Fixing a wobbly shelf, Part One

So about 2 months ago I put up two "floating" shelves in my living room (you can find the post below). One of the shelves I put up did not feel secure at all, but I decided to leave that little problem for another day.

Yesterday was finally that other day. I had a vague idea of how to do it, I asked around a little, but I was still nervous. So to be sure I knew what I was doing, I turned to the best invention in the past 20 years...the internet. I read up and watched videos, and when I finally felt confident I went out to get what I needed.

My plan was to remove the offending shelf, then cover the holes, paint over the spots and put the shelf up again. It could have been a little higher anyway. One thing I did learn about covering the holes that I didn't know, was putting a patch over it before the putty. I don't know how much of a difference this makes, or if it makes it easier, but I felt more confident having it.

I may have put the putty on a little too thin in some places, but now that it's all dry and painted over it actually looks pretty good. You would have to get up really close to notice the little squares from the screen patch. I read somewhere to stuff the hole with paper, and I did. I still don't know if I should have, but the way I see it, I can't see it, so for now it isn't a problem.

I was worried that because the paint in the can has been sitting for a few months the colour might not blend in exactly and I'd be able to see the spots. I know I shouldn't have been worried about this...and it turned out perfect anyway. Not that any of this really matters because when the shelf goes back up you won't really be able to see any of it.

I'm waiting to put the shelf back up because it's really hard to do these floating shelves with only one set of hands. The bar you have to hang isn't light and it's hard to hold it with one hand while screwing things in with the other. Especially since it's higher on the wall.

So for now my one little shelf on the wall looks lonely, but the wall behind it looks great!

“Toast. The Story of a Boy’s Hunger” A book review

The thing I love about reading is the chance to escape into someone else’s world. If it is a really good book I feel as though the author has taken me by the hand and is leading me around. Toast, by Nigel Slater, is everything I want in a book. I picked it up because it sounded amusing and it was about food. I’ve really gotten into the flavours of food, in the last couple of years, and I’ve come to appreciate people who appreciate food.

Slater is definitely someone who appreciates food. As you read you have to wonder if he became a chef more for his love of eating food then making it. Slater writes of his childhood almost matter-of-factly, using the food of his childhood to take you through his most cherished memories, and sad events events of his life. He talks of the sad things without anger; he doesn’t want anyone’s pity. He describes traumatic events like he describes sitting around the table eating dinner, both simply as things that have happened in his life.

As soon you start reading, you can tell that Slater is a professional writer. His writing is entertaining, funny and elegant. His has the ability to make your mouth water on one page, while he pulls at your heartstrings on the next. He depicts all of the events and people in his life with honesty. His good guys have a bad side, and his bad guys have a good side.

I really enjoyed this book. I could even see myself rereading it, but probably not when I’m hungry...

Tornadoes in Ontario destroy more than people's homes.

Last night tornadoes hit south western Ontario. In one city alone 600 houses were damaged and 44 of those homes must now be torn down because they are “unliveable”. Cars were toppled over like they were toys throw about by children. Hundred year old trees fell, taking the power lines with them. Thousands were left without power, some until this morning.

As devastating as this sounds, houses can be rebuilt, cars replaced, trees replanted and power restored. What can’t be brought back is the life of the eleven year old boy who got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

When the news first broke that an eleven year old boy had died while taking cover in a forest from the storm, my first thought was, ‘What on earth was this boy doing outside in the forest when the storm reports had been on the news since the morning?’ I couldn’t help but wonder why his parents hadn’t gone out to look for him when the sky started to turn dark and stormy.
While the details are still unclear as to what happened, today the news reported that this boy had been at a day camp when the storm hit. The man who ran towards the dying screams of this little boy to try and help him didn’t seem to know the boy or have anything to do with him.

Where were the people who were supposed to be watching this boy? I know eleven year olds are old enough to wander off a little, but it wasn’t like this storm was a surprise. Sure it’s intensity was a surprise, as were the tornadoes, but there had been thunderstorm warnings all day. Just a few weeks ago a family was struck by lightning from a storm that seemed to be forming in the distance. The little boy in that case is still in the hospital.

I have to ask, didn’t we learn? Who was in charge of this eleven year old? When his parents dropped him off in the morning didn’t they have the right to assume that someone was going to look out for their child? In all of the destruction this death seems so pointless, so preventable.

Warm fuzzies

My cat just licked my leg like it was a salt stick. In between licks I could feel her hot little breath on my ankle. Then I felt her little teeth try to take a little bite. She's so adorable, I love her to bits. I know she would never hurt me which makes it even cutier. She's such a little sweetie. She makes my heart melt.

Starting again.

Can I start again?

Rewind the tape?

There is so much inside me, this energy that is making every bit of my body tingle. So much stuff is pent up inside me I feel like my body is going to start hovering. I’m worried that my pounding heart is going to break through my chest and give me away. I want to vomit all of it onto this page, but there is something blocking it. Something living inside of me is pushing it back down.

Despite the energy coursing through my body I feel fatigued. The strength it takes to keep this pulsing energy from exploding out of me weighs down on my body. It feels like walking around in a pressure tank.

I feel myself falling into a hole, and as hard as I scrambled to get out of it, I just go deeper and deeper. I wonder how I got here. I want to start over, where do I go for the redo? I want to shout out “Rewind the tape! I want to go back!”

And then as soon as it started, suddenly it’s gone. I look around, and wonder what it was all for. There is nothing I would change. No reason to go back. Everything is the way it should be. I feel silly.

Everything is the way it should be.

Blank Page

I can’t find the words, but I want to explain.

My fingers fly over the keys, as the page fills with words,

But just as quickly as they appear I make them disappear.

It isn’t a question of how much I want to share,

But how far back I want to go,

It’s such a complex web of events that brought us here today.

Where do I begin, when the story hasn’t ended yet?

Tomorrow

Do you remember what tomorrow is?

You always forgot what day it was. You always had to be reminded. But I didn’t mind. The day doesn’t mean to me what it means to others. I enjoy the excuse to get together and have good times. That’s all that mattered…and still matters to me.

It’s funny because it was a year ago tomorrow when it all started to end. I knew that the day would probably come, but this day was the day I had to accept it. I had to accept that for you out of sight was out of mind. I wasn’t worth the cost of the phone call.

So many times I needed to hear your voice; I didn’t care what it cost. All I cared about was talking to you. If I had told you how much I cared, would that have made a difference? Would you have cared more? Or was it always too much work for you?

I tried to forget. I really did. I pushed it so far out of my mind I couldn’t remember how it all fell apart. I don’t know what made me do it…look for you. Now your very public life without me has become almost an obsession. I go back and look one or two times a day, sometimes more. I try to make myself stop but I can’t.

Looking into your eyes again reminds me of all that we have lost. And for what? I started to blame myself.

Maybe I was asking for too much. Maybe I should have given you another chance. I had pushed the memories so far back I couldn’t remember. Was it me? I had to know.

I pulled up the letters that led to the final silence. I reread every detail. And then I remembered. I gave you a chance, more than one. But you blamed me. It wasn’t my fault, yet you blamed me. I gave you the key to get back in, but either you didn’t recognize it or you ignored it. That was your last chance. I don’t think we can go back. You proved I wasn’t worth it to you. But if not me, then who is? Who could ever be worth it more than I was?

