First of all, HAPPY HALLOWEEN to everybody. If you don't do Halloween where you are, feel free to read about it here if you are interested. :-)
My plans for tonight seem scattered. I'm getting together with three of my guy friends, this much I know. Will I be in costume? Looks doubtful. I might decide at the last minute to be Trinity (from The Matrix, for those living under a rock), but that's such a cop-out. I would only be doing it because the guys will be in costume and I'd feel like an idiot being the only one who is NOT sporting one. As Trinity I could pull together a half-assed costume that would be passable, but not great. It will suffice. And with the third movie coming out next week, it seems appropriate. I just hate the idea of running into a million other Trinity's out there, which I will, and whose costumes will no doubt look better than mine making me really realize what a half-assed effort I put into mine. LOL. Ah well, who cares. As long as I go out and have fun with da boys. :-D Looks like we are going to see the re-release of Alien and then go to the Velvet Underground afterwards for a little dancing and music. Should be fun. Oh, and it doesn't hurt that the temperature supposed to reach a whopping 20C (68F) here today!!! What a great night it'll be for Halloween!!!!!!!

In other news, I just spent...oh...I guess maybe 45 minutes on Grocery Gateway putting in my giant grocery order. What can I say, it's going to be a huge order and I didn't feel like carrying in a million groceries in all by myself. I spent a whopping $154! That's what happens when you don't buy groceries for two months because you're waiting for a new fridge. So I'm pretty excited about getting some fresh food in my house and into my deprived body. With work draining me lately, it couldn't come at a better time. The groceries are getting delivered to my door between 1-2:30pm tomorrow. Woohoo!! :-D

Off to work, you kids have fun today!!!

 
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...............what a long day. I came home a little grumpy and resisted the urge to put up a surly post. Instead I ordered pizza, had a nice hot bath, and went across the hall to Princess Blondie's place and watched the best episode of Survivor ever. Holy wow! Princess Blondie and I were squealing and yelling at the t.v. all throughout the show. It was awesome. *grin*
I haven't been this far into a Survivor series since the first one....it's been pretty good. I'm not sure if it's because I'm in a pool or because of Princess Blondie (likely both) but it's been a very enjoyable season. Great fun. :-D

All that helped take my mind off the fact that I hate my new fridge. I don't wanna whine too much because hey, it's not everyday ya get a new fridge, right? I shouldn't bitch, I should just appreciate it and be happy, especially considering how much I hated the last fridge. So! I won't crab about it, I'll just smile and thank my (stupid-idiot-jerk) landlord for the new fridge. And instead of saying I despise it I will say that I just need to get used to it, and in time I will love it. :-) Hey, at least I won't be awakened at 3am by it! (hurray! I can finally sleep with my bedroom door open again!) I have a super giant grocery trip planned for Saturday.....finally a day off, and finally I can splurge on groceries and load up my home again. ~bliss~ Happy happy!! Finally...I get to eat FRESH fruits and vegetables. This is exciting. My body will thank me. LOL. I think I'm all pizza-ed out.

Anyway, I gotta watch E.R. and hit the hay. I am absolutely exhausted......I'll be lucky if I even make it through the show. I might tape it.

Y'all have a good night.

 
Is there ANYTHING better than getting up at 5:30am? A poke in the eye? A stubbed toe? Gargling shards of glass?
lol. Ah who are we kidding...I LOVE it. :-P

I'm gonna be working my duff off all day in Scarborough today, so you will all just have to entertain yourselves in my absence. I think you can manage. Maybe check out the other blogs in my blogroll.
Today should be good....I get to hang out with Princess Blondie and watch Survivor, AND I get a new fridge today!!!!
yee-ha!

 
Well, I did it. I cut my hair off. It's short.....real short. And having had this before I remember now how much I love it. *glee* Oh the freedom of not having to spend all that time on it in the morning. I can't wait! And the timing couldn't be better, since I'm back into the getting-up-at-5:30am schedule tomorrow. Actually, it's because of that hectic schedule that I've decided to do it now. Well....that and Princess Blondie convinced me to do it. I have made it her official job to reassure me I look pretty on those days when my femininity might be feeling a little challenged. If it's one thing I've learned from having short hair before, it's that men almost always tie a woman's femininity to how long her hair is. They almost always prefer a woman with long hair. What about Winona Ryder? Or Demi Moore? or Sharon Stone?
Well whatever, you get the point. Personally, I like having short hair coz it's easy to maintain and I think it more matches my fiery/spunky disposition. :-)

On to other things. Let's talk about the latest Harry Potter book. I just finished reading it last night, and I must say....as much as I love Ms. Rowling's writing style (she is truly gifted) I just didn't find this book hooked me like the first 3. I found this with the book before this one as well. Now, I don't know if it has anything to do with the length of the books (the last two were both much longer than the first three), but I just didn't get the same feeling about them. I found the ending to be a little on the anti-climatic side. :-/ But I would still recommend it coz I loved it anyway. As I said, the writing is amazing and I often laugh at loud; it's funny and brilliantly written. I hope this gets the next generation into reading more. If you haven't gotten into the series, I suggest you give it a try.

And tomorrow...I get my new fridge!!!! woot woot!!

 
I just spent a ridiculous amount of time on my other blog (my dream journal), putting up a post on my wacky dream last night. If you haven't been to my other page, go have a peek: Technicolour Dreams

Anyway, let's talk about shipping stuff overseas. This has become a common place thing with me, since it seems my friends all move away over time (do I smell??). First it was a lot of shipping overseas to Israel; I dare not even share with you folks how much I blew on that. Now it's shipping over to England. On Monday I took a somewhat large box into the post office to send to my friend Gnat. I was aware that the size of the box would cost me a little extra, but due to the nature of the contents, it was actually quite light. The nice lady put my box on the scale, weighed it, measured the dimensions of the box, and did some calculations on the computer. I was told that it would be $93 by air, $30 or so by ground (but it would take 6-8 weeks). To say that my jaw dropped would be an extreme understatement. I have done plenty of overseas shipping, I usually have a pretty good idea how much it will cost. Not this time. After picking my jaw up off the counter I think I muttered some incredulous comment like "You have to be shitting me!". I'm sure she appreciated that. Dumbfounded, I stared at her for a moment, and she offered me a word of advice; cut the box open and take out one item. The weight was just 0.638 kg over the weight limit for the lower price range (that would be just over one pound for my American readers). She said it would then only cost me $35 to send it by air instead of $93. Now I was really stunned. "You mean to tell me that that little tiny amount of weight makes a difference of nearly SIXTY friggin' dollars?!!". She just patiently nodded. I continued to stand there like an idiot, stunned by this bit of lunacy. No wonder postal workers go crazy and shoot up the place, this was insanity at it's best. Finally getting over the feeling of getting socked in the stomach I said "fine...well...I guess that's what I'll do....".
Now I am just furious that I'm going to have to choose something to take out; I was quite excited about all the items in there (all toys for my friend's son). "Do you have a knife or something I can cut it open with?" I ask innocently. "Ha! A knife!" snickers another postal worker in the background. Wtf? Am I standing in an airport proposing to take a box cutter on the plane?? I mean I'm angry, but I'm not gonna go brandishing a knife in the postal office demanding a lower rate, for the love of God. The nice lady gave me a pair of kiddie scissors, and I hacked the box open. At this point I am in the depths of despair about having to take something out. I pull one item out and toss it on the scale. Not enough. "Crap", I mutter. I put it back in and pull out the coolest (and heaviest) toy in there; it is almost the perfect amount, just slightly more than necessary. "Perfect" says the lady. "Yeah" I mutter. Perfect in that not-at-all perfect way. She tapes it back up for me (not nearly as well as the wonderful job I did, but I'm hardly in a position to be picky at this point, am I?) and I pay her the $35 + tax. I thank her for all her help and I walk out of the post office with a toy under my arm that's just gonna have to go in the next package.
*pout* I was NOT a happy camper.

And with that I really must go to work. Have a good day everyone!

 
Class was good, thanks for asking. I felt less grumpy once I left, though perhaps still feeling like I will never speak in anything BUT english. Today we learned to say "I like living in the city of Toronto". lol. Great, that'll help me in everyday life.
Ah well, gotta start somewhere, right? PATIENCE.....I need me somma that.

