Hey, everyone, this is April, checking in from Manitoba one last time. I move into residence at Guelph on September 5th, and classes start on September 10th. The name of my residence is Johnston Hall. For some reason, when I received my housing assignment, that name made a chill go up and down my spine.
Okay, so last month I told you that Iris had a surprise planned for the memorial. She told me that she and Grandpa Jim had always gotten a kick out of that opening scene in The Big Chill, when the funeral recessional song is "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by the Rolling Stones. Iris told me that Jim wanted to have a similar effect for the music at his memorial, especially since folks would probably be expecting some WWII-era "standard" he and Elly liked to sing in the car together like a zillion times over the years. Iris told me that a few months back, she and Jim had sat down together reviewing songs on iTunes, and he'd picked out Green Day's "Time of Your Life." She also told me that Gramps decided it was about time for me to have an electric guitar, so they had a friend pick one up for me downtown. About midway through the memorial, I played my new guitar and Eva and I both sang the song. There were some shocked faces, but most people were laughing and crying at the same time. I think that's what Gramps was going for.
I got to know Claire a bit more while I was in town for the memorial. She wisely opted to stay at a hotel instead of at the 'manse, and when she noticed that I was feeling a little overwhelmed after the memorial, she was nice enough to offer her room as a place to duck out for a couple of hours. I can't even tell you what we talked about, I guess because our service made losing Gramps so real and so final, and I was in kind of a haze. But whatever we talked about, it helped. Though I had to make myself not stare sometimes--looking at Claire is so much like looking at pictures of Mom from when I was baby. Except with fashion sense and a flattering haircut.
While I was home, Mike told me that their apartment is too small to have both a dog and a rabbit, and that he was going to have to give away Butterscotch. I was upset at first, but he explained that he was giving Buttsy to his friend Tim. Tim's kids already have "bunny" experience and have proven that they can take good care of them.
I'm really nervous about school. I did well in high school, but I've heard some horror stories about "grade sticker shock" lots of people go through during first year of university. You get used to thinking of yourself as an "A" student and then in university, you're struggling for a "B." Liz has warned me that I'll be piled with more work than I ever thought possible and I'll wonder how I can even fit in time to eat, sleep, or breathe. She also said that I'll end up proving to myself that I can do it. Then they'll pile on MORE work, and the process repeats itself, so my definition of what's possible will keep shifting. Somehow, this doesn't make me less nervous! Anyway, my classes for first semester are Biology I, General Chemistry I, Physics, Calculus I, and one Arts and Social Science Elective, which for me will be a music-composition class. Maybe I should just sign up for tutoring right away.
While I was home, Mike told me that their apartment is too small to have both a dog and a rabbit, and that he was going to have to give away Butterscotch. I was upset at first, but he explained that he was giving Buttsy to his friend Tim. Tim's kids already have "bunny" experience and have proven that they can take good care of them.
I'm really nervous about school. I did well in high school, but I've heard some horror stories about "grade sticker shock" lots of people go through during first year of university. You get used to thinking of yourself as an "A" student and then in university, you're struggling for a "B." Liz has warned me that I'll be piled with more work than I ever thought possible and I'll wonder how I can even fit in time to eat, sleep, or breathe. She also said that I'll end up proving to myself that I can do it. Then they'll pile on MORE work, and the process repeats itself, so my definition of what's possible will keep shifting. Somehow, this doesn't make me less nervous! Anyway, my classes for first semester are Biology I, General Chemistry I, Physics, Calculus I, and one Arts and Social Science Elective, which for me will be a music-composition class. Maybe I should just sign up for tutoring right away.
So, assuming I survive all this, in the spring semester of my third year in the BSc program, I'll apply for the DVM program. If I get accepted, I'll start the following fall. Then I'll have another four years of school, including an externship between the third and fourth years of the DVM. So if everything goes as I hope, I'll be a veterinarian by May of 2016. For some reason, Mom thinks that when I'm done with all that, I'll want to move out to Alberta and work for the Calgary Stampede. She really doesn't know me at all.
Speaking of Mom--well, I'm going to leave it to Mike and Dee to update you on her. As you've heard, there have been some bad developments with her and... I just really don't want to get into all that right now. It really upsets me, in so many different ways.
That's all I've got for now. I'll check in with you again in October.
April
Speaking of Mom--well, I'm going to leave it to Mike and Dee to update you on her. As you've heard, there have been some bad developments with her and... I just really don't want to get into all that right now. It really upsets me, in so many different ways.
That's all I've got for now. I'll check in with you again in October.
April