In a moment...

So, I was reading a blogger who I have gotten to know through the realms of work, and he writed film reviews on a website called "blacksheepreviews.com"...

Anyways, besides the obvious plug for his website, I was browsing, and then suddenly remembered something... I HAVE A BLOG !

Now, you know that its been a long time when you log into blogger and the entire interface is different than what you remember and it all looks so strange.

So, now that I am kinda back, I will be going away, haha ! I am heading to the interior of BC on a bit of a business trip, but also a bit of relaxation... up to stay with Cody's parents and work with some clients up there. So, at the earliest, I will be back to the lower Mainland sometime towards the end of the week, so then I will have to blog again, assuming anyone even reads this anymore. Honestly, I wouldn't blame anyone if I discovered that no one read this anymore, I have been pathetic in maintaining it.

I will also be updating the entire thing, it simply does not look like I want it to look, so if anyone has any ideas or pointers, let me know !

OH RIIIGHT... work, none of you know where I work, nor what I do... that will have to be explained later, as I have to pack, and do some work today. Sigh, even on a Saturday afternoon. Then, in a couple hours our neighbour is putting on a big cocktail party, with like 24 people, and Cody is bartending, sounds like a blast.

See all none of you when I return in a bit !

haha, its like writing a diary to myself, all over again.

Mad Men

I love this show. God, I love this show.

I'm immersing my feet in a foot-bath thing, and I have an Aveda powder in it, mmmm.

I'm loving it, I've been so damned busy that I cannot write on this blog, but I think it will be good for me to get back to it, as an outlet. Anyhow, new job, and new home, and its all a lot of work and time. Very exciting though.



Will write more later, lol. God I love this show !

:D

Medium

I love the show. Its amazing, I absolutely love how well-written and creative it is. It centers around a medium named Alison DuBois who is a medium living in Pheonix, Arizona, who works as a contractor for the FBI, local police and other authorities profiling serial killers and murderers. She usually sees the murderers in her dreams, and provides hints and clues that otherwise are impossible to find.

I simply love the show, its awesome. The best thing, is that its based on a real-life story !





... in other news, desperate housewives is back ! So excited, love it !

I am totally Bree.

I am NOT Canadian

OMG, this is such a true statement about Quebecois.

I can't actually write too much on this subject, else I will start ranting and/or insulting people, cause I feel pretty strongly on this subject.

Enjoy !

Back to looking...

Interestingly enough, its actually HARDER to rent things in Vancouver, than to buy... and there is a lot on the market right now, but there just isn't enough thats actually of any good quality.

Its amazing how crappy, ugly and poor quality some of the buildings are, and to think someone actually designed and built these pieces of absolute shit, especially when you look at how amazingly crappy the layouts are sometimes.

Argh, but there are some absolutely stunning units, with mountain views, and even lofts... but most of them are over $250,000... which puts them out of our price range.

This is a most aggravating process.

Thats it.

I totally have had it with looking to buy a place, its way too much work, too expensive to close, and too damned much effort.

I have decided we are going to rent a place for the next year again, I don't give a flying fuck about it anymore, its just too much wasted time of mine.

Now, we have to find somewhere to rent, argh. Gaddamit.

Also, I will have to let Cody know of this change of plans when he gets home.

House Hunting..

... is a very tiring process.

Lol, although that being said, I am very excited about a couple of places that we have discovered today, and are looking further into.

Anyhow, it will be nice when its all over and done with, but I also have faith in the fact that its all going according to how its suppose to, the universe has an ultimate plan...

Well, besides my huge blind faith in the overall plan that the universe has, lol, it is still stressful.

Argh, I also have been working on this big assignment that I have due on Monday, and its going well so far, which is hopeful, but alas, it is also a little stressful. I wish the universe had a plan that involved someone else doing my assignment. Alas, I think that might be a stretch...

Hrm, not much else is new. Its finally warming up, thank GOD... it was actually decent and about +6 today with lots of sun... so I am happy to report there are now patches of actual green grass, and the snow is fastly retreating, yay !

Poop from God, and other stories...

So, as I was walking to the Metro this afternoon, I couldn't help but be amazed at how warm the weather had gotten in such a short time. It was like +12 today, warm, and sunny this afternoon as I walked, it was absolutely wonderful, and all I had to wear was a sweater and a jacket, and was even warm with these layers. It was fabulous... finally some weather that was what April should ACTUALLY be.

Anyhow, so there I am walking, noticing the shrinking snowbanks and balmy weather, and I started to ponder if it really wouldn't be all that bad to live here, and that staying for the summer could be fun (just a pondering, not a serious notion or anything). Right as I was pondering while walking, what appeared to be a large 'rain drop' flying through the air, that then fell literally 3 inches right in front of my shoe. It didn't hit me, but it was right there, a big fat bird poop. I decided to take it as a close-call message from God: "if you decide to stay in Montreal, then I will sh%t on you."

