"Keep looking for the peacefulness you are searching for.
Keep believing in the contentment you talk so endlessly about.
Keep trying to be all that you are.
Remember, the magic in life ends whenever you decide you have everything." - Deanna Beisser

Quotes

“Your problem isn’t trying to be who you are, but trying to be accepted by everybody in the way you think you should be accepted” - excerpt from 10 sec reading: Stay in the Desert by Paulo Coelho.

"Relax and don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does." - tweeted by @paulocoelho

Live a life that matters

Whether you are ready or not, someday your life will come to an end.

There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours, nor days.

All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.

It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.

Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear.

So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire.

The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won't matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived at the end.

It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant, even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success, but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered, or encouraged others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence, but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you are gone.

What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who love you.

What will matter is how long you will be remembered by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.

It's not a matter of circumstances, but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters.

Who did you just compare me to...?

"You're like a Sephiroth with an ailing Cloud in the vicinity. Gotta. Make. Him. Suffer." - Pauline

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is who I am. At least, that's according to the ever awesome (include your choice of adjectives here) lady who shall remain nameless. Oh wait, the name's already there as a source. NEVER MIND!

So I'm still alive. Yeah, I amaze myself too. I didn't think I'd make this long seeing how I have to dodge saw blades and flying pieces of wood launched by tablesaws. Then again, I create my fair share of chaos too. My hands? No, that's not dried blood. At least, I don't think so. If it is, then it certainly isn't mine. Hmm... Maybe I shouldn't have said that out loud.

So I headed back to Montreal this past Thanksgiving weekend. Saturday was spent with family of course. Sunday was monopolized largely by the Cheng family but that's to be expected. Sunday night, however, was the kicker. Poutine @ La Banquise. The one and only. THAT'S HOW A POUTINE IS SUPPOSED TO TASTE LIKE! Le Sigh... I already miss it. Okay, let's make this a rule/tradition/whatever the hell you want to call it: La Banquise at least once whenever I'm in town. I don't care if I have to drag you out of your bed at 3AM and bring you there freezing your ass off in nothing but your skivvies. You're coming with me.

There were far too many people I didn't get a chance to see/talk to when I was in town. Then again, it was a really short visit. Next one around, I promise I'll make some time for you.

Now to hit the sack and dream of the beach.

GERONIMOOOO!!

So I'm slowly recovering from the inevitable beating that was coming my way courtesy of a lady that shall remain nameless. That would be Pauline Huynh @ ... Okay. I'll refrain from giving out the address. As to why she put me in the hospital, that's because I haven't been updating this little space on the web. Brutal taskmaster and slave driver, eh? You must asking yourself how she was able to do that in the first place. Let's just say she busted out her bankai and I didn't stand a chance. I mean, one small part of it involves a freakishly tiny hippo wielding a sword so big and long, it puts Cloud and Sephiroth's respective weapons to shame.

Pauline, will you PLEASE get your mind out of the gutter? You're hopeless, you know that?

So I've been hired at M. Art. What is it? It's an architectural cabinetmaking firm based in Toronto that specializes mostly in commercial business. They dabble in residential as well but most of the business comes from restaurants and offices. Most of the commercial business they do are from scratch, meaning that there's very little renovation going on. Most projects are for new businesses or new branches of existing businesses. Most of these projects also have their own designers and architects so there will be a number of "Uhh... That's not going to work. Just ... no. And is it really supposed to look like _______?" Feel free to fill in the blank.

That's it for now, I suppose. Toodles!

Thank you for calling customer service.

GASP! Tis another update without the 5-month gap in between! Actually, it's because I've been threatened with bodily harm. I was promised and told in great detail about what would be done to me if I didn't make an effort to keep this lovely space on the intarwebs updated on a more semi-regular basis.

So I got the job I mentioned last time. Due to the confidentiality agreement I signed, I can't actually say too much. All I can really say without stepping past that line is that I'm working for MGT (Millennium Global Telecom) as a customer service representative. Long story short, I'm customer service for people who have trouble with calling cards. So if 93 year-old Grandma Olga is having difficulties calling her granddaughter in Uzbekistan, and she calls in to complain about it, I'll be fixing that. Or trying to. Or you know, if people have a vendetta against their calling card and scratch straight through it and can't read the pin properly, then I'm going to have to find out what their pin is.

Other than that, there's not much else going on. Ben, of course, keeps asking if I've met girls my age. He seems to be of the opinion that I'll marry before he does. Heh. I suppose it's always a possibility but given the fact that I haven't actively looked for a relationship for the past ... uh ... how many years now? Yeah. We'll see. haha

So that's it, I think? Well, aside from the fact that my boss and one of my co-worker (trainee, just like me) are really hot, there's not much more to say.