So here I sit, knowing that I did all I could. Knowing that you didn’t. And I wonder. Will you remember what tomorrow is?

Sidenote: I just realized it was 2 years ago...how time flies...

Reunion of torture

Why do I keep going back? Ever time I look in those eyes the crack in my heart gets wider. It's like you're rubbing your happiness in my face. "See what I can have without you", you smiling face mocks me. The other part of me thinks your being so public because you are waiting for me to comeback, waiting for us to reunite, you want me to keep up so that I don't miss a minute. Deep down, I know that you probably have no idea how public your life has become.

The reunion that may never happen plays over and over again in my mind. Sometimes we forget everything that came between us, and just fall back into the good times. Other times we fight, cry, yell and shout. We let everything go, and put everything on the table. And then there are times when we pass eachother like we didn't see the other. This is how I think it will be.

We got too close, you hurt me too deep. I will always wonder why I wasn't worth it. Why you couldn't muster up the energy to care just a little more. I gave you so many chances, but you just didn't try. Maybe I should have shown you how much I cared, how hard I tried.

At the end of the day, it was me who ended it. I'm the one who walked away. I hoped that you would call me back, run after me. But you didn't. You just got angry and walked away. I doubt you even looked back.

Funny thing is I shed the tears of this moment a year before, knowing that it would come, hoping it wouldn't.

I hate your cat

I feel sleep heavy on my eyelids,
I slowly let myself succumb to the darkness.
Just as my brain is shutting down there is a noise,
A sad cry jerks me from my slumber.
I know you miss her,
So do I.
I reach out to stroke your soft fur,
But you pull away from me.

You run back and forth,
Nails skittering across the hardwood floors.
Your moans fill my room,
I reach out and again,
You pull away from me.

You crawl across my legs.
You cry some more,
I know this is your way of asking,
Where she is.
I reach out to comfort you,
But you pull away from me.

Together we watch the hours pass by,
I drift in and out of a restless slumber,
Your whiskers in my face as you cry for her.
You sound so sad, so lonely, so forgotten,
I know it isn’t my comfort you seek,
But I still try and when I reach out,
You pull away from me.

As the sun begins to rise,
My patience begins to wane.
Where I once felt guilt and sympathy,
I now feel anger and frustration.
You come and nestle up to me,
You search for my hand,
Looking for comfort,
But I pull away from you.

I did it!

When we first moved into our apartment, we bought shelves to put up. The task, as usual fell to me, and I have to admit I was terrified to do it. Finally yesterday I plucked up the courage, and I did it! The first shelf I put in doesn’t feel as sturdy as I would like, but we just won’t put anything heavy on it. I think I made the holes for the anchors a little too big. It comes out from the wall a little.

The thing I’m most worried about is the cat jumping up there with her big bottom and pulling the whole thing down.

Here are some pictures of my handiwork...

This is the first, and very wobbly shelf.

Here are both shelves together.

The second one is a little uneven but I think it’s hard to tell.

No Touching

This skin that has rarely been touched by love,
It trembles whenever someone comes near,
Involuntary spasms shoot up my back and I shudder.
Their finger tips on my skin feel like burning embers,
The pain runs deep from their touch, and I wonder,
Will I ever be able to feel?
Or will I always be numb to touch.

Others don’t understand,
They laugh at me,
Mocking and taunting me.
They think I am cold and cruel,
They think that the unfeeling extends to my heart.
Sometimes in an attempt to help,
But mostly just for their own amusement,
They surround me in an unwanted grasp.
A bear hug not filled with torment,
Meant to make me feel inadequate and awkward.

Sometimes when the loneliness overtakes me,
My body aches for your touch,
The only touch that I crave, the only touch I need.
I dream about running my hands over your soft skin,
Gently squeezing your flesh,
Our bodies radiating heat as we lie curled up together,
Your calm breathing lulling me into a dreamless sleep.

I’ve accepted that this will never happen,
My body will never touch yours,
Your fingers will never run across mine.
I am a prisoner to the fear that cripples me into this life,
Afraid to be exposed and to be vulnerable,
I will remain forever alone.

When I heard about Michael

My reaction to the death of Michael Jackson surprised me. It shocked and upset me more than I would have ever guessed. I was “working” a booth at a baseball game with the new guy at work. We had been standing around chatting about the nothing things you talk about with people you barely know. I got a text message, so I glanced down at it to see what it said. It said, “This is weird. Michael Jackson is dead.” I gasped “Oh my god!” and I must have looked upset because new guy looked at me concerned and said “What’s wrong?” to which I answered, “Michael Jackson is dead.”

His reaction to the news was as surprising as mine. He was clearly shocked and kept asking me how reliable my friend was, and started texting his friends to see if anyone had heard about it. Finally he remembered he had the internet on his phone, so he googled it and sure enough it was true.

For the next couple hours we both started reminiscing about Michael, and what a big part of our childhoods he had been. For me, he was really the first person I recognized as being a musician. I remember watching some sort of biography thing on him and being intrigued.

As I grew up, his music and the bizarre events in his life have always been there in the background. While I enjoy his music, I have never bought any of it, (although my sister has his greatest hits tapes somewhere...). Before this I would have never considered myself a fan. Now I would like to think so.

I’m sure many people will talk about all of the weird things he has done, and the allegations that have been made, but I have decided that I would like to remember him for the good stuff in his life. No matter what his faults were I think he genuinely loved his children, and tried to do what he thought was best. He was after all human.

I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I have both spoken and laughed at many a joke at his expense, but right now while it is still fresh, I am going to respect his memory as best I can.

Bread

I just ate a giant piece of a baguette and I had to chew it so much I could feel it in my temples. I've had this happen before, it's a very weird sensation. It almost feels as though, with each bite your temples are going into your head. In a strange way it makes me feel like a frog, if I knew what a frog felt like...

The Remote

The room is dark except for the glow coming off the tv. The “gentle” sound of breathing drowns out the sound of the horrible show I am being forced to watch. My eyes search around the room looking for any sign of the remote, but I know where it is. It is somewhere under the body sleeping beside me.

I gently poke and prod searching for a glimpse of my salvation, but still I find nothing. As the minutes pass I get closer and closer to the point of no return. The point where it is too late to see the show I want to watch. My choices are growing limited, either I finish watching this horribly fascinating late night time filler, or I sit in darkness. I’m not lazy, you see, I can only change the channel with the special and my beloved remote. The “clicker” which rests, (uncomfortably?) under my sleeping comrade.

It’s going off...grown men are crying.

NOT INTERESTED!!!

I usually screen all my calls. We rarely get phone calls and we usually expect the ones we get. When the phone rang this morning I thought it might be my friend, so instead of waiting for it to go to the machine to be sure, I picked it up.

Immediately the guy on the other line asked for someone who wasn’t me. I figured as soon as I said “Sorry wrong number” that would be the end of that conversation. I was sorely mistaken.
He went on to ask me if the address was, “Blah, blah, blah”, I said “No, not at all.”, and once again thought that was the end of it. But it wasn’t. He then went on to ask me if I was interested in...”No not interested, thanks.” This is when he became aggressive.