Later on in the day, after attending my evening class, I was entering the Metro to go home at about 8pm, I got out my card, and was hoping it would swipe. I had swiped it earlier to go to school, but for some reason it refused to work, and the lady in the booth had seen me and just opened the turnstile to let me through anyhow (a nice Metro employee). So naturally, I was hoping it wouldn't act-up again.

So, I attempt to swipe it at the first turnstile, little red X, not a green 'check'... hrm, same with second... and third... and fourth. So, alas I went up to the lady in the booth, and asked her if I could get a new card because mine was not working any longer... alas, she just snickered and said of course it wasn't, cause its a March card. To which I replied, that of course its a March card, its March, and why on earth would there be an issue. We didn't quite see the issue between one another until after a couple attempts, at which point I realised that it was actually April 1st (something she never explicity explained), and therefore my card was old... lol. She was nice about it, and waved me through, telling me its okay for today, but to get a new card tomorrow.

Sigh, it was just kinda embarrassing, and made me feel dumb, lol. Also, now I have to walk all the way down to the bank before work tomorrow to get some cash to buy the new card, cause the damned Metro here doesn't take credit cards or debit !! Argh, its annoying to have to use cash for everything.

So lessons learned:

1. Don't stay in Montreal, its time to move back to BC, and any thoughts otherwise will anger the heavens.

2. Listen closely to what the lady in the Metro is saying, she might just have a point.

Hair Cut... and more.

Firstly, what do y'all think of the chandelier ? I HEART it, so much, I really hope we can incorporate it into our future place, cause its amazing, and its on sale at my FAV store (Chintz & Co., already linked it in a previous post, and too lazy to do it again). Speaking of home: The condo is another piece of major news... we are having second thoughts on the place. The seller has been very hard to deal with (damned guy is from Eastern Europe, shoulda known he'd be trouble :P), and its a little overpriced for the area... so we are in the midst of possibly walking away, we shall see. Alas, if we do, it will be the right decision. I'll keep ya'll updated.

Well, we gave the dog a haircut yesterday, and by 'we', I mean Cody did, and I provided moral support, as well as helping hold the pooch a bit towards the end.

He is very thin now, hehe, and sporting a very summery look. Its a little shorter than I like for him, but his coat will grow, and this way it lasts a little longer too !

We have been finalizing the insurance thing on the car, and hopefully we will go back tomorrow to sign all the documents and have it all set-up. Its kinda weird cause I have a new car, but we are just storing it at the dealership until we are ready to drive back home, so its sorta anti-climatic... but I will certainly get to know it well on the 5 day drive home !!

I start work at CIBC tomorrow, they were a little sad to find out that they will only have me for 4 weeks, at the most, but they took FOREVER in getting all the paperwork done and background check finalized, so its their own damned fault, haha. Although, I must say, I am not exstatic about having to work, sigh... the things Cody makes me do, like go and 'work', sigh.

And, umm... besides that huge amount of news, not TOO much else, have a big assignment that I still have to complete for Thursday, but besides that we are pretty much good.

OH, and its my birthday on this Saturday coming up next weekend ! Send me lotsa presents !

(or better yet, cash...)

Torture.

I turn on the TV to watch Fashion TV before starting my day... all the runway shows are for spring/summer, everything is warm prints and sunny-weather outfits. Then, I look outside, and there is still snow on the ground and its -1.

I read my latest issue of GQ, or Details, and there are tons of Ads for everything that I need for the upcoming summer, the latest colognes, bags, polos, and cool shirts... but then I have to get up to turn up the heat in here cause its cold.

The most depressing thing, is when I go onto Facebook and look at all the photos that other people have put up, some of them frolicking on green grass and sunny weather, in green parks, driving with sunroofs open... But, I am interupted from this envious viewing by a small, lone snowflake falling outside the window... watching as it slowly drifts towards the pile of millions of its bretheren that are stacked on my patio, making it impossible still to open the door.

Its a wee bit warmer outside, hovering around zero celcius, but WHEN WILL THIS TORTURE END ?!

Why I am a Classical Economist...

I have a lot to say about the recent issues in the US, but I will try and keep this short.

Lol, I am very opinionated about this because as much as I see the damages to the US economy, this is a fear response for the most part.