Now can you PLEASE call off Mr. Hippo? [curls into fetal position to rock back & forth to calm himself]

Another update? So quick? Tis a miracle!

Nothing elaborate like the last one. Just a quickie. As for you Pauline, get your mind out of gutter please. I know what weird thoughts suddenly flitted through your mind as you read that one.

I really should stop spoiling all you wonderful people but you're all wonderful for a reason so what's the harm?

So Le Jerm was able to land a job interview. So quick, you say? Why, of course! Due to my [non-existent] connections, I was able to secure an inbound CSR (Customer Service Representative) job for MGT. Interview is today (August 26) at 3 o'clock so remember to pray. For me? Well, sure if you want to but mostly for the company so that they have the good sense to hire someone as awesome as yours truly.

I realize it's only 9:30 but I'll leave you amazing people alone with your thoughts for now. Maybe I'll update later on? DUN DUN DUN!

Oh and here's a parting gift: Darth Vader dancing to "Can't Touch This" by the one and only MC Hammer.

An update? Are you quite sure?

So what's been happening in the wonderfully awesome life of Le Jerm? For one thing, he no longer resides in Montreal. Why? Did he go ahead and make a new city, calling it Awesomeville? No, nothing so amazing. Yet. It's on his list of things to do like eating tasty food, meeting new people, world domination and rescuing cute, fuzzy animals. In fact, he moved to a city its residents like to call Toronto.

But again... Why? He moved because he couldn't stand the sight of you. No, not you. Not you either. He's actually quite fond of you. As for you there, well... He hasn't publicly declared that he doesn't like you so you're safe. For now anyway. Rather, it's because of the obnoxious one in the back there with the haircut that screams "FRUITY!!". Actually, he moved because he was having quite some trouble finding a job. Yes, it actually happens to awesome people. It's the recession so nobody escapes. He's hoping for better luck in job hunting and, if the opportunity presents itself, to become even MORE awesome by taking more courses. You know, something along the lines of welding, people manipulation, plumbing or even auto mechanic. Oh and about the obnoxious one? He wasn't kidding.

Again, why? That's simple, really. If he's going to create Awesomeville from scratch by himself, he's going to need to know some basic skills. And no, he's not hiring henchmen. They have a bad reputation for being complete idiots who can't even hit a target at point blank range with a rocket launcher. That and he doesn't want them stealing his recipes for yummy food. They ARE rather hard to find nowadays.

So what is he doing in the meantime? He's hitting the town on a daily basis to try and understand how its public transit system works. He is quite pleased with there being AC on every aspect of the public transit system. He is, however, quite displeased (read: abhors) the price tag associated with such a travel method. Note: Make public transit free when Operation TO Takeover has been achieved.

He is also quite taken in by how inexpensive the food is. A bowl of soup noodle AND a glass of soy milk for only $4.50? Or perhaps a chicken steak meal complete with rice, deep fried sweet potato, fried egg (still runny, of course), a nice side salad, a soup and a drink for $7.00? And of course, there's the awesome Chinese supermarket dubbed T&T (not to be confused with the explosive compound TNT) with its fully stocked cooked food counter. He managed to nab a dozen giant dumplings for about $3.00. MMM... dumplings...

So will he ever go back to Montreal? Only if you behave. No, not talking to the obnoxious one. He's never coming back for you. He might be inclined to visit from time to time. You know, during a holiday or perhaps when there's a long weekend. He'll think about it. In the meantime, you should all definitely prepare feasts for when he arrives so he can stuff himself.

However, should the need to visit him overwhelm any self-control you have (and it should), then please locate one of these handy-dandy teleportation pads pictured below.

Please keep in mind that there may be some lag due to the system still being in its beta testing stages. Therefore, anybody using them should be patient and stand there like the good friend that are. Le Jerm would quite appreciate the time and effort expended on such a venture.

Now to get some rest. Quick advice before logging off: make sure your hairdresser doesn't talk you into trying out the new "stylish" haircut.

PS: Le Jerm was not present to type this message to you wonderful people (again, excluding the obnoxious one) so his laptop did the work, hence everything being in the 3rd person. And no, Skynet is not becoming a reality nor is it taking over. Skynet's got NOTHING on Le Jerm's laptop.

"A prototypical routine for a perfect baby, age four to six months" - Excerpt from The Perfect Baby Handbook by Dale Hrabi

7:00 a.m. Baby wakes up.

7:01 a.m. Surveys her domain.

7:03 a.m. Notes that Exersaucer is dusty again.