I also went for that walk before class which helped. It's nice and cool right now with just a light sprinkling of rain. Felt good to walk around and get some fresh air. I got hung up talking to my landlord when I was leaving....he felt the need to explain his landscaping plans for the front yard. Have I mentioned he's completely insane? That coupled with the fact that he has far too much time on his hands; that's a dangerous combo.
Anyway, I went up to the bookstore, but didn't really find anything I wanted. That's ok, it still gives me a good strolling destination, and since it's a used bookstore, new stock will always be coming in, so I'll keep checking in.

After class tonight I went to my friend Melra's house. We sat and chatted all night. She's a teacher, so I get to hear crazy stories all the time. Makes me glad I'm not a teacher, and makes me think teachers are very special (crazy) to do what they do.
Go hug a teacher tomorrow. Show him/her some appreciation.

 
I'm getting grumpy doing my homework for school tonight. I came on to share this little bit of advice with my readers: if you're going to attempt to learn a language (especially one completely foreign to the one you grew up with), be sure to do so before you get too old, making it almost impossibly difficult to do so. I know 29 doesn't seem that old, but suddenly I feel like an old dog trying to learn a new trick. I have a poor memory, and even worse linguistic skills; I was not cut out for this kind of learning, but for whatever reason I am driven to do it like a lemming to a cliff.
I'll tell ya what my problem is....I have a need for immediate gratification, coupled with the absurd need for perfection. What this means is, I wish to speak the language NOW, and FLAWLESSSLY. You can see where this might lead to difficulty, and more importantly, frustration. I must learn patience (hmmmm...I think I've been told that before...).

On top of that my effin' fridge won't shut the hell up. TWO more days to a new fridge. I can't frikkin' wait.

I think what I need right now is a little exercise. I'm gonna walk up the street to the used book store and see what they have. :-)

 
I just called my grandma to tell her about the dream I had in which she beat my sorry ass in a race around a swimming pool. She was greatly amused by the notion. :-)

Btw, I forgot to mention something. The other day when I was out with my friend Melra, we went to a pub. And in this pub the only thing they had resembling dessert was a deep fried Mars bar. (for those not familiar with what a Mars bar is, let alone a deep fried one, click here) So, feeling the need to justify my 3 hour stay since I never order booze, I decided to buy this deep fried Mars bar. I tried not to listen to my arteries as they clogged up just thinking about eating such a food item, nor did I consider the huge calorie intake I was about to ingest.
Soon enough the waitress brought around this huge plate, with this rather phallic looking fried Mars bar, and MOUNDS of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. I thought I was going to be sick just looking at it, especially since I had just eaten dinner and I am by no means a big eater.
Folks, let me just say.....it was heaven. I had no idea. Melra just watched and drooled, living vicariously through my gorging. The chocolate inside the batter coating was all melted, and creamy smooth. *divine* It was surprisingly good, and I will do my best to refrain from eating it on a regular basis. No problem, I think one could get sick of it quickly. Find a place near you and try it. Just ONCE!

I got something strange in the mail yesterday. A sample of a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I had seen ads for this, and thought it was a ridiculous product. I have since slightly altered my opinion, as I gave it a quick run around my bathtub. Now, I haven't given it a full test run yet, but the results thus far have been surprisingly promising. I had this brutal dark soap scum crud on my tub that never wants to come off, despite use of bleach and other such super-cleaners. It looks like Mr. Clean might be the answer. The texture of this eraser is very odd. I have no idea what it's made out of, but when you squeeze the foam it doesn't rise back up. So when you use it, it squishes right down and sometimes I put my finger right through the damn thing it gets so thin. Very strange, and I'm not sure about it. (the site says: "First, you wet the eraser with water and then squeeze out the excess. It should be a little damp for use. Remember, this is an eraser—not a sponge—excess water is squeezed out so that it doesn't end up on other surfaces.") Anyway, if you're interested click the link for more info...and you can request a sample!

Here's a site for you to check out: Cliche Kitty. "Every time you masturbate god kills a kitten ... please think of the kittens". LOL!
Don't bother spamming/flaming me just because you don't have a sense of humour. It's a funny site!!

 
Oh look out...I'm in a wickedly good mood. Booyah!
The why's of such things are not important.

I had lunch with Princess Blondie today, over in her apartment (across the hall from me). It was an enjoyable afternoon interlude, punctuated by Blondie pulling a wonderfully bone-headed move. She stuck the wrong key in her door when locking up her apartment and managed to get it good and jammed in there. Heh. She had to call the landlord to come by and put in a new lock. LOL. You can read her own version if you are at all interested, over on her journal.

And because we just can't stop having fun, fun, fun, we went out tonight too (along with her beau...we'll call him..Uno. Yes, like the popular card game). The best stop on our adventures this evening? Wal-Mart. Oh how I love Wal-Mart...the land of milk and honey. It's always fun until the kids start screaming.

Anyway, I leave you with this little parting tip: Listen to more Bobby Darin. Start with Mack the Knife, Beyond the Sea, and Clementine. Repeat as necessary to achieve good mood. *grin*

 
I think I'm gonna cut all my hair off again. It's really not that long right now by any stretch, but I want it SHORT. I've had it that way before and I really miss the convenience of it. And I think I look pretty cute with short hair. This is all my friend's fault; Princess Blondie had me convinced a week or two ago to do it, and it's all I've been thinking about. Wouldn't it be nice to NOT spend 15-20 minutes on my hair every day?? Short hair is awesome...no hair dryer needed. And with work being so hectic now it would be really nice to get that time back in the morning. :-/ The thing is, I just got a hair cut a couple of weeks ago, so it irks me to spend the money on another haircut. I dunno, we'll see. But I think I will. :-D

So....it doesn't seem like the Iraqis are too happy about being liberated now do they? Shootings and bombings everyday.. including over 30 deaths today. It really makes me sad. For insight I suggest you read Salam Pax's blog; he's a young Iraqi gentleman who has been blogging for quite some time now. It was incredibly moving to read his entries throughout the war. Go read and educate yourself.

 
First of all, let me just say that The Life Of David Gale was a fantastic movie. Loved it, highly recommend it. Comedian was ok too, but you gotta really be in the mood for a comedy based documentary (not that that sort of thing comes up too often). After watching the movies it was 1am and I decided to head out and drop the movies off so I could sleep in and not have to worry about returning them by 10am this morning. While I was out I got myself some banana milk, coz I love it so, and I had a craving for it. Mmmmmmilk. Tasty. I had it with cookies that I baked. Now when I say baked, I mean that Pillsbury made the dough, cut them into little rounds lumps, and I merely took them out of the package and put them on a cookies sheet, and baked them for 12 minutes. LOL. When I first saw this, I thought that only the laziest of jerks would buy such a product. I mean come on, at least buy the pre-made dough and just cut it into the round hunks to bake, how lazy do you have to be to have them PREsliced for you?? Yet there I was grabbing them a week or so back when I was just picking up a few groceries and saw them in the dairy section. As it turns out, these are the best things ever invented. First of all, they come in a resealable package, so I just take out 3 or 4 at a time and bake them. That way I have myself FRESH baked cookies, everytime I feel like having cookies! Who doesn't love hot chocolate chip cookies?? Damn right. Also, the expiry date is so far in the future it's a joke, coz they'll never last that long. But it's nice that I have that option. And we won't think about what kind of crazy preservatives they must put in it to accomplish that extended expiry date. Anyway, I once knocked them, now I suggest trying them.

And speaking of refrigeration...you all may recall my ongoing feud with my landlord over my fridge. Well earlier this week I had left a bitter message on his answering machine telling him it's been two months and I was fed up. Then I opened my freezer door so he could hear the damn thing on his answering machine. Again folks, I can't make you understand how loud it was. I yelled at him saying it was an embarrassment that I had a friend stay with me earlier in the week and she couldn't sleep for the sound of it, since she was sleeping on my pull-out couch in the next room. (I left out the part where, at 1am, I jammed a pen in the fan to stop it from spinning and then yanked the propeller of the fan out so it would stop making that hideous noise, but do a lesser job of keeping my fridge cold. I decided my friend's sleep was more important)
ANYWAY, the point is that he called me last night and I am getting a new fridge delivered on Thursday. Hurray!! I can finally buy some food and fill up my fridge again!!! Happy happy. My dumbass landlord said on the phone to me that I didn't have to get upset and leave such an angry message on his phone. I said yes I did, and it's not like I got that way overnight...that was two months in the making. And hey, it worked didn't it? I can't wait. eek!! :-D

 
I just me a nap. Had I not made myself get up I think I could have slept through the whole night, I'm pretty tired. But I made myself get up coz the nap was an hour and half and that's enough; coz if I tried to sleep through the night I might be really screwed and wake up at 3 or 4am. That would be bad, especially with the clocks going back tonight (for which I am always eternally grateful). Also, I have a couple of movies I have to watch and get back to Blockbuster by 10 am tomorrow.