Lets review, there has been no damage to capacity to produce in the US, no shock to domestic demand or supply, no large shock to world economies REALLY... all this is is a paper-effect. People see their paper-wealth diminish and thus start to think of themselves as 'poorer' than they were, they then spend less. Some people, who took out risky loans and were idiots (banking they could just refinance them in the future) have to default on them. Yes, there are sob-stories, and yes its a terrible situation, but you signed on the dotted line, and you should have been diligent about your own finances and realised that this was very risky. But, back to my point, there has been shocks to credit markets and to consumer spending, and to housing prices, yes... but there is no long-run effect on the economy here. This is ALL short-term. Yes, there will be a recession, and YES it will hurt, but ultimately even the recession is just a result of Wall Street's over-reaction to what it deems to be a 'crisis'.

However, this does point to a systemic issue in the American economy. America is the consumer of the world's goods. And they do it by spending more than they earn (almost 50% of Americans spend more than they earn, and their government runs huge deficits each year, funded by Chinese banks and worldwide consumers), and by ringing up huge credit card debts (over $1 trillion in total for the USA now). This is the REAL fuel behind the US economy... and sadly, the worldwide one as well.

Its interesting because its been proven that Canadians are much more risk-adverse than our American neighbours. This is a good part of the reason why we also have less inventions-per-capita than the US, its also why we have dramatically lower consumer debt per household, and we have a tiny fraction of the government debt that the US has. Canada is lucky in the sense that we are resource-rich. We have the last great source of oil outside Saudi (the tarsands in Alberta), we have uranium, huge forestry sector, gold, silver and metals mining and a lot of fresh water and huge amounts of grain crops. In fact, there are only two nations in the world that could be self-sufficient if all borders were closed: Canada and Australia.

Despite all this though, we, like the rest of the world, have the USA as the consumer of 80% of our exports. If the US for whatever reason eventually decided to actually start paying off its debt, and cut back on spending, it would create a worldwide recession. Basically, the worldwide economy is banked on the idea that the US will keep on spending like a 13 year-old who just got her first credit card.

If, and when, the US grows up and actually gets the idea in her head to start paying off some of the debt and spending responsibly, thats when we really have to worry... cause there will be a HUGE worldwide recession. And you can quote me on this.

However, after the dust cleared and the economies of the world re-adjust to a less spending-happy US, the health of these economies and the US will finally be stable and solid.

AND, my personal belief is that this is all a result of Keynesian economics... and this is why I am a classical economist. But I will spare you all from describing why....

Me Birthday !

Happy Birthday to me ! (in 10 days...)

Cody gave me my birthday present early this year, its a new SUV ! Its my first car, well, if you don't count my mom's old car that I bought from her and used for 3 years (1991 Honda Accord).

This SUV is FAVULOUS ! I love it, hehe... we are having some issues insuring it, cause we are in Quebec, and we need to either insure it here temporarily to drive home, or insure it as BC... but then there are issues cause BC requires inspections (even on new vehicles, basically a money-grab, argh). Anyhow, here it is !

Its a 2005 BMW X3 :D

Home, Sweet Home

Well, after almost 4 days of negotiations, and bartering back and forth on price, terms, and dates... Cody and I finally own our first home together !

Its a cute condo, in a nice building called King's Court in Surrey, BC. The guy that currently lives in it has maintained it nicely, and done some little upgrades, but we have big plans, especially for the fabulous patio !

I quite love it, its perfect because we like it the way it is, but also have great plans for upgrading the unit and making it ours. I am totally excited !

We move-in May 1st ! Cody and I are going to re-paint it a nicer golden-yellow colour, and probably something of an olive green or such in the bedrooms... Cody also wants to tear out the cabinet door outside, and put in nicer solid-wood ones. Eventually we have bigger plans, but its good for now, its just nice to actually own something for once, and finally stop renting !

New Places

So, we didn't get the place, which is entirely because no one reads this blog anymore, and no one prayed for it to happen, DAMN YOU ALL !

Hehe, but also, we are looking into another unit in the same building that is also really nice...

I re-did the blog yesterday, although I am not sure how much I like it, I love the top banner with Taco, our baby... but something about the colouring just doesn't work for me... I dunno.

Anyways, fingers crossed we find a home soon, and hopefully I figure out what I don't like about the blog, haha.

French Soap Operas

... are rather interesting to watch.

Though, they are in French, and therefore I can only understand about 57% of what they say... they always revolve around the espresso bar (which everyone has in their own kitchen, LOVE IT), or at the office, which is gorgeous and always involves a scantitly-dressed secretary.

Bescides that they are mostly just like the English variety, except harder for me to understand...


Also, I have spent a lot of today looking at Chintz & Company's website... and admiring this cool paint colour-selector thing on Behr's website. I also love looking at kitchen cabinets and appliances online. Sigh.

Cody needs to make more money so we can drop a crap of money on renos to our new place ! hehe.

New Home...

So, Cody and I signed the paperwork, and we are faxing our first offer on a condo together to our Realtor tomorrow morning.

