So tell me about the cheering section.

Me: Those are my parents, my girlfriend, and a couple of my friends.

J.W.: Oh. [pause] That's very nice.

Sort of lacking in the wisdom category, dontcha think? However, the Chancellor of Guelph also told my mother that her shirt was nearly transparent, so... who knows?

Here are a couple of pictures of me with the people who matter most: