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.

The plot thickens...

So, I work with some very cool employees at Starbucks, and have really connected with a couple of them... three or four people that I absolutely adore, and think are grand. Well, one of them was suppose to work last night, which was my last shift, and about 30 minutes before he was suppose to start, my manager called and said he couldn't work. He refused to give specifics... but was just quiet about it.

Anyways, then I was told by the same manager to read the front headline of the local paper this morning, which I read online. Now, I do not want to slander the individual, so I will not be mentioning names, or the name of the newspaper, although if you really care I am sure it wouldn't be too hard to find out..

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE (name changed):

"The Oak Bay Marine Group's former vice-president of finance has been charged with theft and fraud after more than half a million dollars was diverted from the company's bank accounts.

G-DAWG, 43, of Victoria, has been charged with theft over $5,000 and fraud over $5,000, said Det. Sgt. Don Symes of Oak Bay police.

DAWG, who worked for the Oak Bay Marine Group for eight years but who is no longer with the company, is likely to appear in court in early January.

DAWG is accused of transferring funds from the Oak Bay Marina account to the account of another company in the Bahamas owned by the Oak Bay Marine Group and then transferring the money into his personal account, Symes said. The transfers happened between 2005 and March 2007, police allege.

The financial discrepancies, which totalled $511,750, were discovered by chance by another employee, Symes said.

The investigation, which started in October, was handed to the Oak Bay Police Department by the RCMP commercial crime section, Symes said.

Bob Wright, Oak Bay Marine Group founder and CEO, is travelling in a boat off the coast of Africa and could not be contacted for comment yesterday."

The interesting story that isn't told in the papers, and was explained to me by my manager, is that the CEO of the Oak Bay Marine group is a rather vindictive man. My manager's partner is a bookeeper, and used to work for the Oak Bay Marine Group... and so he has some negative stories about this individual that runs the company. Anyways, the story is that my coworker had actually sold his house and already paid the funds back 5 months ago... but that charges are just now being levied against him, and he was under the impression that it was taken care of internally already when he was caught. Now, I do not dispute that he did a bad thing, and neither does he, but when faced with it, he sold his house, gave the money back, and moved on... it seems odd to not tell him at that time that you are going to press charges, and instead wait until 5 months later.

Anyways, I am not involved, and I do not know all that much besides what these individuals have told me. But I do know this, my coworker now works for an Indian Reserve Office during the day, and works two nights a week at Starbucks for extra money. He isn't rediculously loaded obviously, and he is a really nice guy, genuinely a hard worker from my experience, and a nice guy. Thats all I know, and it seems rather mean to go after him now... also interesting that this CEO happened to be 'away' on a sailing trip at this crutial time.

Suffice to say, there is more than meets the eye, I am sure... and more I suspect, than most people know... including myself.

Happy Holidays !

Song about me...

This song is SO my life, God, its awesome, and what I love, is that its a rap song about the everyday person's life... he really pokes fun of how silly most rap lyrics are with just talking about their bling and lifestyle...



Oh, and this is an edit to my response to TruthSpew's comment on my last post, I got the actual data on Canadian Income Tax Rates from the Canada Revenue's website:

HAHA !

Are you kidding, your complaining about a 28% income tax rate ?!
Here, in Canada, the federal income tax brackets are:
15% on the first $37,178 of taxable income
22%(on the portion of taxable income between $37,178 and $74,357)
26%(on the portion of taxable income between $74,357 and $120,887)
29% of taxable income over $120,887

And the Provincial (for my Province, BC, which has the second lowest):

5.7% on the first $34,397 of taxable income
8.65% on the next $34,397
11.1% on the next $10,190
13% on the next $16,925
14.7% on the amount over $95,909

And we effectively pay about 40% in total. Probably more now that Cody makes more...

28% sounds good to me !

P.S. This also does not include mandatory CPP contributions, EI, MSP insurance, etc.

Oh, the weather outside is Frightful..

... but I have to go to work in 3 hours and leave the fireplace !

Jerks, this whole working for money thing, I just don't get it.

So, nothing too much is new, well actually, thats a huge lie, lots is new, I am overwhelmed sometimes by the daily amount that my life changes, especially with this big move. I cannot WAIT to sit on a couch and read a good book for Christmas.

All I want for Christmas is good literature and alcohol. (take note !)

Umm... yea, its really windy and rainy today, and today is the day that I have to walk all around downtown to do errands, which I am not excited about, but oh well... Its better than the weather in Montreal. God, its been freaking -25 with the windchill there !! I don't know how on earth I am going to survive. It better warm up for me, or God help me.

So, yea. I am off to call some stupid government agencies, and other beaurocratic nonsense that I have to deal with. God, I hate the government, they basically take 40% of what we make, and bill us for tons of services I never use (seriously, I cannot even remember the last time I was in a hospital... or clinic), and they provide SUCH amazing support to the average citizen in return... NOT. Pah, makes me wanna move to the States, where they aren't one big gigantic welfare nation. I am even starting to reconsider the whole idea of universal healthcare... cause yea, we all have 'free' healthcare, but we are all paying for it through high income taxes, and actual MSP bills that we get in the mail (Cody and I pay $96 a month), and MSP doesn't even cover dental work or massage therapy, or chiropracteurs... basically they only cover if I end up breaking my leg, getting cancer, or developing smallpox ! And the best thing, we would probably pay more, if we had the option for a more expensive plan that covered more things, but we can't, because its a government system that covers 'everyone'.... oh, except the poor, homeless, and elderly, who are covered but don't have to pay for it !!

So, essentially, the people that use the system the most, don't even pay for it ! And the people that don't use it (cause we were dumb enough to take care of ourselves by paying for chiropracteurs, etc, with our own cash) pay the bulk of the bills !!

Dammit, I hate Canada sometimes. I would far rather pay more for a private insurance that covers more and has better service.

Can you guess what government program I am having issues with right now ? lol.

Oh, and last night was my Starbucks staff Christmas party, that was a damned hoot, so freaking awesome. Except most people left at like 9pm !!! The few of us that remained went to this hilariously awesome pub, and just drank some, and played darts, and it was great. The best thing, most of the people I work with just pay with cash for things, cause they are young and have no credit cards... so I just offered to pay for the whole bill, and then take their cash... so I got the points for a huge bar tab, but I have the cash from them to pay it off, God I am smart, even when I drink, hehe.

But now I have to walk in the rain, to the bank, to deposit said cash and pay the Visa... silly walking.

I really should stop complaining about my life in these blog posts. Man, this one really turned out to be long. woopsie.

Ciao, I will probably post something later.

Baking, Part II

Okay, so I baked about 200 cookies Sunday night, and tonight I was aiming to complete the tast.

It started well, I baked some amazing, although secret cookies (cause someone will just have to wait to know what sort of cookies I have baked ;)... and then cleaned up and prepared to make shortbread. This ended in me throwing out a bowlful of cookie dough.

I don't even want to talk about it.

But I think I can blog about it.

So, I made a number of mistakes along the way, mistakes that I should know better than to make. Firstly, and probably my biggest mistake, I decided I could be cheap and use the regular whole wheat flour we have instead of expensive specialty cake flour. WRONG. It simply doesn't have the right texture, and ended up making a grainy, chunky dough. Not good for shortbread.

Mistake two, I decided that I could try using (cheaper) margarine instead of butter. Lets just put it this way, butter is better. MUCH better.

Mistake number three, baking 2 dozen cookies before bothering to taste taste them. They tasted okay, but were extremely grainy... really, really, really grainy, and had a horrid texture. They were also flat, cause the margarine just didn't act right. And they just didn't have the rich taste that butter gives a good shortbread.

So, lesson for tonight, cheaping out with the ingredients for shortbread just results in REALLY aweful shortbread. Argh.

So, tomorrow, I am going to the market, and buying REAL unsalted good quality butter, proper cake flour, and then trying this all over again.

And yes, I thought of trying to use the dough, and invent a new cookie, but all the results were horrible, there was no alternative but to abort.

Sigh, such a waste. Meh, C'est la vie. I did learn a good lesson. With shortbread, if you want good stuff, you have to use good stuff.

Do you hear what I hear ?

I am listening to Christmas Carols non-stop today. Basically started about 2 hours ago, and now my Christmas baking time is in full-swing, and there are cookies everywhere, and nutmeg, flour and other baking essentials all over my counter... and the house smells like gingerbread, eggnog, ginger, nutmeg, chocolate and mint. With the fireplace roaring (as much as a gas one can, lol) and me blasting cheesy Christmas songs.

Sigh, I love Christmas baking, its so much damn fun. And when I bake for Christmas, its a two-, sometimes three-, day event. I am baking 4 different types of cookies this year. I am only on my first type, and I already have about 10 dozen cookies.

Its a lot better when there is more than one person in the house though.

Yea, thats why the music helps, makes me feel a little less lonely.

The Eggnog I steamed (with the espresso machine) with wonderful rum in my mug also helps ;)

10 days until Cody flies here, and we pack and leave for the cold East !

:D

Merry Christmas

Greatest Fear

This is my greatest fear in life.

Sex and the City and No Shower.

I woke up this morning, and used the bathroom. The toilet flushed, but no water-running sound as the tank filled up. Hrm, weird ?

So, then I go to wash my hands, no water comes out of the tap. That's odd. Now, I am starting to become concerned. So, I try to start the shower, about 50 ml of pathetic water come out and then zip, nada.

I actually was on the verge of tears. I LOVE having a morning shower, its the best part of my day (and sometimes the longest, lol, JK)... so I walk angrily up my hallway to the head of the Strata's suite, and there is a notice on the door, and it reads:

"Due to repair issues and damage, the WATER has been shut off temporarily for the building. Sorry for the inconvenience, it will be on as soon as possible"

ARE YOU KIDDING ME ?! Somebody's suite better have been completely flooded or something huge for this to happen. At least, thank God, I have electricity. However, you don't really know how much you love running water until you don't have it.

So, now I am unshaven, stinky, and have dirty teeth (I thought about going to the local Starbucks and brushing my teeth in the bathroom, but that seems weird...).

Its 12:30pm and I'm not impressed.

I went to go make coffee with the espresso machine, thank GOD I have bottled water, so I filled the kettle with bottled water, made two shots (the espresso machine has its own water tank, which I had filled already) and went to go rinse before making another two shots, and guess what ?! YOU CANNOT CLEAN THE COFFEE THING FOR ANOTHER SHOT WITHOUT RUNNING WATER ! Also, I cannot rinse my mug and make another, I cannot water my plants, I can't even wash my hands.

So, I am literally living in my own filth right now until the Godsend that is internal plumbing is brought back online.

I feel especially bad for those in my building who had to work today, imagine going to work at a bank (my neighbour does) without shaving, brushing your teeth, having a shower, or even washing your hands !?

Argh. I think I might actually walk to Starbucks, just to wash my hands, and brush my teeth.

So, the only thing that can make me feel good right now, is the fact that the Golden Compass comes to theatres today, WOOT !

And, the new Sex and the City movie trailer was announced today, its totally a teaser, but its something. Sigh, I am so Miranda. I am a total Miranda.

Wish me luck, God I hope the water comes back soon.

Oh, I love this video.



Now, to clarify, I would feel entirely comfortable with investing in something like Amazon.com, or even Google, because they have built themselves brand-names, they've been around for a long time, and in the case of Google, they are proving themselves to be a powerhouse of innovation, and diversification into other markets. I mean, look at how scared the big Cellular Networks are in Canada about a potential G-Phone and a move from Google into the Cell Phone market, they're practically shitting themselves. So, they, I believe, will be strong runners for years to come. but Facebook, valued at almost the same net worth as all of FORD, with its physical assets, hundreds of thousands of employees, and millions of products sold worldwide. And Facebook has ? Ad revenue from a bunch of teenagers and young adults wanting to easily connect with ex-girlfriends and best buds from College. C'mon, the day that Facebook announces an IPO, it'll have come, and the burst won't be far away.

And you can quote me, and hold me to that prediction ;)

Bank Gossip..... and Mika

So, my coworker at Starbucks, a couple months ago got a job as a teller at the Bank of Montreal... I recommended him, but it was mostly just his own merrit. I was so happy for him, he is awesome, I have kinda known him for about 4 years, he used to work at a Starbucks in James Bay with my best friend at the time, and I have seen him around town a couple times... anyways, it was a good move for him. He has worked for Starbucks since the dawn of time, and is paid absolutely shit, and is trying desperately to leave the party life, and make something of himself, and I just thought this was the best step for him.

So, he still works at my Starbucks once a week at night for extra cash on the side (working fulltime at BMO during the day), and he worked tonight when I went in to get my schedule for next week. Anyways, he and I got talking, and it turns out that the manager that I worked with, Barbara Bell-Irving (yea, I'm not afraid to smear her name all over the net !) has been transferred from my old branch, to his !! He was complaining about this new manager, and how he is sure she is out to fire him, and how she is snooty, self-riteous, really bossy, and oddly enough kinda looks like Miss Piggy (I kid you not...), and I was like "OMG, is her name Barb ?!"... and yea, so the discussion went.

I feel so angry, the woman single-handedly was responsible for three employees either quitting or transferring out while I worked under her, and thats quite a feat when the entire branch had only 9 employees !!! Sarah, whom I love, and haven't talked to in forever (note to self: call Sarah) actually quit one day right on the spot.

Barb used to schedule her to start work right at 9am, even though she was a commercial teller, and therefore had craploads of coin, deposits and cash to count and verify in the morning before we opened. Therefore she needed to start doing this at about 8:30am in order to be ready for our daily 'team huddles' before we opened at 9:30am. Barb took it upon herself to just stop scheduling her at 8:30am, and instead at 9am... which Sarah took, she is a sweet little blonde thing, and just came in early and wouldn't get paid for it... but then it got rediculous... Barb refused to pay her for the half hour, and it honestly makes a difference when all of a sudden your paycheque is 2.5 hours less a week (thats almost $200 less a month), so she stopped coming in early and would come 'on time'... and I would just help her with the deposits and cash, which wasn't my job, but that was fine, to assist and make sure she was done in time.

Then, Barb came and talked to me, and let me know that it was 'inappropriate to support others in doing their jobs', and 'that Sarah was perfectly capable doing it herself', so I had to stop. So, Sarah would come in every morning, count and do as much as she could as fast as she could, and Barb would harp on her for being late to the 'huddles' while forbidding anyone to help her... she would literally sit in her chair in the meeting room and yell accross the branch for Sarah to 'hurry her ass up'.

One day this above scenario happened just like this, except Sarah's dog was ill, and she had been a little late, and Barb was being especially ferocious, even mumbling sarcastically that its hard to come in on time when you start 30 minutes after everyone else (which poor Sarah didn't want to !! lol), and Sarah flipped. She literally smacked down the binder that she wrote her daily counts in on the desk, stood up, walked into the back room, grabbed her stuff, and on her way gave Barb her key to the vault and said 'Fine, I quit'.

It was one of the most awesome things I have ever seen. And damned good for Sarah to do it !

I called her that night, and she was freaked out cause, she had no job, and no plan on what to do, and her fiance made good money, but they needed to make mortgage payments, etc... Anyways, she ended up getting a job as a secretary for HSBC's Premier branch in Oak Bay, assisting and working with their high-end clients. Anyways, she loves it, and really enjoys it now, and its better money, so I was happy for her.

But it makes me sad that now my poor Starbucks coworker will have to put up with Bitchy Barb... one of the nicer names I have for the woman. Sigh, this is the issue working for a big corporation, as much as I love it, and the perks are awesome, big companies never seem able to actually FIRE these horrible people, rather they just move them from department to department (Barb was originally sent to my old branch from Vancouver !!!)... I think its cause she has so much seniority she almost cannot be fired.

Argh, makes me mad. I just hope it doesn't affect his newly-founded carreer. She better not mess with him, or heaven help her if I see Piggy Barb on the street !



ON a positive note... this is Mika's new single, and I Heart it. It could never replace the soft spot in my heart that I have for his others, but its quite possibly my favourite song of his to-date.

Enjoy, I love his artistic style !

Momentum

Do you sometimes feel like you've just been stuck in a bit of a rut, and honestly don't really have any willpower to get out of it ?

I have been so dis-interested in school over the past month or so. It feels like I have already moved on mentally, but I still have to go through the motions and participate in the proccess, because ultimately the last 3 years are useless if I don't actually buckle down and finish my damned degree. That being said, the only class that inspires me to care all that much anymore is my Econometrics class. How sad is that ? My hardest class, the one thats mostly just Statistical Economics, is my most interesting, and engaging class. Its also the class that I have the best mark in (almost an A+, and its my hardest class... ?>!?!)

That just goes to show, it doesn't really matter how hard the material is, if you have it presented well, by a good professor (which I do, I love him, he rocks), then no matter how 'hard' the material is, you will be engaged and learn. I am totally engaged, and now that I think about it, I have always had the best marks in my statistics classes, or my classes that are heavily based on Statistical analysis, research and empirical work. Its like I was born to analyse Economic data. I could've give less of a rat's ass about unapplicable theory, or 'international economics', or even raw theory... but the moment you give me that same material in the form of data, or an analysis of stats... or in the form of statistical research, I am all over it like a fat kid on smarties.

I think this is something I need to be aware of, and look into....