I'm totally excited, I love the building, the area is sweet, and its south-west facing, lots of light, and me likes !

I would share more, and I would put up pics.... but I'm superstitious. I don't want to jinx it, so I won't be telling any more until its solid.

However, I'm totally excited, wee ! Fingers crossed ;)

French Snow

Its March 15th,

And its snowing outside.

Two days ago it snowed,

And the day before that too.

Oh snow,

Please Die.

I miss green plants,

And driving without death-scares.


I want to go home.

hrrmmmff. pfft.

Ugh.

Its snowing again.

I am so F$%king sick of this weather.

I could REALLY go for some Global Warming right about now.

Wide Open Spaces

I just tonight stumbled upon this song in my iTunes library that I haven't listened to in forever. Its leftover from my big country music period. I still love most country, I don't know why, I don't think I listen to is as much anymore cause Cody hates country, lol.

Anyways, this song just kinda spoke to me regarding our current situation... buying our first place together, and how much work its been to try and find a place, and how hard it is to do from so far-away. And, how sick I am of Eastern Canada, I am most definately a Western boy, and shall remain so.

I miss home.



Who doesn't know what I'm talking about
Who's never left home, who's never struck out
To find a dream and a life of their own
A place in the clouds, a foundation of stone

Many precede and many will follow
A young girl's dream no longer hollow
It takes the shape of a place out west
But what it holds for her, she hasn't yet guessed

She needs wide open spaces
Room to make her big mistakes
She needs new faces
She knows the high stakes

She traveled this road as a child
Wide eyed and grinning, she never tired
But now she won't be coming back with the rest
If these are life's lessons, she'll take this test

She knows the high stakes

As her folks drive away, her dad yells, "Check the oil!"
Mom stares out the window and says, "I'm leaving my girl"
She said, "It didn't seem like that long ago"
When she stood there and let her own folks know

She knows the highest stakes

Best Cat Photo EVER !

So, I read a blog called Cute with Chris every morning for a quick second, he always has the funniest photos of cats and dogs... and he has a show on youtube called 'Cute with Chris' and its amazingly hilarious.

So, today I checked, and he had a new photo from a viewer, and I just have to share it. I have laughed SO hard at this one !

The 'attack' cat's name is "Buddy", and it was sent by Mike and Heidi, OHIO. The poor cat on the lower left corner ! :)

Something to Ponder

Well, despite the fact that a whole TWO! people commented that they still read my blog (and Cody doesn't really count), I am going to keep using it as an online journal of sorts.

I had an interview this morning with CIBC Wood Gundy. They are an investment brokerage firm in Canada, and the interview was for a cold-caller position that would be part-time, working with a team of two Investment Adivsors and their secretary (I think her name was Isabella, something like that...). Its interesting because its an intense sales role in the sense that my job would entirely be just cold calling prospective clients, trying to get appointments booked with the Advisors to help drum-up business as well as the other means at their disposal.

Its interesting in the sense that I have always wanted to be an IA myself, but its a hard job to get started in. You can start with most brokerage firms as one, and they train you and send you out, but the success rate is only like 10-30%... as its salaried in the beginning, but you need to develop a base on which to make a good commission. Normally, beginner IAs need to bring in about $500,000 to a $million/month, or so, in order to make it in their first year. Sp, doing this calling for these guys would be a good way for me to test myself and see if I am ready to try and do this on my own myself.

Because, though that is the more risky route for the job, its also the faster-rewarding. The other option is the one I was aiming for, which is starting as an Account Manager at the bank side of things, not the brokerage, and slowly working to develop myself and a client base... and then eventually in 4-5 years moving over into an IA role once I have the clients already established and my experience in place.

Although the second is more realistic, and more sensible: I am not a patient person, lol! And so, this is kinda my test.

Its a contract position, to work while I am in school for a while here in Montreal, then I will probably have to make a decisions as to which line to follow when I go back to Vancouver (if not beforehand).

Yeeaaa... so thats that. Something for me to ponder.

Now I have to go do a Literature Review for my project for a class... argh, I HATE lit reviews. Sigh, I just wanna be done school already !

The Value of Security.

I've been thinking about this all morning... Cody is making good money, but he is working at a contract job where they can lay him off at any time, and we are both living on his income. Its been getting really slow at work and Cody is increasingly wary that if they choose to tighten their workforce he is the first on the chopping block. This adds to our general feeling of instability, as we are also renting a furnished place here, meaning that 90% of the stuff isn't ours, and to be honest, its a bunch of crap. Clearly the people who live here are a bunch of 'hippies' that do all their shopping at Thrift Stores, and haven't ever heard of bleach and cleaner. I have cleaned the place substantially since our arrival, its much better now ! This just creates our overall environment of movement, exciting change, but also insecurity.