Today at work things were a little wiggy. Two of the guys at the office completely blew up at each other and had a screaming match for half an hour. Tensions are high right now coz things are busy and we're all very tired and over worked. They finally both vented what they needed to say, and we moved on, but the air was thick with tension for the rest of that day. Great fun.

I got thinking about someone at work today.... a guy I met and kinda liked earlier this year. We didn't get to spend a lot of time together, but we hit it off pretty well. Then his family started to stick their noses into the situation and pressure me to either date him or not (basically, pressuring me not to string him along). Finally the pressure was too much and I backed off. I didn't have enough time to determine how I felt, and I was made to feel like shit about the whole thing. I never did tell the family that I liked him a lot, but I did. :-/ Other circumstances played into this, such as the fact that he lives far away, but still...I've been thinking about him a lot lately. I miss him. :-(

Today when I got home from work I called my friends overseas (we'll call them Gnat and Greg). They just moved over to England in the summer, and I miss them tons and tons. TONS. I talked to Greg on the phone for an hour while Gnat put their son (we'll call him..) Spike, to bed. It was really really great to talk to him...things have finally begun to fall into place with them. They got a place of their own (they had been staying with family) and Greg got a job that he's excited about. The job hunting had been tough, so we were all getting a little worried (Gnat has another son in the works in that tummy of hers) but things have come together quite nicely. They are expecting another son at the end of next month. Greg likes to call him Fred, Gnat says he can dream, that his name will NOT be Fred. heh. It's going to be Fred from now on, on here, isn't it now? LOL. Anyway after I had talked to him for a good long while he went to get the wife for me to talk to....but she was asleep. Awwww....she was all tuckered out and fell asleep. lol. I said I'd call back tomorrow.
I have been trying to save up some money (with zero success) to go see them next June. I'm gonna find a way, I'm just not sure how. Mercifully the plane ticket is pretty cheap (about $500 CDN) so that's pretty doable on a credit card. Anyone wanna come to England with me? *grin* I can't wait.

Also, not that any of you give a rat's ass, but I bought a Roots sweater yesterday, and I'm pretty damn happy with myself. It's sooooo comfy and warm and SOFT. I love it. And tomorrow I'm gonna go buy the movie 28 Days Later. Did you guys SEE that movie!?!?! It scared the crap out of me, bigtime. BIGTIME. I got one word for ya...ZOMBIES. It was awesome. The dvd has 3 alternate endings so I'm pretty excited. I'm going to try not to watch it though, until Friday; I'm getting together with friends for Halloween to watch scary movies, and I think we're gonna wanna watch that one. Hurray for scary movie viewing with all my buddies!! I can't wait. Candy. Sugar highs. And fright. As a note, HMV has some *amazing* deals going on movies right now; if you live around one you should go check it out.

I think I should eat now. I think I should order food. Mmmmm..pizza. That would go well with my movies, no? To be perfectly honest, I really badly wanna go back to sleep. But instead I'm gonna eat pizza and watch Comedian (I didn't quite get around to watching it as I mentioned before) and The Life of David Gale (I'm in love with Kevin Spacey and Kate Winslet). And if I am still awake I'm gonna watch all my shows I taped on Thursday coz I was too tired to watch (E.R., Scrubs, Friends).

Have a good night all. :-)

 
I'm not sure which statement on this site pisses me off more; is it: "worthless Canadian change" or "monopoly money" or maybe "their change is polluting American pockets. Canadian "quarters" pass as real American quarters". Or maybe it's when the article begs the question "Have you ever wanted to kill a Canadian?". All this over POCKET change, ladies and gentlemen.
Now I get that this site is tongue-in-cheek, I do. But honestly now, is it SUCH a big deal to get a little Canadian quarter or dime, that it deems a whole bloody website?? Did the owner of this site really think it was that big a deal, or that effin' funny? Is our money REALLY so insidious, or are Americans so egocentric that their money is the only "real" money in the world?
Ucch. I'm just gonna shut up now before I alienate my American readers. I'll chock this up to the fact that it's 7am on a Saturday morning, and I gotta head into work. *grumblegrumble*

 
Well I had myself a pretty darn good day, if I do say so myself!
Work wasn't nearly as bad as I forecasted; I went into the office for a few hours, and then I drove into downtown Toronto to do another store setup. I really enjoyed my drive down....I took one of the main expressways into town (the Gardiner Expressway, for those familiar) which runs right along Lake Ontario. And the view was amazing, making me realize something; I am truly and deeply in love with Canada (specifically Toronto of course, but I love all of Canada). I was so happy driving around and looking at all the buildings and the people and the lake...I just remembered all the stuff that I like about living here. And this is yet another part of it I love.. just driving around. While I enjoy the subway, as I mentioned yesterday, I also love being up top and seeing all there is to see. *sigh* It's a great city, and I'm glad I live here. Y'all oughtta come up and visit. :-)

Anyway, after work I drove up town again and met a friend for dinner (for the sake of ease we'll call her...let's see...."Melra"). After dinner Melra and I went to a pub to sip coffee and chat for many hours. I love talking with Melra. She makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and she is awesome to talk about life's crap. She gives awesome advice, and does well to be your friend and hear you out, but also play the devil's advocate and make you see all sides. This is an important trait in a friend, because they help keep you honest by calling you on your shit, and not just sit there and agree with everything you have to say. This is good. She and I were talking about what we were like in highschool (we've known each other over 10 years) and had a good laugh. It's funny how we saw things then and how we realize now how they really were. Hindsight really is 20/20.
So yeah, a good day, ending on a fantastic note. Hanging with my friends lately has been very good for the soul. *grin*

And now I must head to bed; I have a splitting headache and I gotta get up early to head back into work. I must *really* love my job if I'm gonna go in on the weekend. LOL!

Hope everyone had a great day.

 
An El Al flight was threatened in Toronto, so the flight was diverted to Hamilton Airport. While I'm glad the flight was safe and that nothing happened I was amused at the thought of a plane full of Israelis being sent to Hamilton; it's quite a hole-in-the-wall tiny airport in the middle of NOWHERE. Nothin' but fields all around it. lol. It also begs the question, just HOW was the flight threatened? Nobody seems to know, but it looks like someone threatened to shoot the plane down somehow. Since my offices are *right* by the Toronto Airport I can tell you it wouldn't be too hard to do if you had the equipment (but being as this is Canada, that would be the hardest part). I'm not saying any of that isn't possible, it's just a little tougher to get a rocket launcher around here than a lot of other places. Hell, it's tough to get a gun at all, let alone a rocket launcher.
Anyway, I'm glad the flight was okay. I'm not too happy to hear about El Al flights being threatened.

I gotta run, I'm already late for another long day of work bliss.
And you have all failed in helping me complete the crossword puzzle. Thanks for nothing, punks!! :-P

 
I think my body is seizing up. Joints stiff.....can't....move. Feet....aching.
I'm trying to remember how much I love my job, but after 12 hours it becomes really hard to be as enthusiastic. That is, until I stepped back and looked at my handiwork, then I felt pretty good. :-) Tomorrow shall be a repeat. In fact, I'm not altogether sure when I'll get a day off again...this might be the norm for the next week or so.
The best part is that I was rewarded at the end of the day with a parking ticket! GLEE! lol. I could complain, but it's my fault, I took my chances when I parked there and I knew it. So I pay it, and life goes on.