“But you haven’t even heard my offer.” He began to tell me his offer, it was for a newspaper, I know I don’t want a newspaper, so once again I said “Sorry I’m not interested.” He started getting frustrated with me saying, “Can you just listen to me? We’re trying to start up a route for the youth in your region, this would really help them out...blah, blah, blah.” Ok first of all, I already told him he had the wrong address, so he doesn’t even know what region he is calling, second of all I AM NOT INTERESTED!!! I tell him again, and say I have to go, he then starts desperately trying to convince me, telling me I’ll get coupons in the paper and such. Now the reason I haven’t hung up on this guy yet is because I realize that they are just doing their job, and occasionally I have to call people (not for sales, or anything, but they always think that’s why I’m calling at first), so I like to be polite.

This guy just wouldn’t let up so finally I just said “Sorry I have to go” and hung up on him while he was midsentence. What I don’t understand is why this guy kept me on the phone, I’m not going to change my mind, so really you are just wasting your time keeping me on the phone. I’ve done sales and you can tell when you have a chance, and when you don’t. I think I’m going to have to go back to not answering the phone.

Riverdud

I went to see Riverdance the other night. Now I have always been under the impression that Riverdance was just a bunch of people tap dancing in unison. I love tap dancing, and as a kid I wanted desperately to take tap, but was never allowed. I was very excited to see this, tapping my toes at my desk in the days leading up to it. One of my co-workers had seen it a few days before me and in retrospect she had tried to warn me that it wasn’t all tap, but I was just too excited.

As soon as it started I began to get nervous, but after a bit they started tapping and I settled in to enjoy it. The tap dancing was amazing!!! If only they stuck to tapping.

Now I understand that it is hard to tap for two straight hours, but I’m sure they could have come up with a better idea than what they did. To me Riverdance was like The Hobbit mixed with A Christmas Carol. Confused? So was I. One moment there were fairies dancing across the stage, and the next moment carollers came out with candles lit. Meanwhile in the background there was a cheesy video screen with images such as moons, trees and at one point a flame on the screen.

The worst part of the show was when a woman came out and started stomping around on the floor. The only comparison I can think of is when the people who live above me walk around their apartment with their shoes on. There was no real rhythm to her dancing, and when she wasn’t clomping around the stage, she was swooshing her dress around. And if once wasn’t enough, near the end of the show they had her come out again to torment us some more.
After the intermission a black man came out and started singing about being a slave. Immediately following that 2 black guys came out and starting doing “jazz tap” and ended up in a “tap down” with three folky type tappers. In the end they all made up and tapped off the stage together. Don’t get me wrong, it was great, but very staged.

Occasionally on the news, or in a talk show they will show you a scene from a play or musical. Riverdance felt like I was watching a series of these. One part didn’t seem connected to the next.

Overall the show felt professionally boring. You could tell that these people have been doing this for years, and there was no passion in their dancing. The attempt at a story to string the show together was both confusing and boring. I found myself very restless about halfway through, and barely made it to the end without pulling my hair out (I tried to nap, but with the occasional tapping, that was too difficult). I give Riverdance two toes down.

The USA and Iran

I find it interesting that some people want the USA to get involved with the election fiasco that has happened in Iran. Although it was 9 years ago, it doesn’t seem like that long ago when the US allowed George Bush to be sworn in as President when Al Gore won the election.

I have no problem with citizens speaking out against this, and protesting. What I do have a problem with is other countries thinking that they have the right to step in and “fix” the problems of other countries. I realize that there are some exceptions to this, but unfortunately we don’t seem to step in when those situations arise.

The way that I see it, if that happened in Canada, even if I was against what was happening, I would be angry and frustrated that we weren’t allowed to sort things out for ourselves. It may take time, it may be bumpy, lives may be lost, but it’s up to us to sort it out.

Perez again!!!!

I turned on the news this morning when I was still half asleep. Before I even had my eyes fully open they were talking about Perez Hilton AGAIN!!!


I wrote about this briefly yesterday, and what I still don’t understand is how this whining boy makes the news? Someone hit him? So? I can’t imagine this is the first time he’s been hit, and if it was, it was long overdue.


They showed a clip of a video he posted onine, and he just looks like a pathetic whiner. He should be ashamed that he is taking attention away from real news. Like Jon and Kate Gosselin getting divorced.

Top News Story This Morning...

Wondering what the big news story is this morning? Perez Hilton was allegedly beat up by Black Eyed Peas group member Wil. I am. So after he got “beat up” and called the police what did he do? He started twittering about it. Who does that? If you get beat up wouldn’t you call a friend or family member?

Oh and it gets better...I went to his website to see if he had posted anything about what had happened. The first thing I see when I get there is a GIANT ad for the Black Eyed Peas, and there isn’t just one of them. The entire site is covered with ads for them. His whole background is ads.

There is something wrong with this guy on so many levels.

.75%, 1.25% or 3%

.75%, 1.25% or 3%

These are the interest rate on the savings bonds this year.
I remember when I was a kid my dad had me put any excess money I had into savings bonds, and he always said “Never go below 5%.” I’ve moved most of my savings into other things, but I still have a couple of the savings bonds from when I took my dad’s advice. Just last year some of them matured and I only got about $75 for $400. That was with an interest rate of higher than 5%.

I can’t imagine putting my money into a bond that only gave me 1% interest. It wouldn’t even be worth my time to go in and sign the paper work. I’m wondering though, if there are some people out there who will still get these bonds. I guess it’s a given that some people would.
So how on earth do these banks and such get away with charging us ridiculous interest for any money we borrow? Or even better yet, they charge us for the ability to loan out our money and earn even more money.

Man am I in the wrong business.

Racing to the end.

Every day my shoulders get bumped and bashed around as I fight to get ahead of everyone else. I stare vacantly ahead, and people quickly scramble out of my way. I stare out like I am on a mission, like I can see nothing through my own tunnel vision. Little do they know that every step I take is calculated, every motion is planned. My timid apologizes are a cover for the rage inside of me for the misstep that was your fault. My body shudders with my anger because now I am one pace behind where I would have been. I now have to work harder to get ahead. I weave through the crowd like a string is pulling me through a maze. In my head I see it as a puzzle, shuffling quickly into the closing gaps. I move through the crowd in one fluid motion racing everyone else. Not letting myself take a break until I reach the end. I do this every day, twice a day, racing for a finish line that isn’t there.

The Me

Unfortunately the person I am, is the person I think people want me to be. I've been doing this for so long I'm not sure who I am or what I am supposed to be. I grew up being a chameleon. Changing my skin to fit into any situation.

People keep saying "Be yourself", "Don't worry about what other people say". But what if not being myself is really being myself. What if that is who I am, the person who adapts to the situation like she's pulling on a coat in the winter. Is there something wrong with this?

Don't we all sort of act like this? Don't you have a work person, a home person, a parent person, a friend person, and a spouse person? I've noticed that people change their voice depending on who they are talking to on the phone. It happens a lot, and isn't this changing who you are?

There are things I don't like about the person I am. I wish I didn't need approval from others as much as I do, and I'm working on it. It's hard for me to open up to people about who I am and how I feel. I hide things that I am and reasons why I have become this person. When I do share them, it is most often with someone I have little chance of having a lasting connection with, and immediately afterwards I am full of regret and remorse.

So if you think that I am not being myself, remember that maybe this is who I really am. I think the best way to say it is that I am how I feel.

Deflated

I feel deflated.

There is nothing left in me but a short breath.

In the nothingness I search for something...

Anything...