Meanwhile, I am in the process of securing a job back in BC for when we move to Vancouver... as an Account Manager with RBC, but this isn't secured yet either.

Though its an exciting time for us, cause I am beginning my post-degree carreer and Cody and I are establishing our lives together, I cannot help but notice the value of security. There is a vastly underestimated value of knowing that your employment is secure, your housing is owned by you and also secure, and you have some financial solidity.

A sense of community is also missing right now, I feel. Though we are still in Canada, Quebec is most certainly not REALLY a part of Canada. The language is different here, personalities, attitudes and laws are all foreign to us. I cannot wait until we are back in English Canada, and have established a sense of community by living in one area for a while and developed roots.

To these ends, we both agree its vital that we buy a place when we move back, to get over this whole renting thing, and develop that security. Also, so we can establish a sense of community and grounding. Even if we only live there for a year or two until we can afford something bigger, it will serve as an anchor for us.

Basically, I am enjoying my studies, and taking in Quebec... but I miss 'home', and cannot wait until May-June when we move back !

Takashi Marakami !

I LOVE the new Mika music video... its to a song that I have listened to for a while, since he debut album... but he has never had an official music video to it, now we know why: He had something up his sleeve !

Silly Mika !

The animation of the movie was done by the infamous Japanese animator Takasshi Marakami, who is best known for his animations, but also for his sculpture artwork, and his wonderful creative designs, many of which are in art museums.

He even recently teamed up with Louis Vuitton (whom anyone who knows me, knows I'm a little obsessed with...) and they did a series of fabulous LV bags with his characteristic colourful cartoon prints. They showcased them in an art gallery show in New York (I seem to recall, although it might have been somewhere else...), and I think the works are all limited time. Sadly, I am sure they are all sold... I will have to buy one and become a crazed collector once I can afford to !



The last one was being sold on eLuxury.com, at as an 'affordable' way to buy into the historic collection. The shoulder-clutch-little-thing was $690 US, and sold-out in less than 24 hours !

Dammit, Cody make more money !

Now, lets all watch the FABULOUS new Mika music video, which was the original point of this posting, before I got distracted by pretty bags !

Interesting..

Aoccdrnig to a rscheerch at Cmabridge Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltters in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

It is also interesting to note...

THAT NO BODY READS THIS ANYMORE.

Argh, I hate you all !!!

Whatever, I am totally going to delete this blog and start a new one me thinks.

Swing Vote

Okay, so I am quite the Hillary Clinton fan, especially since she actually has a voting record, has experience in the White House, and has a solid plan built on more than just 'hope'... cause just that one word doesn't turn around an entire nation on the brink of collapse !


However, this may have just swung my vote to Obama, this is a priceless photo-op !






P.S. Also, it should be mentioned, that although I follow American politics (sadly)... I cannot actually VOTE in the US... something about not being 'American' or somesuch nonesense !

Exciting Times

... but also secretive ones !

Muwhahaha.

Suffice to say, Cody and I (well, I actually found it) have found a fabulous little townhouse in Vancouver that is vastly underpriced because it is a foreclosure... and its basically down to its studs and beams, with no proper flooring or walls.... which is perfect, we can make it exactly what WE want, hehe.

Also, we are in the midst of the mist and jungle that is buying out first business potentially !!!

Its a lot of damned work, but its a hella lot easier than starting you own !

hehe.


Oh, and school is okay... exam on Wednesday... and I am currently in talks with RBC about them re-hiring me to work as an Account Manager when we move back to Vancouver !

YAY, only got 4 major things on the go at one time !

Pfft, life is fun.

Going Crazier...

So, this morning I took the dog for his morning meet-and-greet to the rest of the world.. then made myself some simple breakfast, did my hair, shaved, etc.

After all this, I usually make myself a cup of coffee, watch "The View", and then get to schoolwork.

So, I go into the kitchen, and get the bodum coffee-press out, and boil water, and do all that. I get the coffee container from the cupboard. Then, I proceed to scoop ground coffee into my mug. Not the coffee-press, my mug. Then, still unaware that I've done anything out of the ordinary, I take the hot water and start filling my mug. Suffice to say, in the process of filling the mug, I realised something was wrong.

I rinsed out the mug, boiled some more water, and then made coffee in the ACTUAL coffee maker.

Cody says I'm absent minded. I have no idea what he's talking about.

Enjoy.

This morning, I found this video on YouTube by a favourite of mine, he apparently lives in Montreal... but thats beyond the point. Here it is:

Love, Hate Relationship

I get really excited about applying for jobs for some strange, inexplicable, weird reason. I dunno, the idea of applying for a new job, a new beginning, and not knowing what is going to come of it is very excited to me.

On the other hand, I hate the work, the waiting, and the amaount of effort it takes to make a personalized, hand-crafted fucking cover letter for EVERY single job.

My goal is to apply for 7 tomorrow... we'll see how that goes. They are all with RBC again, 3 are at Dominion Securities (the brokerage division of RBC Royal Bank) as Associate Advisors, and Assistants... and the other 4 are with the bank itself as either Senior Account Manager, or Manager of Client Care.

I always make sure to spend a little time finding out who is actually going to get my resume, who will read it, and what their name and position title is. Something I learned from a course at UVic in their Co-Op placement program, that statistically you have a 50% higher chance of getting an interview if you know the recruiter's name and use it in the cover-letter... also if you tailor a cover letter specifically to each job. This has always stuck with me as an obvious way to improve my chances of getting the job, but it is also a truck load of crap work. I hate the time it takes, and often run out of BS things to say, lol. I am being very frank, haha.

Anyhow, back to the jobs... they are all interesting, I have always wanted to manage people, despite the hatred that many coworkers of mine have had towards managing other employees... I would love to be a Manager of Client Care (MCC) because they manage and hire all the tellers, and supervise the cash flows and such, and also are involved with big clients issues and requests. It just seems like a good starting point towards Branch Manager and beyond, but it would also be a lot of work I am sure. The idea of hiring people and interviewing them myself excites me for some reason also. Yes, I am weird.

Sales roles are the other ones, Account Managers are just fancy names for bank salespersons. They sell products, and that is also interesting. Its kinda the catch-all job at the bank, as there are tons of them at every branch, and its known as a good platform to tesst your sales ability. People who are good at it can rise fast with their books and get into Financial Planning and Mortgage Specialist roles fast which is good money, and good commissions (usually better than branch management). However, there is always the stress of selling people things... but I am not too concerned, I seem to be able to sell things easily, I dunno why.

Now, the DS jobs (Dominion Securities) are interesting. DS is known as a cushy place to work (my friend Breena works there, about 4-5 hours a day is her 'full day')... but the pay is a lot lower to start. The positions would all involve me being the Assistant or "Licensed Associate" to some big, and probably egotistical, Investment Advisor... one who is most likely very successful to be able to afford an assistant. I would do his cold calls for him, his marketing, advertising, and as such its GREAT sales experience, and is seen as such. I would also execute some of the trades, and be involved with some of the financial aspects to some extent. I would also get his coffee for him, whoopee ! However, it allows me to build a reference of contacts, especially with high-ups, as anyone he knows, will eventually get to know me. It also ensures that, when he retires or dies, that I would have a good chance at 'inheriting' his book of clients and getting to be an IA in my own right, all set-up with a crapload of money on the books. So, it can be a Freaking AWESOME opportunity in the longer run, but not so awesome for the first couple years.

I am applying for them all, its up to the universe to steer me towards what I think is best. Lord knows though, I need a job, and I want to make lotsa money in a couple years, so I need to plan this right.

Sigh, why can't people just make me a CEO of a small company of my own already ! GAWD, or give me my own country to run, either would make me perfectly happy.

Although, the idea of being royalty is more attractive than owning a business. Probably a little less realistic.

You people wanted a new posting, and this is the best you get !!! Muwhahaha !

I'm going to bed.

Confession

Sometimes, when I am on the metro listening to my music, and a really good song comes on... you know, one of those songs that sends shivers down your spine cause you love it so much. I get this uncontrollable urge to break out into dance and song right there and then. then, I day dream that I am part of an elaborate dance troupe that goese secretly onto the train, just to whip out a ghetto-blaster and dance elaborate moves to the song. Or, I am part of a music video, being filmed right there and then, and all these people would admire me for my talent, and just sit and watch as we all perform for this random music video we're making.

Sigh, and then I usually arrive at the station, usually I barely get off in time, cause I was so immersed in my day dream.

Homework, and Jobs.

Argh.

I applied for a part-time job at Holt Renfrew here in Montreal last night. I am excited for the opportunity to work, and to take some of my extra time on my hands and make it productive. However, I am not really all that excited about working in retail. Especially given the fact that I am not terribly experienced at it, but who knows... I am excited for the opportunity of a change, and I am one of those people who really hates not working, lol, which sounds weird, but is true.

Now, just after applying for the aforementioned position, I decided to sit down and work on my readings, and really compile a list of all the assignments, projects and such that are due. Mainly, I don't have too much due over the next week... but the week after next I have a SHIT-load of stuff due, so I am gonna start it tonight. Also, I have realized that I hate my distance class that I am taking through UVic. Its a management class, and its hard, and the final project involved interviewing 4 people about management, writing a freaking 3 page proposal, and then a big paper on my results.

