so, it's been about 4 months since i actually wrote a journal. I figured now was a good time to bust out the good 'ol journal feature. It's been a while since I submitted any photos on deviantART, let alone any good ones. So keep an eye out, in case I start submitting anything wonderful. .

I'm planning on starting another painting soon. I've done some rough sketches for it, and It's probably slightly in the style of my last painting, so if you liked it, then you may like the one to come. I bought a 24"x36" canvas to paint it on, so you can expect it to be fairly epic.

I went out with my family to The Keg Steakhouse and Bar last night to celebrate my mother's birthday, but there were no seats in the main restaurant so we said we'd take a booth in the bar. I love eating there because the food is so damn good, even though I order the same thing every time. Caesar salad, garlic cheese bread, chicken fingers. Now I know what you're thinking. "Wow, Matt, You're almost 20 years old, and you're ordering chicken fingers when you could be getting a fat juicy sirloin, drenched in marinated goodness?" well, yes.. thats more or less the case here. Regardless, I believe that one is never too old for chicken fingers, chicken strips, whatever you want to call them... even if you can only order them from the kids menu. Plus, I love chicken! so that's that. Also, last night was the first time I ordered a beer in a bar-type setting, so yay for firsts.

You may know, as I do, That today, on December the 7th, the movie, The Golden Compass, came out in theaters everywhere. I have been waiting for this moment since some time in 2003 since i saw rumors on rottentomatoes.com. However, over the past few months, after seeing the trailers, I have come to be more fearful of seeing the movie, than excited for seeing it. Back in grade 8, I read the book "The Golden Compass", originally called "Northern Lights" in Europe. It was at the time, and still is one of the greatest fantasy-type books I have ever read. I suppose that I'm afraid the movie will ruin the book for me, and just by what I've seen in the trailers, so many things are different from how I pictured them way back when, when i read the book. However, I plan on seeing the Movie with my dearest Emily, and most bestest friend, ~DaaBree-Jeff. Oh yeah, and Rachel's coming too. We've all read the book [with the exception of Rachel who is a few chapters in currently] so I'm hoping we will all take the movie in a similar way, and have a deep discussion about it's interpretation from the book, hopefully over tea and cookies, while sitting on big comfy couches somewhere. All I can ask is that anyone reading this considers reading The Golden Compass, and the other two books in the trilogy, perhaps even before seeing the movie. I'm not against the movie at all. I'm just afraid the depth and significance of the original story might be lost in the movie in an oversimplified plot.

On a different note, I'm going to New York soon! yay! . I'm going via school trip through Mohawk college with a few friends on the 13th so it should be one exciting adventure after another until I come home on the 18th.

As it is right now, I have one exam left in school. Just so happens it's the hard one. Study study study! Jeff is coming over this weekend, so I hope he's willing to help me study for my Packaging exam. 'cause that's what he's gonna be doing.

'til next time,



Spanks