The End of 2008

The New Year is right around the corner. Christmas is behind us. Still got a couple of weeks before school starts. But even though I'm on my "winter break," I feel like I've been working hard, and I've got more work ahead of me.

I got my final marks in the other day. 4 out of 5 marks were a pass ("success!"). The 5th mark... I'm shy 3% of a pass. Which isn't good, because of my academic probation. I have to pass 5 courses in order to stay in school, see? If I don't, I get booted out for one academic year. Don't think it's over yet though. I've already got plans to try to get that last mark to a passing mark. I can't just challenging the man, but I've got to speak with him too. Call the teacher, see if there's anything I can do with him for a grade booster. Talk to my counsellor to see if I can get my probation extended, in the event of not being able to boost my mark. Either way, I've got a couple of plans to try to sort this all out. If nothing works... then I guess I go with my "This is what'll happen if I don't stay in school" plan. I just have yet to work out the specifics of that plan, but let's hope it doesn't come to that.

Toronto. Arrived on Wednesday, just in time for Christmas with the Cassidys. My father, his wife, and his parents live out here in Etobicoke, where I was born. But for this Christmas, my uncles and cousins and those extended branches of family were here too, thus somewhat obligating me to come. It's nice being in Toronto, but I feel a little... I don't know... suffocated with family. I leave to return to Montreal in an hour or so though. I think the highlight of the trip was seeing my friend Hannah, who I met at Improv Camp 2006. I hadn't seen her since last winter, when I was last in Toronto, so it was really nice spending a day in the downtown area with her.

Wait, no, there's another highlight. I got to see my cousin Phil. He's four years older than me. When we were younger, he was always "the older cousin." This trip, however, I think he was my best friend when it came to the family stuff. We're both adults now, and we're on the same level. Anyway, he's part of this awesome band that's doing really well for themselves. I plan on catching their next show, if I can. The point of this mention was that he and I got to catch up, which was totally awesome. And he says he's going to teach me an instrument, if I'm interested. Which I very much am. Guitar or piano, I suspect, but I'd be happy with either!

Montreal; I get back today. 6 hours sitting in a car, with an occasional stretch break (probably once or twice during the entire trip). And guess what; I work tonight! Which involves more sitting, but at a bar instead of in a car. A lot of sitting in one day. I think I might go to The Orphanage tomorrow. I'd go to The Pound, but that's more of a Thursday night thing.

(Confused yet? The Pound and the Orphanage are the "names" of places I like. I'll probably go more into it in a later post.)