Argh. I HATE projects.

I HATE interviewing people.

And most of all, I HATE stupid management courses, honestly, its gonna be the same dumb questions, about dumb crap that no one cares about, and I cannot possibly honestly interview people with a straight face. Let alone, the fact that I don't have a clue who I would interview about management.

Sigh, but I will do it, because I need to get it done, this is my last hurdle.... but it sure as hell is a test from the heavens.

Maybe I shouldn't be working also, lol.... meh.

My Journal

Well, its cold today, I felt like an arab woman wearing a burka today, I had this big scarf around my face/mouth, and my big fur hat on covering my ears and head, and my big parka, with my long underwear with big wool pants, which kept we warm on my long walk home from the Metro station (well, like 10 minutes), and yea, it was cold today, like -25 with the wind chill, argh.

Anyways, I am watching this show called 'the week the women went' on CBC, its rather amazing actually. It takes place in a small town in Alberta, and they literally took all the women in the town (well, 90% of them, leaving the nurses at the local clinic, and some of the grandmas) and took them to a spa retreat for the week. Leaving the men, who are mostly married oil workers, who aren't used to doing much housework, to fend for themselves, and balance life and work and kids. Its amazing, because I think its about damned time, there are some single moms on the trip, who have gotten either nannies or their ex's to take care of the kids while they are away. They're response is that now the men will know how single moms feel, and thats totally true if you think about it, they do this all the time. Anyways, its a great show, and its going to be VERY amusing to watch how the men deal with the changes.

Anyhow, the show just ended, and I am gonna sit down and work on some schoolwork, and read some before bed. Its been nice here, and its nice to be able to enjoy the city and kinda feel like your travelling away from home... but I will be happy to be back in BC. I especially miss the weather, but I also miss my friends and family, and also just the little things that are familiar back home (you know what I mean...).

That being said, its been fun. This Friday we are going out for dinner with a friend here, and I am meeting up with an old friend from High School that moved out here 4 years ago for coffee on Thursday.

I am missing being settled, it will be nice to be settled wherever we are eventually and actually spend more than 10 months living in one place, and really get to put our roots down and build 'home'... plus, it will be nice to be done school. I am SO missing working, and I am really not that interested in school this semester, which I have to get over, cause it needs to be done.

Anyways, thats my thoughts, sometimes its nice to get it out. I guess this sorta functions like a journal for me. lol.

News.

Words cannot describe how much I love this guy, and his youtube videos, lol. So, after reading this, watch it, cause it made my morning, and I hope it makes yours.

So, I haven't written a blog entry in forever, I'm not gonna lie, its mostly cause I don't see much point, since not very many people read them anyways, and its also because I am lazy. Now, to clarify, I am not lazy all the time and about everything, I spent my morning cleaning the floors, doing dishes, reading an article for school and wrote a paragraph for my assignment due on Monday, but then all I wanna do is just lay around watching 'What Not to Wear' instead of writing this blog entry. I think Clinton isn't gay, many people think he is, but I just think he is really metrosexual (if you've watched the show, you might disagree.. meh).

Anyways, focus... umm... Oh ! Yea, so one thing that has impressed me thus far about Montreal, the grocery stores here sell alcohol, wine and beer. The wine is mostly crap, as we have come to discover, but they have some okay beers, and an assortment of vodkas and other liquors. This is definately a civilized way of grocery shopping, I also noticed that the alcohol section is the first section when you walk in the door. Thus, allowing you to choose the most important part of the meal first, and then buy other groceries accordingly.

However, Montreal is dirty, there is a certain overall grime to the city, which is part due to its age, but also I think due to obviously crappy maintenance on most of the buildings, metro, roads and general infrastructure. Also, we are spoilt by newer construction and more money for maintenance in the West. The city of Montreal has a huge budget deficit, which is part of why there is such crappy maintenance, and also why there is a Metro strike looming. Apparently the mayor said its too expensive for them to give ANY salary increases to Municipal employees for the next 3 years, and most of the unions were okay with that, but the Metro and Transit drivers are not, and it looks like a strike is looming for early March... but they will maintain 'essential service'. AKA they will have like 6 trains a day, only for rush hour, WOO HOO, DAMN YOU UNIONS !!!

Sigh. So, Cody was accepted to Air Traffic Control training yesterday, which is great news. Its well paid, and its a desk job, which is much better for his physical health in the long term than continuing as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer... but it means we have to wait and hear back to see when he starts his training... oh, and the training is in Vancouver. So, basically, we are going to have to return back, they give us about 4 months notice ahead of time, which is good, but it also means we need to seriously consider saving as much as we can. The tuition is cheap, only $3,500... but the main cost is going to be him not earning anything for a year while he goes to school. Argh, dammit, I am SOOOOO happy being the stay-at-home-mom for the dog, lol. thats not true, I'm also a full-time student, but you get the idea. And lord knows my starting wage won't be grand, it won't be bad, but not grand.