All this working downtown means I have been taking the subway (train, tube...whatever you call it, wherever you are in the world) a lot. I like taking the subway. I like watching the people, and the hustle and bustle of it all. Is that odd? *shrug* I have also been spending a lot of time in a giant department store (this particular location has five floors). It's cool, coz it's highly pretentious and snobby, and has lots of pretty Christmas decorations up. I like to pretend shop for clothes and makeup and perfume and stuff. I had this friend once who was awesome to shop with, especially the department stores. Unlike me, she had taste. LOL. I have a serious impairment...I can't tell the difference between really cool and tacky. You can see where that would be a problem. I'd also like to thank this bastard friend for getting me a perfume last year that I fell in love with, but cannot afford to replenish now that my bottle is gone. *crycry* Damn you for having such good taste!!
Anyway, now that the friend is gone, so is the shopping thrill. :-/ Crap.
Ah well, I don't have the money for it anyway.

What else? My grandma was in town visiting yesterday. This is nice I love my grandma. She brought stew. And after a long day at work it tasted like heaven.

Raise your hand if you're sick of spam! If your hand isn't in the air, you're a dirty rotten liar.
I was away from my computer all day doing that crazy working thang, and I came home to 42 e-mails......7 of which were actually from friends, the rest was spam. Where's a useful law when you need one? Spam really ought to be illegal.


So after work I went to Princess Blondie's place across the hall to do our usual Thursday night thing. We were on the edge of our seats...Survivor was TENSE tonight, man!! I thought Blondie was gonna pop she was so into it, it was cute. *pinch on the cheeks* I won't embarrass her by sharing details, but it's safe to say we were both worried about Rupert getting voted off. WHEW. (if you have taped it and intended to watch it later I'm sorry for blowing it for you)
Then I watched a brilliant episode of Will & Grace. James Earl Jones was awesome, as he acted out a scene of Sex And The City. He's a funny guy. I'm not a fan of the show unlike most of the female population I know, so I enjoyed the fun they poked at the show, it was fabulous.

And now...I desperately need a bath to soak my aching bones.... got another long day ahead of me tomorrow.
In a final note, you all need to check out a song by the Dandy Warhols called "We Used To Be Friends". I love it for a whole bunch of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it is SO damn catchy. Always puts me in a good mood. :-D

"A long time ago
We used to be friends
But I haven't thought of you lately at all
If ever again
A greeting I send to you
Short and sweet to the soul I intend"

 
I love my job, I love my job, I love my job......
:-)

see you guys tonight...I gotta get moving.
(meanwhile you guys are SLACKING on the crossword here, how am I ever supposed to finish it?? Huckster?? come on!! think, people, think!! :-)

 
Finally finished work. Didn't get out of there until 8pm or so, but that's alright, I had a good day at work. Can you believe that I actually like my job? I like it when it gets all busy like this and I put in crazy long days, working insane hours. It's good, it keeps me busy. Next week I'm going to start to head out on the road....maybe Montreal, Windsor, and other such exciting Canadian destinations. Happy happy. It's good to have a good day at work. :-D
(we'll see if I'm this cheery about it tomorrow...I gotta get up at 5:30am. lol)

Now let's talk about my buddy whom I adore very much. We'll call her by her online name, Princess Blondie. Hey, when ya got it, flaunt it, right? Don't hate her coz she's beautiful. Hate her coz she's beautiful AND smart AND funny. LOL!! Anyway, she lives in my building, and in fact lives right across the hall from me. You might recall that she went to the E.S.P Expo with me on Saturday and then out for lunch afterwards... Anyway, this morning before I went to work we got to chatting online and made plans to head to Zellers to do a little shopping before I went downtown. Yes, we live 10 feet from each other and made plans online, what's your point?! So we went to Zellers and got some air freshener and Swiffer dusters. Good time had by all. Then we went to the DOLLAR STORE. Oh how I love the dollar store. I bought many things there. Some things that I needed..some things I just thought I needed.
Am I boring you?
Ok, getting to the point. Princess Blondie has a journal and I encourage you all to drop by and check it out. She's a cool cat. And she is my Avon lady now, so for that reason I love her just that much more. LOL. Go show her some lovin' too! I'll include a link to her in my blogroll as well, so you can find her later. :-)

*sigh* Life is good ladies and gentlemen....life is good.
*grin*


catchall category _ _ _ _ _ _ (6)

younger sibling _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (10)

 
First of all, what the hell is Blogger up to? This is NOT good....I'm sensing I am gonna lose posts in the near future, because they seem to be doing some kinda behind-the-scenes changes. When I logged in to write this post, the whole format is different, but not in that good way. lol This is NOT what it looked like 6 hours ago, BLOGGER WHAT ARE YOU DOING??

Anyway, we have pindar works = odes. nice job, Franca and whaduiwant. I still don't have deep matter? _ _ _ or Huckster _ _ _ _ . If Mysteron would get online I'm fairly confident she could get at least one or two of these.

here's what we need:

beginnings of some pranks _ _ _ _ S

ideology _ _ _ _ _

monotonous routine _ _ _ _

word of hearty concurrence _ _ _ _

(as well as the previously mentioned huckster and deep matter. get to, kids! put your thinking caps on!)

Maybe I should be getting ready for work instead of writing posts. :-/
Nah, I think I'm gonna call my buddy in England.

have a nice day folks, see you tonight.

 
It's nearly 3am and I'm still not in bed. This is bad, I have a long day of work ahead of me.

Instead I'm calling on you all to join me in a group activity; a crossword puzzle.
ready? here are the clues:

deep matter? _ _ _

Pindar works _ _ _ _

Huckster _ _ _ _

maybe I'm up this late because I'm terrible at crossword puzzles so it takes me forever to finish one.
I have no idea what possessed me to even try, I haven't done one in months.
Wasn't I going to go read Harry Potter? How did I get side tracked like that?
Ok, you kids leave me your answers (I'm praying you're all smarter than I) and I'll go read.

good night/laila tov.

 
A few random things.

First, I love Lever 2000 soap. Lots. And so should you. It's for all your 2000 parts.

Second, I do not want Vicodin. And no number of spam e-mails in my inbox is going to sway me into buying it. May all you spammers rot in hell for pestering me a thousand times a day.

Thirdly, if you wish to stop being my friend or lover or whatever, have the balls to tell me. Don't go all cold leaving me to guess what's wrong and then chase you down only to find out you suddenly hate my guts and can't hack talking to me anymore. I think the least I deserve is having you say it straight up. That's much easier to deal with then having you just stop answering my e-mails and/or calls. If you care for me like you claim, you will show me enough respect to tell me why I am getting the cold shoulder.

Fourth..ly... (is there such thing as a fourthly??), I just watched Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. Brilliant. Loved it. Sam Rockwell is one adorable/sexy man. A highly underrated actor. Go get rent some of his films. If you're a geek, start with Galaxy Quest.

Fifth..ly... (somebody help me. lol)....I didn't go to school tonight. I'm skipping classes like a complete idiot. It was raining, I had a migraine, and I was rushing up from downtown. This must not become a habit, for I actually enjoy my class immensely. I just decided that if I didn't feel like it, then I wouldn't enjoy it, and I don't want this class to become a drag. I intend to be in this class for a very long time, so I want it to stay fun. :-)

Sixthly, Geoff and I nearly got into one of the age-old Canadian debates. Heh. Toronto vs. Montreal.
Go ahead, poke some fun at him...he's from Montreal. *snicker* Let's talk smack, big guy. I double dawg dare ya!

Seven..th..ly...Today I purchased something for somebody that I feel both great angst towards, and great love. It's annoying as shit. Anyway, the prezzy is in the mail, and I hope you like it. If this individual wasn't reading my blog I'd tell ya all what I got, but in fact the person is, so I'll tell you after it's been received (by which time it will seem very anti-climatic to you, unless you share the same enthusiasm for the product as we do).

Eight. I am enjoying the crazy collection of visitors I am getting from other countries. I have had visitors to my blog from: Finland, France (*snicker*), Japan, Italy (Rachele is the best, and it seems she brought a friend or two!), Singapore (I can only wonder, because it's been more than one person...what are ya looking for??), the U.K., Portugal, Israel (big surprise. lol), Australia, Germany and.....heh....United Arab Emirates (and often, I might add....so why don't you speak up? I'd*love* to hear what you have to say).

I just realized it's after midnight, so technically all this stuff happened yesterday.
I hate being anal like that, but what can ya do.