Desperate to feel...

To convince myself that the deadness isn’t a permanent feeling.

The voice in my head tells me that pain is the only way out.

Pain will make me feel again.

Pain will bring me comfort.

Tired

I haven't slept more than a few hours in over a week. I'm so tired. I can't wait to get back to normal. I feel empty inside.

*Snap*

I don’t know why, how or when exactly it happened, but something snapped inside of me over the course of the move. Well, I hope it snapped and can be fixed, and didn’t just die. I’d go into more detail but I don’t have it in me tonight.

Moved

So I’m moved. I have a new home. I like my new home. What I don’t like is moving. Ugh. Yuck. I plan on dying here, I’m never ever moving again. Never.

I packed so hard it took everything out of me. The little bit left I had went into the actual moving of things. Very near the end I lost it. I was done and I had nothing left. What I forgot was that once you move the stuff you have to unpack it. Dammit.

I only just unpacked my clothes. We did a pretty good job unpacking, but there are still a few boxes kicking about.

Moving...moving...gnivom...I'm losing it...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH....

I shouldn't even be blogging, I should be packing. We have way to much stuff. We've thrown out tons of stuff which I hate doing because it's such a gigantic waste! I gave a bunch of stuff away so it wasn't as bad but it's still stressing me out.

I'm very stressed that the movers won't take a bunch of stuff. When we booked it they said that we had to tell them every single thing we want them to move for insurance. I tried my best but there is so much I couldn't possibly get everything. Now as I'm pulling stuff together I'm doing a calculator in my head of how many items they won't take.

Now in reality I shouldn't be so stressed out. We already moved a bunch of stuff this weekend, and we rented a hatchback for tonight and tomorrow so we can move some stuff ourselves. Also we are doing this mid month so that if we can't get everything we can come back and take the rest. But still I am very very stressed. I didn't sleep at all last night. I went to bed late and then at 3am my body was like "Ok time to get back up and going again!"

Ahhhhhh...I can't wait for this to be over!

Well I'd better get back to it..........

Man, ManTracker is a bad show!

I think I just saw the worst show ever. The only reason I’m watching this channel is because it’s my favourite news channel and I was too lazy to change it before the news came on. I figured I’d just have it on as background noise until it came on. Little did I know that a woman would be screaming and whining and crying throughout the whole show.

The show is called ManTracker...I think. To be honest I don’t even care. From what I gathered from the screaming and crying and occasional commentary the show is about this guy who is an expert tracker and he tries to track people as they race to the finish line.

ManTracker is a fifty something man with a cowboy hat who rides around on a horse. He looks kind of like a grandpa. He doesn’t look scary at all. He just looks serious. Yet the woman contestant in the show screamed like Jason was chasing her. You would have thought this guy was literally hunting her down to kill her like she was a deer or something the way that she was acting.

Even when he caught up to her she started crying and made him actually get off his horse and grab hold of her. She continued to whimper for a while afterwards too.
Didn’t she realize she was going on a reality show where a man on a horse was going to track her? When she started crying for her kids I thought maybe thinks this guy took them and now she isn’t getting them back now?!

In any case she ruined my evening with her disgusting behaviour.

I got the keys!

I got the keys to my new apartment this weekend!!! I’m very excited to be moving because I’m moving to a better location. For the first time I’m going to be living in the hub of the bub! I was close, but not close enough right now!

Now I have a bit of a condition commonly referred to as “crazy brain”, and from the time I viewed the apartment up until just before I got the keys, my new apartment was shrinking smaller and smaller in my mind’s eye. The day I was supposed to get the keys I was pretty sure nothing except for a pair of shoes and a fork would fit in there.

To my relief when I entered the apartment it was clear that most if not all of my stuff would fit. I’m very very excited to have a balcony now...and as an added bonus there is a racoon nesting in the tree below us. I already know that hours are going to be spent watching him! Oh and don’t forget the swimming pool in the building directly across from me. Have I mentioned I love to people watch, and my new location is going to allow me to do some optimal people watching!

So so so excited! Wooo hoooo!!

The Bully

You are a bully. At first I thought that you just had tunnel vision. I thought that you were just one of those people who couldn’t see anyway other than their own. Now I see that there is more to you than that. You don’t sit and wait for trouble to come to you, you draw it in. You are a bully trying to pick fights with people who couldn’t care less about your existence.

I couldn’t believe that someone could be so ignorant and stubborn. You attack unprovoked, but I’m sure in your mind you justify it. You even treat your friends badly, insulting them but putting a :) on it to make it alright.


In short you are a bully, a tyrant, and most of all a fuck face.

To the idiot who jumped...

To the idiot who jumped in front of the train this morning. You are an idiot, most likely a dead idiot now, but an idiot nonetheless. What were you thinking? Was it an accident? Or did you do that on purpose? Did you ever stop to think about all the people your choice would affect? You want to die go swallow some pills, don’t inconvenience the rest of us. Did you even think about the driver of the train? How they would feel after watching your body being destroyed in front of their eyes? What about the unfounded guilt they would feel, wondering if there was something they could have done to save you? The people stuck on that train. The unlucky ones who saw it happen on the platform? Those who had to scrape you up off the front of the train? Your family?

Of course you didn’t because after all, you are an idiot.

The Beginning

For most of life my heart and soul were covered in cement. Nothing got in or out. I never loved and I never felt love. I didn’t miss love because I never had it. Inside I was full of empty rage that without warning would send a quiver throughout my body. It was barely contained, like a hunger determined to be satisfied. I lived without fear, without consequence and without a care.

On the outside I acted the way people wanted me to. I was a chameleon, adapting to whomever I was around. Changing my emotions as others would change their shirt. Life was a constant battle, both internal and external. I could not let my guard could down; I was constantly on alert, ready for a fight, ready to hurt those who wanted to hurt me.

I believed that in everyone’s words and actions lay an alternate meaning, nothing was one sided, no one did anything just because. If they did something nice, it was because they wanted a favour, or they would throw it back in my face later when it was convenient for them.

The only thing I could feel was pain, so I had to hurt myself in order to feel something. And then you came along. For so many years I thought you were the same, I just assumed because that was the way people were. There was no other. Slowly I started to let you in, at first without realizing it, and when I did I began to push back. No one had ever stuck around that long, so it was bound to fail, right? I started to push harder, treating you badly, waiting for the day you would do what everyone does and leave. I didn’t care; you were just someone to have around. I convinced myself that like the others you were only a temporary phase in my life.

When it finally came to a head, something happened. Right then and there I changed, forever. You made it my choice, I could leave. It was never my choice, they always left me. Now you were asking if I wanted to leave, and I realized I didn’t. I will never forget what you said, because it was those words that saved me.

It wasn’t this moment that I knew I loved you, but looking back this is where it started.

Who I am

You will never know who I am,

You will never be who I am,

You will never feel who I am,

You will never see who I am,

Because even I don’ t know.

What’s better than ice cream? Free ice cream!!!!

I finally got it today. I’ve been waiting and waiting and now it’s finally here! My $3 off coupon for ice cream!!! No strings attached, buy what you want get $3 off! Woo hoo! Mmmmm.... I love ice cream...

Before you get too excited this is a deal only available to beaver loving, hockey playing, Canucks. I know, I know, I’m cruel. But this was too good a deal not to write about!