7:04 a. m. Announces this news piercingly.

7:07 a.m. Enjoys day's first feeding; forgets Exersaucer crisis.

7:31 a m. Burps triumphantly.

7:32 a.m. Savours brisk lavender aromatherapy massage.

7:40 a.m. Endures diaper change by flipping through Bon Appétit.

7:45 a. m. Considers toy options.

7:48 a. m. Compresses Squeezy Snake while murmuring what sound like conjugations of the French verb peter (to fart).

7:50 a.m. Is interrupted by Daddy, who's off to work.

7:51 a.m. Cocks head at nautical motif on Dad's tie. Sailboats? Really? In midwinter?

7:52 a.m. Waves goodbye to Dad in adorably "feeble" manner. Throws in crying fit for free.

7:59 a.m. Pulls self together.

8:00 a.m. Indulges Mom's new fascination with the Turtle Tooter Shape Sorter.

8:08 a.m. Finds thoughts drifting to Martin Scorcese's early work.

8:14 a.m. Falls in and out of love with a key chain.

8:20 a.m. Baby Pilates (10 minutes).

8:30 a.m. Poking things (20 minutes).

8:50 a.m. Poking things that turn out to be Mom's eyes.

8:51 a.m. Rolls over.

9:01 a.m. Performs loose interpretation of the Bride's solo dance from Martha Graham's 1944 ballet Appalachian Spring.

9:10 a.m. Silent meditation (One minute).

9:11 a.m. Semi-silent meditation.

9:15 a.m. Meditative shrieking.

9:30 a.m. Second feeding.

10:00 a.m. Nap.

12:30 p.m. Wakes up; coughs discreetly.

12:33 p.m. Diaper change.

12:38 p.m. Declares that new diaper makes her look chunky.

12:40 p.m. Supervises alterations.

12:45 p.m. Third feeding.

1:20 p.m. Visits with dignitaries, heads of state or (on slow days) Mom's friend Rachel.

1:45 p.m. Perfects vacant facial expressions (10 minutes).

1:55 p.m. Sobs (15 minutes).

2:10 p.m. Power nap.

2:12 p.m. Reviews atomic structure of favorite amino acid.

2:27 p.m. Lollygags (Three minutes).

2:30 p.m. Meets with perfume experts re: development of signature scent.

3:00 p.m. Fourth feeding.

3:30 p.m. Nap.

5:20 p.m. Wakes up abruptly.

5:22 p.m. For disorienting moment, thinks she's trapped in the jungle in 'Nam.

5:23 p.m. Oh the filth, the baking sun, the stinking Vietcong with their foul--

5:25 p.m. Diaper change.

5:30 p.m. Fifth feeding.

6 p.m. Grasps concepts.

6:10 p.m. Does other things to concepts.

6:14 p.m. Decides not to be a lesbian. For now.

6:15 p.m. Romps! (8 minutes).

6:23 p.m. Prepares for Daddy's return by adjusting face into mournful expression.

6:25 p.m. Greets Daddy resentfully.

6:26 p.m. Fails to resist pleasure of being tickled by Daddy.

6:30 p.m. Reclaims her dignity.

6:32 p.m. Completes clapping class homework.

6:46 p.m. Drastic mood swings (14 minutes).

7:00 p.m. Sinks into soothing bubble bath.

7:01 p.m. Recalls with dismay the need to actually be washed.

7:03 p.m. Diversionary splashing.

7:30 p.m. Final diaper change.

7:36 p.m. Watches Daddy's lips move as he reads something educational aloud.

7:46 p.m. Interrupts to request Accuweather forecast.

7:50 p.m. Final feeding.

8:12 p.m. Burps national anthem.

8:15 p.m. Says good night to the stickers on nursery window.

8:16 p.m. Waves at parents.

8:20 p m. Effortlessly drifts to sleep.

8:37 p.m. Tormented by dreams of dusty Exersaucer.

8:40 p.m. Wakes up screaming.

8:43 p.m. Though still trembling, manages to execute a few soothing shadow puppets.

8:47 p.m. Drifts to sleep, this time for good; dreams of complex quilting patterns.

Excerpted from The Perfect Baby Handbook: A Guide for Excessively Motivated Parents, by Dale Hrabi.

Floating...

Quite literally floating on Cloud 9 here. Or whatever number that super high cloud up there is.

Updates are for the weak!

No, I did not mean that me updating the blog is weak. I meant that the ones needing updates on me are weak. You should know what's happening without needing me to tell you! C'mon, my awesomeness alone should be enough. *sigh* There's just no pleasing you people, is there?