I'll be downtown most of the day and night tomorrow (TODAY, whatever...grumblegrumble..), so if you're looking for me, come do some shopping in Toronto. I'll be at The Bay at Yonge and Bloor. (if you figure out who I am in that big ass store, I'll buy you lunch. Or call the police and report you as a stalker...guess it depends on how I feel about you. lol)

Now I am off to read Harry Potter. I am down to the last 100 pages and that's making me sad. I am enjoying it and don't want it to end. And I think that's the fastest I have ever read a book that size; I usually take 6 months to read a book just half that size.
If you haven't read any, go get the first book. I promise you, somebody you know has a copy, so you can just borrow it; ask around, you'll find one. Drop any pretenses you have in your head about it and just try it. I dare ya to read just one.

 
I cannot believe how fantastic the last 24 hours have been for me. One of my best friends for the last 20 years came into town, we hooked up with another girl from the '20 year alumni', and laughed the night away. We went to a restaurant, yucked it up there, and then moved the party back to my place and kept the laughs coming. Another alumni from my home town was brought into the party and we sat and laughed and recalled our childhood angst all those years ago.
I'm still amazed to this day that one can get together with an old friend like that and pick up right where things were left off. We got all caught up on each other's lives, marriages, divorces, new homes, jobs, etc... it was great.
In a time where I have been questioning friendships in my life, it has been re-energizing to touch base with friends that I know I can truly always count on no matter what. These are friends that HAVE stuck by me through thick and thin and would never walk away. And they won't, and that is one thing in my life I know I can count on. Makes me feel kinda ten feet tall and bullet proof, ya know? These people are among those that I call my true friends. :-)

Anyway, my friend stayed overnight like an old fashioned slumber party, and she is now on her way home. And as happens in life, I have to head downtown to put some time in at work. But hey...how can I complain? I've had it pretty good the last few days. :-)

 
In an hour or so a friend of mine will be coming here from out of town to stay with me. We have been friends for over 20 years, and that friendship has never waivered, even through great time and distance. And when she gets here we are going to drive to another town to meet up with another friend of 20 years (we all went to elementary school together) and have dinner. That second friend I haven't seen in easily 4 years or more.
I'm pretty damn excited. I know I keep harping on this crap lately, but I have come to value true friendship, now more than ever. I think we can all agree that it just takes a rough patch in your life to find out who your friends really are. And recently I have, and I am grateful. :-)

And to the goof who is surfing here from Israel using a proxy site...I know who ya are, so why don't you just come out and say hi already?

 
What a fantastic day. Good friends, good times. What more can I ask for?
I was out the door by 7am and on the road to the toy show with my best friends. We all had coffees in our hands, laughs in our bellies and we actually all broke out into song at one point; now there's something you don't see too often among friends anymore! haha... Spontaneous singing is always good. Coffee and early morning enthusiasm always helps.

Anyway, the first stop was the toy show. It was most excellent!!! And it was HUGE!! Toys toys everywhere.. I got myself a couple of Heroclix. I don't know what it is about little mini toys, but I love 'em! I got Green Arrow and Hawkman. They go with my Hulk, Johnny Storm and Changeling. Now I have a few heroes to keep by my monitor to watch over me. :-)

Then we went to the comic show. It was a much smaller show, but that's where I scored my toy of the day. I got myself the most awesome G-Force figure ever (G-Force is also known as Gatchaman, or Battle of the Planets). It's made by Takara, and it's the team leader, Mark. Check it out. Eeeek!!! I love it so! I could go on and on about all the features of the toy, but I won't bother you with that. I'm sure most of you are rolling your eyes at this point anyway. Just take my word for it when I say it made me a very happy woman today.

So that's it.....a day spent catering to the kid in me and having a great time with my guys. *sigh* Life is good.

Tomorrow I have an old friend of mine coming in to town to spend a day with me, so blogging will be light. We've been friends for 20 years! So we're gonna likely spend most of the time talking and catching up. Isn't it amazing how you can get together with an old friend you haven't seen in years, and just pick up where you left off? I love that.... our lives have gone off on completely separate paths, yet we can still get together and talk like we always have. *grin*
That, my friends, is what true friendship is all about.

 
One might ask what I'm doing getting up at 6am on a Sunday; it's the weekend, I should be sleeping in, right?
Well, here's a little secret about me: I'm a she-geek. That's right, call it what you will...geek, nerd, whatever...that's me. I like toys and comics and I don't care who knows it. In fact, I once worked in comic book shop. That's right I was the coolest chick around, damnit!!
Anyway, that being said I have gotten up at this ungodly hour to go to a toy show and then to a separate comic show with three of my man-geek friends. Only for these boys will I get up this early and face the certain stench of a nerds who will never get girlfriends, for the need to shower is somehow optional to them. Many of these boys only ever leave the comforts of their momma's basement in order to gather with other like-minded nerds to swap comics and debate whether the Hulk could beat Superman in a brawl.
Let my geekerific day begin!

 
So I went to the E.S.P Expo here in Toronto. It was pretty interesting. I picked up a few cool stones and stuff....I always like looking at all the books and jewelry other trinkets. I also had a reading done....I haven't had one since the last Expo I went to, maybe 3 years ago.
I'm not sure how I feel about the reading I had done....not much of it made sense to me, and besides which I always take everything a psychic says with a grain of salt.
This psychic said I would be moving in February or March....a big one, but still within Canada, and that I would travel lots after that. I personally don't see that happening, but one never knows. He says that I have thrown in the towel on a situation in my life and this has started great change in me. I can tie this to something in my life right now, so I'll bite. He also said that big changes are coming and I will answer my calling, and it will have something to do with communication. Now I just looked at him like he was on crack. I asked him just what he thought my calling might be coz I have no clue and I'm almost 30. I said if he knew it might be nice to tip me off so I can get down to the business of answering that call. lol. He said something with communication, be it writing, music, painting, acting, whatever, but he felt maybe more towards writing. He asked if I had moved in that direction at all since I threw in the towel on that other situation. I said yes, I had started a blog, but I highly doubted that a blog could in any way become a career for me let alone a calling. I said that my blog was one of a million or two in the world, and that there were much better ones out there than mine. He said he didn't know, but said that I would answer my calling and things would change rapidly in my life next year. I shrugged and said ok, if you say so. I have no idea.
He made mention of a few spirits coming through to make contact with me (this where I become skeptical, and never offer anything that a psychic could use to help guess something). He mentioned two people and I couldn't tell from their description who they could be; one sounded like a cousin I lost some years ago, but not really. Only if I was reaching, and I was. Then he mentioned someone who's description was so bang on that I nearly freaked out. I know many of you are going to think this is all a load of crap, and believe me I understand you, but I'm telling you, this guy had the description perfect right down to how he died, and I didn't say a WORD to him about any of it. Thankfully it was at the end of our session because it was causing me to get a little emotional.
The guy taped the session for me, so I'll listen to it again to remember what else he said. Overall, I didn't get much from it...I was irked by this notion of answering my call in the next few months when I haven't the foggiest clue what my calling is. Oh well, maybe it'll come to me, or maybe this session was meant to make me search for that answer. Who knows.

All in all I had a great time today. I went to the E.S.P Expo with my mom and a new friend of mine, a girl who moved into the apartment across the hall from me (more on her another time). Afterwards this friend and I went out for lunch and chatted for a few hours. It was great.
Then I went and rented a few movies and decided to stay in. I'm getting up insanely early tomorrow so I don't wanna be up too late. I've already had my excitement for the day, it's time to unwind and chill out. I just finished watching Solaris. I'd like to say I loved it, but I'm not too sure.... it was very slow paced, and kind of anti-climatic. It was meant to be one of those films that has a what if? component and makes you think about what YOU would do in a situation like that. What would you do if you could bring back someone you loved that died? I found it a little hard to watch after this damn psychic expo that made me recall my friend (the one the psychic mentioned). He was killed by a drunk driver 2 years ago, and I miss him dearly. So thanks, Solaris, for gettin' me all sad about that! tsk.
Now I'm gonna put on the Jerry Seinfeld movie "Comedian". It's a movie about his stand up routine I think...isn't it? Sort of a documentary about how he develops his routine? I dunno, but the reason I got it is because the trailer was absolutely hysterical (and actually, he wasn't even in it!). I highly recommend you watch it. It features the guy who does the voiceover for every trailer you have ever watched.....you know the guy. His voice is unmistakable, because realize it or not, you have heard it hundreds of times.
Anyway, view the trailer or don't, I leave it to you. I'm gonna go watch the movie.