I got this coupon last year too, and even though the items I bought were less than $3 the cashier gave me the whole amount off. Bonus! Maybe I can do the same this year too!

For those of you who are maple leaf loving Canadians the coupon is for Canada’s own Chapman’s ice cream. You can get this by emailing them at contactus@chapmans.ca . They send one coupon per household per year, and there is some guy in a little room who does this, so he will know if you ask for 2 in one year, so don’t get greedy! (You won’t get a reply; you will just get the coupon in 6 weeks or so).

Now I have to admit I didn’t just discover this by chance, it was posted on one of my favourite websites, redflagdeals.com.

Just don’t blame me if you get brain freeze...

I hate being sick

I have a cough that just won’t go away. Last Thursday I started to get a sore throat, by Monday it was really starting to hurt, and Tuesday I was full out sick as a dog. I feel better than I did, which translates to I no longer feel like death, but I still feel like crap. I know no one likes to be sick, but I hate it so much.

Sure it’s nice the first day to just stay in bed all day and feel sorry for yourself, but by the second and third day you have to start moving around again and do stuff, so being sick just slows you right down. It makes me feel so weak to be sick. I try to be one of those suck it up and just keep going, type of person, but sometimes your body just isn’t willing to cooperate. I HATE IT.

I hate the person I am when I’m sick too. I’m so whiny, and I just want everyone to feel bad for me. If anyone asks me to do anything I make a big deal of it, with a huge sigh. I disgust myself, and yet I love to wallow in it at the same time. At some point, my overactive imagination tells me that maybe this is it, maybe I have some horrible disease and wouldn’t everyone feel bad for not being nicer to me while I was sick.

If I wasn’t so weak I’d punch myself in the face.

Lost in the subway

While I was selling tulips in the subway I had a lot of people come up and ask for directions. The only problem with this is that I don’t take the subway that often especially the second of the two lines that are there, so I wasn’t very helpful to some. But I tried. One woman I sent the wrong way and realized it as the train was pulling up so I had to run up and tell her my mistake before she got on.

Once I got comfortable giving directions I saw a man, who reminded me a lot of my dad, come up from the subway looking red faced. The set of stairs he came up from were facing the back of the station, and his back was to the trains. I saw the look of confusion on his face, as he paused for a moment with that, “what the hell”, look on his face. Slowly he looked around and finally realized that there were trains behind him, and off he went. I saw him walk off into the crowd, and in my head I wished him well.

About 10 minutes later I saw this man come back around, his face as red as a tomato, as he stood at the top of the stairs that he had come up from. He stepped back from them and just starred at the tracks facing him. I knew he was absolutely lost and had no idea where to go.
I thought of my dad, who would probably get a little turned around but would never ask anyone for help because he didn’t want to admit he couldn’t figure it out. I couldn’t stand it, and I walked up to him telling him I had seen him come up and asked him if I could help. He was very appreciative, and I was able to help him out no problem. He started to walk away but turned back, grabbed my hand, shaking it vigorously and thanked me enthusiastically.

I’ve been lost before and had to ask for directions...many many times in fact. I know how frustrating it can be to be in a strange place and not know where to go. I was glad I could help him. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Maybe more people should try it.

My faith in humanity WAS restored...

I sold tulips this week for a charity in the busiest subway station in Toronto, during rush hour. I was really nervous because people on the subway are not the friendliest, especially after a long day at work. During rush hour it’s every person for themselves, and I didn’t think they would be very responsive to someone selling tulips in the subway, getting in their way.

I couldn’t have been more wrong! People were kind, generous and considerate. Many people who passed me gave me encouraging smiles and kind words. Those who stopped to buy were generous, often giving me more money than we were asking. I even had one young boy come up and ask me how much they were so he could bring some home to his mom. He didn’t have enough but I gave them to him anyway.

Many people also came up to just give donations because they are affected directly by the disease. I love having the chance to talk to people, and that’s why I love doing stuff like this. I find people open up to you more in these sorts of situations. I love hearing people’s stories.
This whole experience made me feel really good and it restored my faith in humanity. I was so worried people would be angry and spit on me. Instead they surprised me, and I felt good about the world again. Life was good...and then I read something...somewhere...about taking away people’s right to pee in private, and I lost it again. My faith in humanity is lukewarm now.

Tax Free Savings Account

New this year in the world of savings is the Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA), now to be honest I didn’t realize before they started talking about this account that you had to pay taxes on the money you earn in your savings. That’s the stupidest thing I’ve heard! I mean why should I have to pay for being responsible and saving money?!

The new TFSA isn’t great, but it certainly is a start. You can put $5000 each year into your TFSA, and if you don’t put in the whole $5000 then it carries over to the next year. For example if you put in $3000 this year, next year you can put in the normal $5000 plus the $2000 you didn’t put in for the year before for a total of $7000. And there is no time limit on this so say you only put in $4000 for the next 5 years but have more money in the fifth year you can put in $10,000.

I signed up for this pretty early so that I could get a pretty good interest rate (and I use that term loosely in this economic climate). I ended up getting my TFSA with an interest rate of 3.75%. Which, considering most banks are giving an interest rate of .01%, isn’t too bad!
Because I’m a little numbers obsessed and I have too much time on my hands I decided to make a spreadsheet to figure out how much money I would have in this account in 20 years, as well as how much of that would be earned on the interest.

So, in theory, if I was able to put $5000 a year in this account for the next 20 years I would have approximately $150,527.70, of which $50,527.69 would be the interest I have earned. Now this number isn’t exact because I’m not putting the $5000 in the bank on the first day of the year and my interest is done per month not per year, but still I figure this is close enough. I also doubt I will be able to afford to put away $5000 a year, but I’m sure going to give it a try!

On a side note, I was chatting with my boss about this, and she started telling me about how when she was about my age she had a savings account that had an interest rate of 20%!!! I couldn’t believe that! I started putting my money into bonds when I was really young and the highest interest rate I ever remember getting was like 6 or 7%. Made me realize very young though, that you have to have money to make money.

Bored out of my mind

I am so bored out of my mind. I have stuff to do but I don’t want to do it anymore. I spent the morning being a good girl and getting stuff done. Now I just want to relax, but I can’t. Why can’t I? Because I am sitting here waiting, and waiting and waiting. I hate hate hate waiting. My roommate is supposed to be coming home today and her mom is driving her. She won’t tell me what time they are coming back and I know that as soon as they do I will have to go and help her bring in the groceries and then put them away. So I don’t want to start anything because I will never get a chance to finish it. AHHHHH it drives me insane. Why can’t she just tell me roughly what time. I really really want to stab myself in the eye with a fork right now.

I love my cat!

I was just getting ready for bed and my cat started to cry. I’ve been away for two days and I knew she’d be sad so I tried to play with her earlier, but she wasn’t having it. But now she wanted to play, and I just can’t resist her cute little playful eyes.

She is just like a little kid when you play with her, she chases after me, and then we take turns hiding on each other, trying to scare each other. What I love the most is when I run and she follows close behind me and then brushes up against my leg. I don’t know why but it just melts my heart.

Awwww...I love her so much!

Shut the baby up!

Dear neighbour,

Maybe your deaf, maybe you've become immune to the sound, maybe your bloated carcass is lying dead in your apartment right now...but for the love of god would you SHUT YOUR BABY UP!!!