Anyways, so its good news, it just means we have to make it through the next year somehow... somehow. The key is for us to save and pay-off as much as we can while he is here making the rediculous money he is making. I'm going to apply back to the banks there, and hopefully get hired, and then maybe they will decided to promote me to Senior Vice President of the largest bank in Canada (RBC) and we will be good to go ! Yep, thats my bet !

Lol, Anyways, it looks like 2008 will be just as interesting and eventful as 2007 was !

Snow Day

Its snowing today, and I have errands to do, and class to attend, and I really don't wanna leave the house.

Its rather lovely actually outside, big fluffy snowflakes falling on the ground, and I have the heat nice and warm in here... mmm.

Well, I am off to read and then go do things. Hope you are all enjoying a snow(less) day !

And I am SO totally doing this the next time I am at an airport !! :


Feist - My Moon My Man (Canadian singer at a Canadian Airport, lol)

Land of the Bloody Cold

Well, I have arrived, its been very cold here in Montreal, it was -25 last Thursday, and we had snow banks on the side of the road over 4 feet tall, which was very disconcerting for a West Coast kid like me, used to my rain, and very unwhite winters !

Its been a fun experience thus far though, Montreal is very European, and very arrogant. As a city, the moment you meet any of the locals, you get the feeling that this is a city that knows its one of the oldest in North America (if not the second oldest, only to Quebec City), it knows its beautiful, and it damn well thinks its the best place on the continent. There is certainly an elite arrogance, and powerful pride to this city, which I view as both a positive and negative thing. I love the city's architecture, the old buildings, with their ornate decorative design, they just don't build great office structures, or even townhouses like they used to !!

And Quebec City just celebrated its 400 year Anniversary, which I am very sure makes it the oldest city outside Mexico, in North America, it was definately founded before any city in the USA... and as an interesting scandal, the Queen was invited to the celebrations, but she turned it down, due to the prominent arguments of many Quebec politicians that the British monarch should not be recognised in Quebec. I honestly do not know why Quebec is allowed to get away with what it does, I mean, we (the British part of Canada) won the war against Quebec, and conquered it hundreds of years ago, so just move on for God's sake ! But, alas, they insist for preferrential treatment, under a system that is unfair on sooo many levels (someone born in Quebec pays half the University tuition than any other Canadian citizen, double standard much?)...

Anyways, I am ranting, I love the city, I need to start taking photos, its absolutely a winter wonderland, and its been getting warmer, nearing 0 degrees C, which has been absolutely wonderful. There are such cute little coffee shops and wonderful places, and the Metro, LOVE the Metro, its a wonderful mass transit system that makes it soo easy to get around ! the underground city is especially wonderful... I especially love the shopping, yesterday Cody and I went to the underground city and got the ring resized, got our brows waxed, purchased a coffee maker, and went to see a movie, which we left (long story).. all while staying underground, and walking between like 7 different shopping centres, and hotels !

OH, I completely forgot to mention, My family and I and Cody all went up to a ski resort called Sun Peaks for Christmas this year... and Cody took me for a wonderful walk throught the ski village, and around the cute little shops in the valley, and then on the way back to our Chalet, he stopped me on the trail and proposed ! It was amazing, the snow flakes were coming down and it was very sudden that I didn't believe him at first, I was totally shocked ! It was absolutely lovely, and amazing, and the RING is GORGEOUS, its two bands, each one representing our corporeal bodies, his body is represented by a band of yellow 18k gold with 26 diamonds, and mine by a white 19.3 karat band with 26 diamonds, and then an intertwining weave of gold in the middle represents our intertwining spirits, and our energy joining. I LOVE that it was a custom made ring here in Montreal, and jeweler is amazing, very nice man... but the ring was a little bit too large, so we are getting it remade to be smaller to fit my finger.

Its very exciting, no date for the wedding has been planned yet, although we want to do it on the Summer Solstice, and its a secret how we want it done ! Either its going to be June 21 in 2009, or 2010. Not sure yet... we need to start saving, lol !!

I am right now snuggled with the dog, watching a documentary on Dubai on CBC, and holy Christ the city has changed a lot since I was there, there are entire sections that were once desert that are all now dense scyscrapers, but such is Dubai... and the more I watch, the more I remember that perhaps a couple of years there is what we need to jumpstart our careers, perhaps thats what we need to make the lives that we want for ourselves back home... perhaps.

But then I remember that our new found love, and our young enagagement, is completely illegal there... and I wonder if we could ever live there... even maybe for a period.