 
First things first, I got the Matrix Reloaded dvd and the extras on it were AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!! It made it totally worth buying the disc. However, watching the dvd before going to bed seems to have adversely affected my dreams. You can read about it in my dream blog if you're interested. (you haven't been reading Technicolour Dreams?? But there's a link for it right there in the navigation column!! shame on you!)

Anyway, today I am off to the E.S.P. Expo here in Toronto. It's always entertaining and fun. All kinds of crazy people trying to sell wacky stuff and get you to believe what they have to say. Just for fun I like to sit down and have a reading done. I'll report back on what I find out. ("What's that JoJo? You see the Jews taking over the world??") *wink*

 
My good mood was in jeopardy after my brief visit to the office this morning, so I was forced to go out and practice a little retail therapy on the way home. Who doesn't feel better after picking up a little something for themselves?? So I treated myself to The Matrix Reloaded dvd, and a little cheap cookbook for potatoes and vegetables (correct me if I'm wrong...but aren't potatoes veggies?!). The book was only $5 and damn if we Irish don't love our potatoes! However, that was only $30 of the $120 I spent. I got a birthday present for a friend, got some Christmas presents for some other friends, and some presents for my friend's son over in England. Hurray! Presents for everyone. I friggin' LOVE getting presents for people...moreso than for myself. Somehow I feel selfish if I spend money on me, but I love giving presents other people.
I really need to work on that. :-P

And now I am closing my browser and e-mail client, and I am going to do WORK. Work I said I was doing for the last three days. But this time I MEAN IT. Okay, maybe I'll have lunch first...and THEN I'm gonna knuckle down and do work, I SWEAR.

 
Overall, I am in fine spirits this morning. I have eaten, showered and I am feeling spunky. I am about to head to the office and then back home to DO WORK; no more of this dickin' around I've been doing for the last few days.
My good mood this morning has been endangered by this chatter still going on about the Malaysian Prime Minister telling the Muslim world that Jews are the enemy and must be stopped from taking over the world (see my previous post). Meryl has continued to uncover more of the truth and it's making my blood boil. It's actually worse than we all first thought, since some of the quotes were incomplete, and tamed down. I can't get into it more, for I will be burning about it all day. Go see Meryl's post if you are interested, she includes a link to the full speech.

Meanwhile, it's a beautiful sunny day, and I don't intend on wasting it on a bad mood.

 
Well it seems I didn't learn from my previous incident involving my cat Isaac, and a mean little mistress known as Karma.
Today I found a new way to torment my cat. While typing away on the computer I happen to glance over to see my cat sitting on the treadmill. Actually laying on the conveyer belt/tread part of this piece of exercise equipment, practically begging to me to do something about it. How could I not sneak up and turn it on?? So I did. I turned it on. Now keep in mind, this treadmill is new, and his exposure to it is limited...I don't even know if he's seen it in motion before.... but he sure has now. }:-) That boy shot straight up in the air. Bwah ha ha!!! And then he tried to work up the courage to come back and investigate it afterwards (because of course I shut it off immediately, so he wasn't too sure what the hell happened). So after a few fright aftershocks (stretching to look, having it turn on, him pulling back. repeat.) he finally just decided it was best that he walk away. I once again scooped him up in my arms like a doting mother and told him I loved him and all that good stuff (like THAT is gonna save my soul for all the things I do to him. lol).
But now I gotta be looking over my shoulder....Lady Karma will be coming for me......

On a completely different note I'd just like to mention that this has been one of the most spectacular autumns in years, and the trees are displaying gorgeous colours. I went up north for Thanksgiving and the trees were simply breathtaking. If only Blogger would let me upgrade I would upload pics for you to see....but I can't so just close your eyes and imagine pretty orange, yellow, and red trees. Picture it...go on, try it......pretty hunh??
Ok ok, if that's not working for you go check out Lorien's picture of autumn leaves. :-)

 
Have you heard? That's right, Jews are trying to take over the WORLD! My god, the world had better wake up and smell the coffee....before you know it the Jews will be everywhere and ruling the whole world.
It's bizarre accusations like this that make me wonder what the Muslims are thinking (and before you think I'm picking on Muslims, go read the article!!). Do you see Jews trying to take over the world? But really now? Or do they just want this itty bitty little piece of land to call home? Allow me to put this in perspective for my Canadian and American readers. This piece of land is just slightly smaller that New Jersey, and about the same size as Vancouver Island. Get it? Now does that sound like a plan for world domination? Do I need to point out that it's about the only country in the Middle East that doesn't have oil? Does ANY of this sound like an evil plot to take over the world??

Okay, now I'm just shooting from the hip because I'm pissed off at how ridiculous the whole thing is, and by the fact that the Prime Minister of Malaysia was actually dumb enough to say that Muslims need to band together to fight the Jews. The leader of a country actually said this...not some crazy radical militant....not some religious fanatic.....the Prime Minister of a country.

Here, for a far more intelligent take on the incident go see Isreallycool.

UPDATE: I've been waiting for Meryl to step into the fray. I love the way she picks apart info and inserts her comments. Be sure to check it out.

 
First things first, I am wide open to suggestions on how to get rid of the smell and taste of WD40 that is currently wreaking havoc in my fridge. It all started because my fridge was making a most obscene noise, actually waking me up at night, and my landlord is being complacent when it comes to doing anything about it. So my friend across the hall, being the helpful chap that he is, came over to have a look. After pulling the fan apart we reached the conclusion that the motor just needed a little greasing. The only thing I had available was WD40 , and so we sprayed the fan. Voilà! Fixed. Sure it smelled a little industrial, but at least it wasn't screaming like a wounded meerkat. However. There is always a price for anything that comes too easily, and that price has turned out to be the taste of my milk. My beloved milk. So if anyone has any suggestion (something better than the simple baking soda solution) I am all ears. Comments are for just such an occasion.

Next order of business. Karma. Allow me to give you a simple example that has happened to me recently, ever reminding me that payback is a bitch, and she doesn't let you know when she's coming.

I have a new phone. It's a Nokia 8390. A lovely phone, nice ring, nice vibrating feature, some games, and it's teeny weeny. Often so teeny I can't locate the damn thing in my bag when it's ringing until it's too late, and I miss the call. I know, boo hoo for me and my technology.
Anyway, I also have a cat. His name is Isaac. I love him very much, he's my boy. But anyone who owns a cat knows that half the joy of owning a cat is tormenting them. And I mean in a fun way like spooking them when they suddenly act as though they have never seen a remote control before, not by being evil and putting a hotplate under them.
Let's combine these two ideas....a teeny weeny phone and Isaac.

One day I get a bright idea. I call my boy over to come sit on my lap so I can pet him (god I'm going to hell for this..I can feel it already! don't worry folks, this story is about KARMA. keep that in mind). He's a good boy, very affectionate, so he gladly climbs on my lap (legs are crossed, his favourite kind of lap). Once he settles in I grab my teeny weeny cell phone and slip it under his fat kitty ass. He doesn't notice (he's fat, it's teeny weeny. and he's far too trusting.). I wait a moment or two (~purr purr~) and then reach over to the home phone sitting on the bedside table. I hit the hands free button and dial my cell phone number. Seconds later the cell rings....and therefore vibrates. It's kinda like..oh...a bee. Needless to say my cat rocketed out of my lap, and straight up into the air. BWAH HA HA!! I am amused. Of course I'm not entirely evil so I scoop him up in my arms and soothe him. }:-)
Where's the payback, you ask?

A day or two later I am driving along down a busy street in my area. The music in my car is blaring, and I am on my way to see a friend. My cell phone, always nearby, is on my leg/lap. Little did I notice that it had slid off my leg and into the general area of my crotch (the thing is TEENY, ok??). The friend I am meeting calls me to let me know he's running a little late....causing the phone to ring (I can't hear it) and to vibrate. Not expecting the sudden buzz in my crotch I am frightened and immediately have a knee jerk reaction; I slam on the brakes in the middle of moving traffic and nearly eat my steering wheel for dinner. After realizing what had just occurred I gave a big chuckle... cat karma had just paid me a visit and scared the crap outta me.

Like I said folks.....payback is a bitch, and ya never know when she'll come for you.