He has been crying those ear blistering screeches for attention for the past half hour now, and I can't stand it anymore. Would you please pick the goddamn kid up or something. I don't care if you're taking the crap of your life, it's 10 o'clock at night (though I don't care what time it is), and no one wants to hear him!

Sincerely,
Your neighbor with a headache.

Coupons!! And why I love them...

I love coupons, but what is even better than a coupon is a coupon AND a sale!! It’s all about the optimal savings! Yesterday I stopped at Shoppers Drug Mart and shaving cream was on sale for $1.99, and I just happened to have a coupon for $2.00 off. So I actually made a penny on the deal!!!

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better I stopped at the grocery store on the way home from work and they had electric toothbrushes on sale for $18.99 (the regular price is $24.99), and I had a $5 off coupon so I actually saved $11!! (toothbrush was for my roommate, but since I found the sale and picked it up for her I’m claiming!!)

A Charmingly Scary Good Time

When this show first came out I thought it sounded really stupid, and although I never really cared much for Jennifer Love Hewitt, I couldn't believe she would stoop so low as to be in this show.

This show is in its fourth season, and somewhere between the third and fourth season I caught a couple of episodes and realized that it was more than meets the eye. So when my mom bought Season 1 of Ghost Whisperer, I was curious enough to borrow it.

This show has easily fallen into the category of one of my favourite shows. This may sound weird, but I really liked the feel of the show. It was eerie, charming and nostalgic all at the same time. I enjoyed the way that people in the show seem normal, especially the relationship between Melinda (Jennifer Love Hewitt's character) and her husband, Jim. You really end up rooting for them. As for the ghosts, I love the parts when they realize that Melinda can see them, the shock and hope on their face is priceless.

I also have to comment on the wardrobe, because at first my friend and I were like, "What the hell is she wearing", but by the end I decided I really like her crazy old fashioned sometimes inappropriately dressed for the occasion outfits. It was part of her charm. It may seem weird to say, but it really adds something to the charm of the show.

I grew up watching any kind of supernatural show on TV, and I really think this show is up there with some of the great ones. I highly recommend it to someone looking for a little scare and a little light in their life.

Beautiful Day

It was a beautiful day today. A real spring day, and I was lucky enough to have the chance to really enjoy it.

My roommate and I went to pick up some donation tins scattered around the city. It ended up being more of an adventure and a chance to take in parts of the city we have either barely passed without noticed, or never seen before. The weather made it even better. It was such a nice day, I hadn't really thought to expect anything from it, and ended up having a fantastic day. I love going for walks but have trouble walking without a purpose. In a way it was almost like a little scavenger hunt.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Today we had to have diversity training at work. I don’t really know why because the stuff they covered wasn’t even really relevant to the issues we are having at work. The problem at work is that people make inappropriate comments, but not your typical inappropriate comments. I have been told that if I lost some wait the boys would like me more. Another comment I hate hearing, is technically a compliment but it really bothers me. One woman who worked there would always ask me if I was exercising or on a diet because I’d lost some weight. I know I put on some pounds, and it makes me very very uncomfortable when people talk about it. I’m not even the only one who has had people comment on their weight, and they didn’t appreciate it either. Someone also said to me once, “Oh, you’re wearing makeup today!”...um yeah I wear makeup everyday thanks.

The things that they did talk about at this seminar were the basics; there was a lot of talk about respecting other people and their right to have choices. Most we talked about women’s rights and religious rights. Maybe I don’t know about it, but I have never heard about an issue with this kind of stuff in my office, most of it is personal questions that you really should be asking a co-worker. The kind of stuff that makes people uncomfortable. Actually I was asked once about religion and I didn’t really answer and the other person went on a tirade about how he couldn’t understand how people could live without Jesus in their lives and such. Same guy asked another co-worker if he had ever had sex too, but unfortunately he wasn’t even at this seminar.

I think rather than having a seminar on how to treat each other we need to have a big hash out where everyone just lays all their issues on the table. I think if we all just communicated more and were more honest with each other we wouldn’t have the tension we have right now.

Ten!!! Count 'Em, TEN!!!

This may be my best freebie to date. The other day I received a pink envelop in the mail. Contents? TEN coupons for FREE Herbal Essences shampoo. They have a new shampoo coming out so I get to try it. I'll be giving some of the coupons away, I don't want to be greedy!

Bodywash move over and make room for some shampoo!!!

A dog in the stroller

The other night at 12:30am my fire alarm went off. It’s gone off about 5 times or so since I moved in and since we’ve never seen even a hint of a fire I’m never too concerned. This time before I even hit my bedroom door I could smell the smoke.

I quickly yelled to my roommate that there was smoke and then threw on a pair of jeans and a sweater. When we got into the hall we could see smoke, not a lot, but it was still there. The girl in the apartment across the hall from us came out her door, and told us it was ok it was just in her apartment. I knew before she even said it because of all the smoke that came out when she opened the door. My first thought was of her baby, obviously still inside. She was clearly flustered so I asked her if she needed help and followed her into the apartment when she accepted.

Right in the doorway was the baby’s stroller. Now I don’t have any kids and I have zero interest in children, but I do have enough sense to know that smoke is really bad for them, and if I did by some horrible coincidence have one, I would get them out of a smoky apartment right away. So it was hard for me to understand what her thinking was when I went into the apartment, saw the stroller in the doorway, and saw...the dog in the stroller and not the baby. Let’s start with the fact that if there is that much smoke, and a fire alarm going off, you grab the baby not the stroller. And if you do grab the stroller you put the baby in it and then go for the dog, not the other way around. I had to tell her to get the baby.

So she grabs the baby, and then what does she do? She hands the baby to my roommate, in other words a stranger, not to mention the fact that this is the second baby my roommate has ever held in her life. By this time our landlady came around and went in with the girl to make sure the fire was out. I took the baby from my friend and took him to the stairwell to stand by the window. I didn’t think he should stay inside because of the smoke and the fire alarm, but I thought going outside with this girl’s baby might worry her. I shouldn’t have worried about that because she clearly wasn’t worried, over the course of the next hour she checked to see where her baby was once and very briefly cooed at him. Meanwhile she had a constant watch on her dog, and when he ran away once, she was after him in a flash. Can you say unwanted baby?

Someone is reading your letter

I often wonder what makes a person think that it is ok to treat a stranger like crap on the bottom of their shoe. I have had a fairly wide range of experience with this, but tonight I'm going to rant about the people who send abusive letters to a non-profit organization.

To start, for those of you who address you letters with "Gentlemen" or "Dear Sirs", I'm not sure what era you grew up in, but news flash woman are allowed to work now, and we can read, so on occasion they do let us open the mail. Next time if you'd like to be formal, try "To whom it may concern", and I'll try not to send my reply to "Crazy old person with too much time on their hands." I'd love to say that I was too mature, or confident to let this bother me, but obviously I am not.

And if you’re one of those people who thinks that things get solved when you write a letter full of insults and profanities... do you realize that the people who have to read these abuses are the people who have no control over the paper they write one, much less the letters you get, or the decisions made that you disagree with. When you write such hateful things I wonder if you realize that there is another person at the other end of your letter. When you put it in the mail it doesn’t just vanish into the abyss. I have to read it and wonder who else you would talk to that way.

Finally to those who send us things back full of complaints but with your name ripped out, we can’t help you if we don’t know who you are.