So what's been keeping Jeremy so busy this past while, you ask? Simple! My nephew! Oh okay, work and school too. So what have I really been doing? Well, in my previous post, I mentioned that The Ever Awesome Pauline (yes, even more awesome than me) designed part of my final project.

I've started working on it. Including tomorrow (Friday), I'll have spent an entire week concentrating on nothing but that design. It's really difficult but for a final project, it's only fitting. Besides, I need to challenge myself. =)

I'll leave you with a few photos showing my progress thus far.

Just one note: it's 34" x 18". Veneers used are cherry (background, shown in the last picture) and walnut (for everything else).

Crap, I've just lost my mind... again.

Do you know what happened tonight? No, besides that. Err... Yes, that did happen but not that. Yes, I did shower. No, I did not brush my teeth yet. No, I did not get sprayed by a skunk. And if I did, I would have made a beeline for your place anyway.

No, what happened was this: I had my mind completely blown away. Again.

Yes, again. Pauline blew my mind away the first time when she came up with a design for my marquetry project (the serving tray). She just did it -again- for my final project.

Is she amazing or is she amazing?

SHWEET!!

YES! My project proposal for my final project has been approved! *pumps fist and does victory dance*

What...? Yes, this IS my favorite dance. If you must know, it's a ballet and tap dance version of the Carlton. Then of course, Pauline came in, upgraded it and it is now my bankai.

Jer: No problem, it's my pleasure. See you on Sunday then. :)

Pauline: And we shall discuss Bankai.

Jer: Yours, at least. I have yet to achieve it.

Pauline: lol You're like baldie. You have it, only no one knows it.

Jer: Are you insinuating that I'm going bald? I know I have thin hair but c'mon!

Pauline: No... Bankai. ¬ . ¬ Coliss...

Jer: Yeah and my bankai would be what? Ballet/tap dance of Carlton?

Pauline: Sure! But an evolved form of it.

Jer: LMFAO

Pauline: lol Like add in some macarena and a few other moves from Saturday Night Fever.

Jer: And some chacha?

Pauline: And crotch grabs!

Jer: Oh boy...

Pauline: And damn... you got yourself epic Bankai!

Jer: That would leave people blind.

Pauline: Chacha is like... for the finale

Jer: "AUGH!! MY EYES! THEY BUUUUUURN!"

Pauline: "THE GOGGLES!!! THEY DO NOTHING!!!"

Jer: LMFAO My thoughts exactly XD

An update? It's a miracle!

A while ago, I saw a figure of Samus in her Varia Suit. My eyes immediately went O_O and I started drooling all over my shirt. The janitor wasn't all that happy either as he had to constantly mop the area surrounding me. It was either that or flood the entire basement section of Eaton Centre.

So today, on my day off from school (who the bloody heck schedules a day off on a Wednesday?), I went shopping for a few things. My goal for the day was actually to buy a baptism gift for my boss' son. I eventually got around to doing that but not before dropping by GameBuzz to buy myself an early Christmas gift that came in the form of Varia Suit Samus. =D It was the last one in stock too! Mwehehehehe

I also dropped by Omer DeSerres to pick up a few items to be used as a Christmas gift for my younger sister. My mom and Fanny are already taken care of. While at CLC to pick up the baptism gift, I also grabbed the new Casting Crowns album titled The Altar And The Door. Haven't listened to it yet though.

Anymoo, about two weeks ago, a classmate showed me a list that made me laugh really hard. It doesn't need an introduction but I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I did. ^__^

THE POOPIE LIST

Bathroom Humor at its finest:

Ghost Poopie

The kind where you feel the poopie come out, but there is no poopie in the toilet.

Clean Poopie

The kind where you poopie it out, see it in the toilet, but there is nothing on the toilet paper.

Wet Poopie

The kind where you wipe your butt 50 times and it still feels unwiped, so you have to put some toilet paper between your butt and underwear so you won't ruin them with a stain.

Second Wave Poopie

This happens when you're done Poopie-ing and you've pulled up your pants to your knees, and you realize that you have to Poopie some more.

Pop-A-Vein-In-Your-Forehead-Poopie

The kind where you strain so much to get it out, you practically have a stroke.

Gassy Poopie

It's so noisy, everyone within earshot is laughing.

Drinker Poopie

The kind of Poopie you have the morning after a long night of drinking. Its most noticeable trait is the skid marks on the bottom of the toilet.

Lincoln Log Poopie

The kind of Poopie that is so huge you're afraid to flush without first breaking it into little pieces with the toilet brush.

Corn Poopie

Self-explanatory.

Gee-I-Wish-I-Could-Poopie Poopie

The kind where you want to Poopie but all you do is sit on the toilet and fart a few times.