I would love to do a Master's degree one day, and go on to Graduate school.... God, that would be awesome. And honestly, I would love to do a degree in Statistics... how sad is that ? The class that every undergrad loathes, and even my mom (who is one of the most academic people I know) says she cannot stand statistical classes... and I want to do it as a second degree !

So, in honor of Stalin, I am coming up with a 5-year educational plan (hopefully you might get my reference, if not, just google 'stalin 5-year plan'...) Although, I hope mine to work out a lot better, and be more humane, lol !

I want to work, be involved in banking and build my experience (also possibly do some government work...) but ultimately, I want to go back to school within the next 5 years, and do my Graduate degree in either Econometrics, or Statistics.... and then I REALLY want to get involved in government policy work. There is such a huge void of Statiticians and Economists in Canada, especially with retiring Baby Boomers... UVic's Economics department office is littered with brochures for "Public Service Canada", "Bank of Canada" and other government agencies... but they all mostly want Graduate-level education (ie, Master's and above...), but these are actual policy jobs, thats makes me hot and bothered.... actually being involved in making policies and advising government agencies... !!!!

Sigh, one day. 5 year plan... hold me to it !

lol, that assumes you all still know me in 5 years... :D

And by you all, I mean the select few you actually read this rambling that I post, hazaa ~!

Now, I am off to bed, to dream of regression models, and statistically significant variables !

I heart you Gwen !

God, If I was half as classy and amazingly chique as Gwen Stefani, then I would die a happy man.

I just cannot get over how she is constantly reinventing herself, her style and her mannerisms are always uniquely Gwen-ish, but change and adapt over time. Sigh, she is just so amazing.

And I particularly love how you never hear how Gwen went on a rampage in her Mercedes while on coke and crashed into the sidewalk... cause she doesn't ! She is not only classy on screen, but in real life, she has no major tabloid drama, she proves we can all have a fabulous, beautiful nature, and not be major partiers, or turn into a Hollywood mess...

She is also one of only two women in Hollywood who can wear typically-male clothing and look amazing in it (also Diane Keaton, love her), as exemplified by her wearing a tie and suit in the taxi towards the end of this video !

Anyways, she is class, and I want to be the male version of her, soooo badly !

Gwen, I love you !!





.... Yeah, that's right, I just wrote an entire post about my obsession with a pop star... no, I am not a loser :P

I miss my puppies...

I was trying to write a post earlier, and lacked any inspiration whatsoever. Even though I frequently think of many things to post about during class and on the bus. (hence I should probably start taking my laptop to class, so I can jot things down as I think of them...)

So, I went to Starbucks to get a cookie to inspire me, and there was the most amazingly adorable little dog outside, clearly upset that it had to wait (in the cold) while its owner purchased a beverage inside. It was a cutie, looked a lot like a chitzu, but not quite.... Anyhow, there I am adoring this dog, letting it jump up on me, and rubbing its ears, and back, and petting it as it attempted to lick my hands, sooo cute !

Then the owner came out, and gave me the weirdest look ever ! I honestly felt like I had just been in the middle of making out with someone and his wife had just walked into the room... so awkward !!!

She looked at me, then took the dog's leash, make a joking remark, I made one back... and off they walked.

Now that I think about it, it was probably weird from her perspective, but that being said, I MISS MY PUPPIES !!

Sigh... we will cuddle soon my darling...

soon...

Danger Matt Bowyer !

Okay, so I am dangerously close to turning into someone who just posts YouTube videos on his blog all the time, and that is my only creative contribution to society... Well, I am loathe to turn into someone who just regurgitates someone else's creativity and spews it all over the internet...

However, and i promise this is the last for a while... I just watched this Video from LisaNova, and honestly, its sooo me... its actually really sad how much this is me:

Watch it, and I will perhaps rant later about how I feel that written blogs are in danger of becoming extinct (I have a theory that YouTube is for the written blog, what cable TV was for the book/library)...

At mommy's

I am at my mom's place in Kitsilano in Vancouver... and they have cable, which I do not.... the fancy type with big buttons and menus, and AN ENTIRE CHANNEL DEDICATED TO OLD CARTOONS !!

I HAVE WATCHED PINKY AND THE BRAIN FOR THE LAST 2 HOURS, AND I LOVE IT !!!

Everyone else is asleep...

It truly makes me sad to think that there are entire generations of children with no idea what this show is.. sigh... so, enjoy the Theme Movie, and a compilation of the best parts !!!




And the BEST CLIP EVER (no, I am not dramatic at all...)