Lunch

I just ate my lunch so fast it was like it was going to eat me.

Why does the colour purple make people have to pee?

I'm not sure what it is about The Colour Purple that makes people have to pee so much.

On Friday I went to see The Colour Purple. When they showed us to our seats we thought that we had gotten a pretty sweet deal. We have season tickets for the cheapest seats in the theatre, and we have always gotten pretty good seats, which I think has something to do with having the subscription. This time though, we thought we had the best seats we could get. Now we may have a different view of what good seats are...we aren't really people persons, especially when it comes to sitting within close proximity to others. So when they showed us to our seats we couldn't be happier with the little nook we had. It was two seats off to the side, with a railing and wall on either side. We even had two little steps that just went to our seats. Plenty of space to stretch our legs and to put our jackets beside us. No arm rest to share with a stranger. No one in front of us to struggle to see over, and the people behind us had significant space between us and were quite a bit higher so in theory they wouldn't be rubbing up against us. In theory.

In theory everything should have been great. But there was done thing we didn't count on. People. People coming in late, people going to the bathroom and people who think they are in a movie theatre.

I will never understand people who come in late to a play, especially the ones who don't seem to realize that other people are there too. For the first 10 minutes of the production a heavy stream of people were being led to their seats by the ushers. For the next 20 minutes the ushers made them stand to the side and wait for a break in the performance. This is where we were sitting and the people waiting seemed to take no notice that they were hovering around our seats. I felt even worse for the people who were sitting in the back row of the section in front of us. They had people hanging over the railing right over top of them. That would have driven me insane. Even better was when the ushers had them all start to run out into the aisles and to their seats but realize that the next act was start and hustle them all back. It was amusing and frustrating all at the same time.

It's really hard to get into a play with people running back and forth, so when they were finally seated I thought I was going to be able to settle in myself. But then everyone started going to the washroom. Everyone. To be fair we were pretty much beside the bathroom, but I can honestly say that I have never seen so many people get up during a performance to go pee. It isn't like you are in a movie theatre where the actors are just on a screen, they are there in person, and they can see you. Don't people realize that no matter how far up you are, it is probably distracting to see movement in the audience for the actors.

This is also why I think it is especially rude when people leave early before the last act of the play is even done. It wasn't even like just two people did it. A lot of people did. The play wasn't bad, it was good. I enjoyed it for the most part, and thought that the actors deserved more than that. They deserved their chance to bow and be applauded by the whole audience.

The people sitting behind us were some of the worst offenders. They got up a few times to go the washroom, once they even went together. And they weren't quiet about it either, they had to discuss it before they went...each time. And the guy took his jacket with him each time, but not before hitting me in the head with it on each occasion in and out. And his girlfriend decided to put her used cup practically on my head. Instead of tucking it under her own seat, she decided to fuss around trying to stand it up against the back of my seat.

I've been to quite a few plays and I've noticed more and more that some of the people seem to think that when they are in a play they can act like they would if they were at home watching Survivor. I know I've said this before but I have to say it again...WHAT'S WRONG WITH PEOPLE!

Big fuss over Hot Fuzz

Sometimes my roommate and I like to go to the video store and get a ton of movies to have a lazy weekend of back to back movies. We mostly look for something that will keep us mildly entertained, not keeping our hopes up for anything brilliant. Hot Fuzz was supposed to be one of these movies.

A few weeks ago we rented Run Fat Boy Run because we thought it looked really funny, what we found though was that it was mildly amusing and the best jokes were aired in the commercials. We picked up Hot Fuzz thinking it would be about the same, but worth a try for a laugh or two. What we got was much more than that.

Hot Fuzz is a great movie, I guess the best way to describe it is as a spoof of cop movies. The action in the movie is both of a top quality and funny at the same time. Without giving too much away there are some funny scenes including grannies in gun fights with the main character. I really enjoyed this movie, and it is one of the few movies I would like to watch again. I think I would even go as far as buying it...

Proud to be an unofficial scot

When I first came back from spending a year in Scotland the sound of a Scottish accent was like nails on a chalkboard. I didn't want to hear, see or smell anything Scottish. I wanted only things Canadian. Well I've been back in Canada for over a year now, and well I have to admit I miss Scotland a bit. Not that I want to go back and live there, but I would certainly like to take vacations there.

While I was there I took a few tours of Scotland, as most tourists do. On more than one occasion I heard the story of the stone of destiny. The story is very interesting and when I heard they were making a movie, Stone of Destiny, I couldn't wait to see it. Unfortunately I left the UK before it came out. So I've been waiting, and waiting and waiting, for it to come to Canada. And now it has!

When I go see movies, or even plays where I already know the whole story I can't help but compare it to what I know, and often this can ruin the whole experience for me. That was not the case in this movie. Even though I knew the whole story already I felt it was very easy to fall right into the film and enjoy the movie. The main character in the movie is played by Charlie Cox, who I loved in Stardust. He is brilliant in it, as are all of the other characters. They are all very lovable. The movie was great, it even brought a tear to my eye, something that is not easy to do. Whether or not you've been to Scotland and know the story of the stone of destiny this movie is definitely worth seeing. I don't want to go too much into detail and give it away. But this is a charming and entertaining piece I would recommend to everyone.

Better than free

No Frills is selling Olay body wash for $2.99 which means for those of us who have buy 3 save $10 coupons not only do you get free body wash, but we potentially make a dollar!! I used two coupons last night, got 6 body washes and saved an extra $2 on all my other groceries!! Now that's what I call an exciting Saturday night on the town!

At this point I'm just stocking up for the day that I can't get my hands on any coupons for body wash and all that is available to me is 245ml bottles for $10. When that day comes I will be very sad. The highest price I have paid for body wash in the last two years was $3 for a big bottle of dial that included a free stick of deodorant.

Try games for free at ebgames

I hate the pressure of buying video games because they usually aren't what I'm looking for and I regret wasting any amount of money. Most of the time I play a game for a few weeks, get sick of it and it just wastes what little space I have. Best case scenario, I play it for a few months (until I beat it) and then it just wastes my space.

But today I was looking on the ebgames website and found that they offer free trials of games. You get one hour of play time and access to the whole version. Some people may not think that's great, but I like it. I already found one game that I liked and one that I didn't like.

You can find it at...
http://www.trygames.com/more_games/aff=t_05eb/page=1

Dead Unlike Me

I just started re-watching the series Dead Like Me. As the term "re" watching suggests, I have seen it before and I really enjoyed it. Watching it again, I still really like it. It's just a great show. Funny, sad, and brilliant. The acting is great. The characters are diverse and it's like a treat when the show sidetracks and focuses on the history of one of them. Usually I don't like that, and I find the sidetracks as an insult to the intelligence of the viewers. Not in Dead Like Me though. All around good show. I can't believe that it didn't catch. The good news is that I just found out they made a movie that came out this year. I don't care that it probably went straight to video, I'm going to see it.

Maybe the sidetracking is so good because the core of the show is really about the "sidetracks". The stuff with the mom is especially good, really good. Almost like a whole separate show. It's just a really honest show. They don't pretend that life is great, or that it will ever get any better.

It's an awkwardly good time.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0348913/

Square Pegs

I just finished watching the series Square Pegs. My roommate randomly brought it home last weekend and we've been going through the series throughout the week.