 
I'm wondering how stupid the Palestinians can be? Did they think killing Americans would win the support of the Americans and the rest of the world? I know Arabs on the whole aren't keen on Americans these days, but if you want the world's sympathy you don't go killing those who are touring your area...you'd best be served trying to show them how terrible your life is. I could only shake my head when I read the news this morning....that truly has to be the dumbest move they have done in a long long time. What's really priceless is that the American convoy was being escorted by the Palestinian police for protection. HA! haha..what a joke. Way to protect, boys!
I can't wait to see what Meryl, Michele and Civax have to say about this.

 
So....I've been in a good mood as of late. A good mood that has actually lasted longer than five minutes...longer than five hours, even. In fact, it's gone on for weeks, and this is new to me. I'm afraid if I close my eyes it will disappear, or tell someone thereby causing bad luck befall me and bring the house of cards down. Is it silly to be afraid of a good mood? Of happiness? It's not something I'm familiar with, so I'm not sure what to do with it. Or what to expect. In my experience, all good things come to an end, so it's just a matter of time before this rug is yanked out from under me.
So I am cautiously enjoying the moment, taking it one happy day at a time. I've been tested a few times, but have somehow passed the tests, so my confidence is slowly growing. But the fear of falling is deeply engrained in me, so I tend to hold back a bit.
The thing is, I can pin my change in mood on one particular turn of events in my life, so doesn't it stand to reason that if I maintain that turn of events my mood should sustain? I mean yeah, life is gonna always throw curve balls at me, I know that, but if I stay away from the brownies, isn't it safe to say I have a better chance of not getting fat? lol

Ok, this post has gone to hell. All I wanted to say was that I am glad to be in a good mood, and I can practically recall the moment I stepped out and smelled the fresh air. And damnit, it's good....I never believed it was possible. So even if it doesn't last this time I know it's possible to achieve again.

"I remember feeling low
I remember losing hope
I remember all the feelings
And the day they stopped"
- OLP

 
I'm not getting any work done today. Sometimes this "working from home" thing is damn hard. Plus the work I intend to do is tedious....I'm making a webpage for work. Not at all a complicated one, but I am in no mood for html code. One really needs to be in the mood, ya know? I am drinking copious amounts of coffee to try and perk me up, but it's not happening. I keep looking at other stuff online...like Meryl's rant of the day. This girl makes me laugh, you should check her out.

Then I get distracted by looking at my fish tank. Did I mention some of my fish had babies? I am very excited..they are so tiny and adorable, and as yet, have not been eaten up by anyone. I make the same dumb voice that people do when talking to dogs or babies, when I look at my baby fish. You know the one...where you go up a few octaves and suddenly start talking baby-talk. It's a miracle children ever learn to speak properly, it really is.

I think the problem with me working from home is that I don't really start to get lively until late afternoon..then I like to work through the evening while watching tv. Remarkably, this works, but doesn't impress the boss much when she calls to check on your progress. Hm. Also, I have class tonight, and I don't have my homework done...so I'm thinking...should I do the homework, or do my workwork? Of course wrestling with this question ensures I get neither done. I am also trying my best to remember to pick my friend up at the airport tonight. Heh. Let's hope for both our sakes that I remember to fetch her.

Seems that my comments system is gone. Plum disappeared from my page. Mildly annoying...but I like Blogspeak, so I'll remain patient. Unless the comments are all permanently lost, in which case I might have to write a firmly worded letter to the young man who runs it. lol

Okay okay...that's it. I'm ready to do some work.
Shh.
Here I go....

 
I was amused by my horoscope for today....seems appropriate:

"Express your ideas every chance you get. After all, how do you know that the person behind you isn't interested in hearing your take on current events or the myriad philosophies you've got churning around in your head? You'll never know until you try, Virgo and you just might find that people are more receptive than usual to your various ramblings. Of course, there is also a certain value in keeping silent, so it will be up to you to know when to keep your mouth closed and when to open it."

Perfect advice for a new blogger, no?
*grin*

 
Today is Thanksgiving here in Canada, and I am truly celebrating the attitude of gratitude this year.
I could write a long sprawling message but instead I will try and keep it short and sweet.

This past year (5763 to some of you), has been absolutely one of the worst of my life for a wide variety of reasons. So why am I so grateful? Because in the last month I have seen light at the end of the tunnel, and walked out of the darkness and into that light. My friends, I have the world by the ass, and I am pretty damn happy about it.
I am grateful for the abundant new friends that have come into my life, enriching it immensely. Online and in real life, I am lucky to be surrounded by fantastic and supportive people. Thanks to all of you for everything. (now I feel like I'm giving an Oscar speech. lol). I am truly blessed for I love all my friends...they are truly a gift.

And I am grateful for those who have walked out of my life too; it was a harsh and painful lesson, but it has made me better for it in the end. Not all life's lessons are easy, and that was certainly one of the hardest. However, I have become stronger for it, and I thank you for walking away from me. That was actually one of the biggest favours you have ever done for me. You did it when I could not, and so I extend my gratitude. My life has only improved since you left, so I owe you much. Look at this blog! This only happened once you gave up on me and I started believing in myself. Now I have something to be proud of and you had nothing to do with it; I and I alone built this blog. I always wondered if I could stand on my own two feet.... and I think I got my answer. Friends come and go in your life for a reason....and at first the reason is not always obvious. One must maintain faith that the answer will come.

Life is pretty good for me right now...I have friends in my life that I cherish, and I was able to gather with my small family and celebrate over a fine meal. What more could I possibly ask for? Anything else would be gravy. I encourage everyone to take the time to reflect, take stock, and appreciate. Tell everyone in your life that you love them, every chance you get.
And above all, be grateful.

 
"The sweetest joy, the wildest woe is love"
~Pearl Bailey~

Have you ever fallen in love with someone, only to not have it returned? And I don't mean you have this diehard crush on someone and you dream of getting together with them and what your lives would be like if you did....I mean really fallen in love. You would do anything to be near them and would die for them if ever such circumstances arose. The kind of love that happens but a few times in your life if you are REALLY lucky...unless it isn't reciprocated, in which case it is the most unlucky thing ever.
I have. I have known love not returned and it hurts more than anything I have ever known. And it's a hurt that doesn't ever go away. You end up taking what you can get, friendship, the occasional outing for a coffee, or anything at all, just to see the person. But your heart is aching the whole time....sometimes you put your hand to your chest to see if you can actually feel it breaking.
Is it really better to have loved and lost than never to have loved? I don't think so....I think that when you have never loved you are lucky because your image of what it must be like is never tarnished....you can carry this storybook idea in your mind of what love is, without it ever being ruined.
I don't look on this particular love fondly at all...it has been an incredible hardship and has given me a broken heart that I have never been able to fully heal. And when you have a broken heart it is hard to love another. Had I a choice, I would never have allowed these feelings to grow, but we don't really have a choice about who we fall in love with do we? And this one just kinda sneaked up on me...I didn't realize until it was much too late.
But I have not given up hope....I hang on to the idea that I can and will fall in love again. In due time.

"Love is a fire.
But whether it is going to warm your heart or burn down your house,
you can never tell."
~Joan Crawford~

 
According to Richard Cohen of the Washington Post, the answer is yes...
Check out the article.
Honestly? It scares me when I hear about people who have been in Israel 20 - 30 years, now packing up and leaving.

I don't know... I've written three different paragraphs now, and keep deleting them. I just don't know what to say. Read the article for yourself.

 
Here's an observation I have made.
Some people have freakishly long torsos, and shorter (often disproportionately so) legs. I first noticed the phenomena when I got into my car after my mother had been driving it. The car seat was pulled up closer than I would normally have it, meaning her legs are shorter. But wait.....she's taller than me. "That's odd" I thought, as I slide the seat back a bit. Then I noticed when I looked in the rearview mirror, it was slightly too high for me. Holy wow! She's more torso than legs! I have enjoyed this discovery a great deal, and like to call her 'tiny legs' and 'wee limbs' all the time. "Yeah yeah", she says, "it's mystery how you can fit those LANKY LEGS of yours into the car at all" (I'm all of 5'3", you see...).
So I've noticed this trait in a few other people, and I just think it's kinda funny.
As I stared at a friend of mine today I actually pondered......is this where evolution is taking us?? Are we all gonna be running around with tiny little legs and long bodies?!? what's doing this?? is all our computer use going to ensure we never have to leave our desk anymore, that we can get all that we need delivered right to our home?!?!
ha. then I thought....I think too much sometimes.