Spinal Tap Poopie

That's where it hurts so badly coming out, you would swear it was leaving you sideways.

Wet Cheeks Poopie (The Power Dump)

The kind that comes out of your butt so fast, your butt gets splashed with water.

Liquid Poopie

The kind where yellowish-brown liquid shoots out your butt and splashes all over the toilet bowl.

Mexican Poopie

It smells so bad your nose burns.

The Surprise Poopie

You're not even at the toilet because you are sure you're about to fart, but oops.......a Poopie!!!

The Dangling Poopie

This Poopie refuses to drop into the toilet even though you know you are done Poopie-ing it. You just pray that a shake or two will cut it loose.

Oh the innuendo

Now I've never played Ar Tonelico but I came across this clip, courtesy of Raychul of GameGirl.com.

Like she said, I don't know if it's because my mind's been corrupted by weird conversations (thank you, Pauline) or because I've simply been exposed to too many things but uhh... naughty much? I can't believe this actually made it into the game. *is said while laughing out loud at the clip in question*

Uhh... What's that stain?

Don't worry. That red stain on my hands and t-shirt isn't blood. All that brown stuff you see on my pants doesn't mean I crapped myself either. And no, I do not have explosive diarrhea. Don't get your hopes up. If I did, that pair of pants would end up in your car.

We started the Finishing module at school. No, that's not the module where we learn how to perform Fatalities MK-style. Come to think of it, that wouldn't be such a bad idea. Imagine a bunch of cabinetmakers trying to come up with their own finishing moves? We definitely wouldn't be lacking in creativity! Look at all the tools and machines at our disposal! Not to mention volatile finishing products and sharp, pointy wooden sticks. =D

Anyway, I've been playing around with various stains and a variety of processes, testing them on different types of wood to see what effect they would have. Now THAT explains the stains on my hands and clothes. =p They've turned out pretty darn nice. So far, I've only applied stains to two of my projects but I only snapped a picture of one of them. The other one... well, it's just a test.

This here is the tea box I made uhh... Geez, I don't even remember when I made it. Oh well.

So yes, tea box! Lovely, isn't it? I know, my most awesome choice of color has left you completely speechless and staring in awe. It's okay. I understand. My only beef is that my phone's camera is really crappy because the lighting inside the school is abso-freakin'-lutely amazing! GAH! I need me a digital camera *nudge wink hint* ... I said, I need a digital camera! *NUDGE WINK HINT*

Oh and remember that abstract landscape marquetry project I did that Pauline designed? You don't? You know, this one! ... You still don't? HOW DARE YOU FORGET!? *ties together cotton rags soaked in linseed oil and throws them at you* You just wait! No, I mean really. Wait. Uhh... about 2 hours? Maybe 3? The rags should start to smoulder in about 2 hours and should catch fire 10 minutes after that.

So I put a frame around it. It's maple, for the curious ones out there. I'm actually not staining the frame. The contrast between the frame and the walnut background of the piece makes it all the more striking. I'm glad my awesomeness took all that into account.

Anyway, that's it for now. Run along now, kiddies. Don't eat too many candies. You'll get sick.

Now go! Don't interrupt me as I get high on these finishing products! ... Crap, did I say that out loud?

Say what!?

I don't need to say anymore.

Busy? Who, me? Nooo...

What? You didn't know I was busy? The fact that I didn't update this blog for so long didn't hint at anything? Yeah, some kind of friend YOU are. See if I ever work on a kitchen for you. Well, I might for you over there since you promised you'd fix my lungs in exchange for the kitchen and that's always good in my line of work. =D

So I finally got around to watching The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. G and P both strongly recommended the movie but I never got around to actually sitting my ass down and watching it. Heck, P even passed it to me. I finally watched it last night and I regret not watching it any earlier. It's such a beautiful movie. I couldn't help from shedding a few tears. Watch it. You'll understand what I mean. Check out the trailer. If you're interested, let me know. I'll pass it to you.

Who did what when where?

So I had 45 hours to start and finish 4 marquetry projects. Actually, make that about 40 hours on account of all the demonstrations and whatnot. It wasn't enough time, not when we also had to make a box. Actually, most of us didn't even get the chance to finish the box. The marquetry is done but the final touches haven't been applied yet.

Anyway, here are two of the four projects I worked on. The first is a nameplate for my nephew's room door. =D



This one here is something P designed for me. I actually had to leave out some elements because of lack of time, even including the amount of time I spent on it outside of school hours at home on the weekends and in the wee hours of the morning. I barely managed to get it pressed to a substrate before having to hand it in. ><



Anyway, let me know what you think!