Now I've never even heard of the show, and for those of you who don't know it has Sarah Jessica Parker in it, and is like totally new wave, totally. It's an 80's high school comedy, with some super cheesy stereotypes. Overall I enjoyed it. I like the fact that they don't swear, and the kids don't have sex with every student in the school. And it's fun to see the weird stuff they wear, and the way they talk. What I didn't like was how they kept making reference to one of the girls being fat and always eating. At first I didn't get it, because well, she isn't fat. Once I realized they were making fun of her for being fat, it just kept annoying me.

Other than the non-fat girl fat jokes, I enjoyed the show and recommend the canned laughter for others who enjoy watching obscure things in lieu of being productive.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083482/

Some people have a skewed sense of reality

I just don't understand what some people are thinking. We got a note the other day that said, "People who sit in $500 chairs should at least you know how to spell."

1) She was referring to the spelling of a surname. Can I just point out the fact even the surname Smith can be spelt Smyth. How on earth would a person spontaneously know how to properly spell someones last name. If I had a nickel for every person who spelt my last name wrong, I would have a nickel for every person who tried to spell my last name.

2) In what world does this woman live in where she thinks that I would be sitting in a $500 chair, or even that one person in my office would be sitting in a $500 chair. I doubt I could pay someone to take my chair.

What is she thinking? Was she exaggerating or does she really think that we have tons of money? And if she does why would she give us more. It's a shame that there are people who think that we don't realize that every dollar we spend counts. It's one of the reasons I like working there. Poo to her. Poo.

Chicken on the sidewalk

Unfortunately my life can't always be free shave cream and yogurt. This is a prime example of why I hate people. As I was walking down the street to my office on Friday three people were walking towards me in the other direction. One guy in the middle and two girls on either side.

They were taking up every inch of the sidewalk and on the side I was walking there is a grassy hill right beside the sidewalk so even if I was going to move out of the way for them, I had no where to go.

Oh but there was no way, now or ever that I will step off the sidewalk for inconsiderate people. When it comes to the game of chicken on the sidewalk, I must admit I'm pretty good. I will not give in, my best tactic to date is to look oblivious and keep walking straight with an air of confidence. You can't flinch, these people smell hesitation. You have to be prepared to play bumper people and knock some sense into them, literally. This time though, I literally had no where to go, so I had no choice but to plow ahead.

Now I'm not sure what these people were thinking, maybe they were so wrapped up in their own conversation they didn't see me. Or maybe they just didn't care, and considering I have a bright green coat, I believe the latter. Well plow right into me they did, making a quarter of my coffee go flying into the air. When I said "Excuse me!!" All they could say was "oh sorry", like they had just seen me.

I've had people bump into me before, but this was the first time that I've had someone full on slam into me like I wasn't there. I was in shock. But I had the last laugh, of my coffee that went flying into the air, most of it landed on the arm and back of the girls jacket. She didn't notice, and the thought of her noticing when it's all dry and sticky makes up for the bump.

Free Yogurt! And a free yoga mat!

I eat yogurt pretty much everyday. So when I saw a posting for free yogurt, I couldn't resist. Granted I have tried this yogurt once before and I didn't care for it, but for 4 weeks of free yogurt, I'll give it another chance! Who knows maybe after the first two weeks I'll start to like it's chalky taste...

The only catch is that I had to fill out a rather personal survey on my pooping habits, but I have to admit I almost like talking about pooping as much as I like getting free stuff! (Hey don't judge me, everyone does it and how can you know if you're normal if you don't know what normal is?).

After filling out the first survey they will send me a coupon for 2 weeks free yogurt. After that two weeks is up I fill out another survey and they will send me 2 more weeks of yogurt. Some people may not think it's worth their time, but those people are crazy. Crazy!

Oh and on a sidenote but still related to yogurt I'm one Astro yogurt away from a free yoga mat! At first I wasn't going to bother because I assumed you had to pay the shipping and handling but it didn't say that anywhere, so here I go! I, um, don't do yoga...but hey it's free! I'll find a use for it. I'm MacGyver in my spare time.

My fifty cents...

While I was writing my last entry I had the nagging feeling I was forgetting something. Then I realized that I had forgotten one of my best coupons ever. $10 off a Fusion Razor!! What made it even better was that the only version of the coupon I could get was in french so I wasn't sure anyone would accept it, but when I handed it to the cashier she didn't even flinch. Maybe she's in on the secret saving club...

Now while it is a men's razor, my philosphy is that if it can shave a face, it can shave your legs. To make it even better the razors were on sale for $10.50! 50 cents for a razor that normally costs like $14.

To be honest through the P&G Brandsaver Sampler and the Women's show, I do have enough razors to last me about 2 years (some of this supply is still from last year and I have more coming), but I'm always going to have to shave so why not?

Free Stuff, almost free stuff and things that are cheap!

There is nothing that I like more than free things, cheap stuff is a close second. So this past weekend I nearly peed my pants with all the savings I got. It all started on Friday around lunch time. I just happened to be glancing through some flyers online, (because who doesn’t love sifting through flyers on their lunch looking for a good deal? ), when something in the Zellers flyer caught my eye. Satin Care shave cream was on sale for $1.97. Now I know what you’re thinking, that’s a good price, but enough to warrant comment in a blog? It gets better...I just so happened to have in my possession four coupons to save $2 on Satin Care shave cream!!! Side note: I only just realized that when it says in the fine print, “only one per purchase” it doesn’t mean, as I thought, only one coupon per customer’s entire purchase, but instead one coupon per item purchased. When I think about all of the times I have thrown away my chance at optimal savings I tear up a little.
Sorry, where was I...oh yeah $2 off on shave cream that was on sale for $1.97...awesome, yes?! And the best part is the cashier actually gave me the full $2.00 off so I made 8 cents!! I know that doesn’t sound like much, but can you save you’ve gotten paid to use shave cream before? Hmmm? Can you? I didn’t think so.
On top of the whole shave cream operation I also have a stock pile of coupons to save $10 when you buy any three Olay products. If you’re thinking, hey isn’t Olay stuff really expensive, your right it is...except when the body wash is on sale, and you have a buy 3 and save $10 coupon! Only a few times have I been fortunate enough to find it on sale for $2.99...yes that does add up to only $9, giving me a $1 profit. Are you getting excited yet? Usually I pay $3.99 for them so my coupons don’t expire, I know it sounds pricy for body wash, but with the coupon it’s only $2 (teehee). I would never and have never paid regular price for body wash. I came close one time when I got a big bottle of dial and it came with a stick of deodorant, so it doesn’t count as full price in my book.
Can’t get any better can it? Oh it did. On the same trip I also had a buy two herbal essence products get one free, not the best but I buy that shampoo anyway so why not get one for free. Oh and let’s not forget the save $5 on a strength and repair kit (in laymen’s terms...a shampoo, conditioner plus one other thing that frankly I’m not quite sure what to do with, and save $5) they were all on sale so I pretty much just paid for one of them.
On last count I have 14 bottles of body wash, 6 shaving creams, 5 shampoos and 5 conditioners, (and 5 tubes of toothpaste, every time I see it on sale for less than a dollar, I stock up...it rarely goes on sale). I saved about $26, and I haven’t even gotten to the food stuffs I’ve gotten for free. But I’ll save that for another night...