 
There are times in life where you shouldn't skimp or cut corners. Toilet paper is one of them. Now, normally I don't cut costs when it comes to toilet paper, but somehow I got suckered coz the paper I bought looked like the good stuff, it really did. Marketing bastards. And now I got some insane amount, like 30 rolls, of this god-awful sandpaper. I think I might take it to work and pawn it off there, and go get myself real toilet paper. The kind that puppies and kittens like to play in. Or bears in the woods. I think I deserve it.

And I see I have a lurker from Israel on here......HMMMM....
you can run, but you can't hide. lol. I see you, sneaky!!!

So...Anyone wanna come see Kill Bill tonight?

 
I do NOT care about Kobe Bryant. Or the California recall. Or the Red Sox vs. the Yankees.
In fact, I don't even care enough to link any of those topics; chances are you know exactly what I'm talking about, and if you don't you are extremely lucky, and I shan't pollute your time with talk of them.

How about we look at some GOOD news... some news that...(dare I say it?)...actually matters. Okay fine, actually matters to me. Because I don't care what Kobe Bryant did, or how it will affect his career, what I DO care about is this news item today that shows hope for women and their fight against breast cancer.
With that in mind I would like to draw attention to the Second Annual Blogger Boobie Thon. Stop by, see what it's about, and show some support. It's an extremely worthy cause.

 
Thanks goes to Solomonia for bringing this to my attention. It makes my stomach turn and wonder if there will ever be peace.....

 
I wrote a firmly worded letter to my landlord today expressing my extreme displeasure at his negligence towards his duties. I have a fridge that is in desperate need of replacement and is threatening to die any minute now. It howls like a banshee, and wakes me up at night whenever it turns on. Yes, it is THAT loud. Sonofabitch.

Also, the buzzer doesn't work, so whenever someone comes to my door, I can't hear them buzz to be let in. This has been a problem for the better part of 2 years now, and has caused me quite a bit of grief. Just yesterday, for instance, I missed a package being delivered because I didn't hear the guy at the door. This makes me livid. I was sitting RIGHT here, but missed the delivery. It was for that reason that I was prompted to write my landlord.....it would be nice if I knew when I had visitors stopping by, or packages being delivered (or pizza, or groceries..they take unkindly to you ordering and then not answering when they deliver). I have bitched to him about this on numerous occasions before, but I am sick and tired of being nice about it.

Lord, may I win the lottery so I can buy a place of my own and can tell my landlord to shove it up his ass.....

 
"I'm a little mixed up on the Palestinians ....and the Israels......which one is throwing the rocks?"
(sic on the "Israels" btw)

For genius answers like this and more click on this link.
They have gone to the streets of America to ask such questions as: how many world wars have there been? (3, apparently) which countries are in the Axis of Evil? (Jerusalem is not only evil, it's apparently a country as well, as is Florida) How many Eiffel Towers are there? (10, of course!) Where is the West Bank? (well, duh...somewhere in New York! where else?? tsk.)

All this and more. Do click, do enjoy.

 
So a colleague of mine and I were off to do a presentation this morning. Dressed up in our finest business attire and feeling like the kick ass bitches we know we are, we were off to the headoffice of the company (that shall remain nameless) who would be lucky enough to drink up our vast knowledge. As we crossed Queen St., in the heart of downtown Toronto (in rush hour traffic I might add), our little dolly carrying our binders, briefcases and computer with projector, decides to flip over in the middle of the street. Yes, we went from "we are women hear us roar" to complete klutzes in a matter of about 2 seconds. All traffic was halted, and there were papers everywhere. *sigh* There is just nothing like public humiliation to really start the morning off on the right foot. I just hope that we could at least bring a smile to someone else's face...I'm sure it must have been pretty comical from the outside. Hell, even I can laugh about it now. It's moments like this that help to keep us humble. I can live with that.

Oh...OH!! Quick, all those tired of hearing about the California Recall, raise your hand!!
Please, may it end soon.
Meantime, I enjoyed Meryl's entry today immensely. She often says what we are all thinking (but may be too shy to say). In my case, she just words it so much better than I ever could.
For an amusing look at the Arafat situation go see Meryl.

 
Yesterday I sat and had tea with friends of mine, new immigrants to Canada from Israel who arrived in July.
We were talking about this and that, and of course the conversation turned to the events in Israel, including the recent bombing in Haifa. Both had been to the restaurant that had been destroyed, and were sorry to see it go. As we talked about that, the t.v. was on in the background, and the news was on; in the lull of the conversation we all watched a bit of the news, with the headline being about the two Canadian soldiers who were recently killed in Afghanistan. Did you hear about it? Not likely, if you weren't Canadian. Go ahead, look on CNN.com. No? Skynews? No? Of course not. Now, I could go on and on about how it doesn't matter when a Canadian gets killed, but that's not why I brought this up.

As I sat with my friends I turned to them and remarked about how this was big big news to us here in Canada...we get *very* worked up when our soldiers come back in body bags. First of all, we just aren't a fighting nation, so we are not used to the loss (especially if it's "not our war"). Secondly, it highlighted how badly equipped our army really is. The soldiers had been driving a woefully outdated jeep, not a shiny new Hummer. Still, this is not my point.... (get on with it, I know..I am, I swear)
I said to my friends "it must be amusing to see a nation get so worked up about 2 soldiers killed, when Israel often loses that number or more a day". Now before anyone gets their shorts in a bunch, I am not minimizing the loss. I just remember the reaction of Israel after 9/11...... it was often remarked "now you know how it feels". So when we cry about losing 2 soldiers, I think to myself....my god people, open your eyes....that is NOTHING compared to the losses of countries in their struggle for security! Some countries deal with greater losses each and everyday..... it's all part of the bigger picture. (note that I have made no mention of the number of American soldiers that are getting killed nearly everyday in Iraq)

I also asked my friends how it felt to now watch the news about Israel from here, instead of there. Doesn't it feel weird to watch footage from a country you just called home? Even I feel changed since I visited Israel in June....I look at the footage much differently. They kinda shrugged and said they much prefer the news here..... you know, where you hear about the local elections (never any kind of incident there) and maybe a stabbing in a bad part of town (it's sometimes tough to get a gun here, so you use what you can).
Yeah...I can see their point. Our news looks pretty damn tame. And that suits them just fine.

In closing, I hope everyone had an easy fast this year, and I truly do send my sympathies to the families of those fallen soldiers. Your loss is shared.

 
At least 30 injured, many seriously, in explosion in Haifa restaurant
It's headlines like this that I hate to wake up to......and due to the time difference between Toronto and Israel, it has happened a lot. It's not how I like starting my day.
What can I say? Visit my recommended blogs for more accurate reports, and more meaningful insight.
I can only shake my head and watch broken reports on CNN.....never the best source.
My thoughts and prayers for those in Haifa.

For greater insight, check out Rinat, Allison, Lorien, Meryl, Civax, or Imshin.

 
I have been obsessing for the last few days. I have been reading, experimenting, and learning as much as I can. It's starting to seep into my dreams, and is ensuring I am not getting much sleep at night, and even less work done during the day. I can already see it now....I will be an obsessive blogger. (anyone ever play Tetris obsessively and then be unable to see anything but falling blocks when they close your eyes? same thing...I'm seeing html and links everywhere)
Hmm....maybe I should reconsider the title of my blog to reflect my new obsession. lol
Blogomania perhaps.......

 
I just deleted my first entry, dated February 5, 2002. I had written it over a year ago, and then abandoned my blog. It was too much, and I was feeling overwhelmed because I had no idea how to start a blog (despite the ease of using Blogger). I still have no idea what I'm doing, but I think I'm feeling much more ambitious about it now. That and I'm tired of reading 10+ blogs a day and thinking of a million things *I* wanted to say too. So here I am.
I'm still trying to understand the madness of html and all that....thank god for tutorials to help the helpless, such as myself. So if you have happened upon my blog, please bear with me while I learn (and I have MUCH to learn). I hope you enjoy your stay, and check out the other blogs I have recommended.
cheers.