Just Another Blog...by Princess Margaret

My Mexican vacation!

2008-03-27T19:51:00.004-05:00

As some of you may know, Cory and myself went to Los Cabos, Mexico on vacation last week. Cabo is at the tip of Baja, where the Pacific ocean and Sea of Cortez meet.

I had a great time. It was soooo nice to get away from all of the snow and sit in the sun all day by the pool or the beach. It's a tough day when your biggest decision of the day will be whether or not to sit by the pool or go to the beach.

We spent a good 4 days either by the pool or at the beach. Because of this I actually got some pretty good sun on me, I am actually tan! So much sun, that I am peeling, hopefully I will stop looking like a lizzard shedding its skin soon.

We did a couple of little planned tours. One was the "Taste of Los Cabos" where their take you out to the famous Cabo arch and then onto mini-tours of the two nearby towns, Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. On Thursday, we went whale watching. I did manage to catch a small glimpse of a whale, unfortunately, I didn't manage any good photos of it. I sort of felt bad for this poor little whale. Their were like 5 boats out on the water trying to find whales, and so every vessel was chasing after this one poor whale. I imagine they would probably just like us to leave them alone.

We stayed at the Riu Santa Fe, which had just opened in Nov. 07, so all of the rooms were nice and new and clean. We did have a small problem with our tiolet paper dispenser coming out of the wall, but it wasn't a major issue.

The grounds of the resort are very nice and the pools are fanastic, especially the infinity pool overlooking the beach.

I thought Cabo was a really nice place, I would definitely go back again, the kind of place where one wouldn't mind having a second home. Of course, I only need to win the lottery for that to happen.

It was funny when I got home and we were eating our Easter sunday dinner, my sister commented that I looked really relaxed. I would have to say I was feeling pretty relaxed, I gues that's the great thing about vacations, you go and forget about work and all of the rest of the stuff, and just relax....ahhhhhhhhhh.

Enjoy the pictures.

The Cabo Arch (above)

One of the pools at the Santa Fe

I'm Here

2008-03-27T19:44:00.002-05:00

So, I guess I haven't posted in quite a while......to say the least. I hadn't realized it was last November since my last post.
To be honest, blogging had started to feel like just another chore that I had to do, I suppose the novelty of it all had just weared off.
Well, I will try to blog more...yes, I know you have all heard this before....I guess you will just have to keep the faith.

The OC

2007-11-30T13:52:00.000-05:00

No, this blog will not be about the cancelled television show, The OC.

Yesterday, after the passport office, I decided to go to the Oshawa Centre to do some Christmas shopping. So I am looking around when I notice it, like a ray of light. A lululemon store.Yes, that's right, lululemon has come to the Oshawa Centre, my little heart did a pitter patter. I couldn't believe it, when did this happen? The Oshawa Centre has been under going some renovations, but I had no idea that lululemon was coming. For those who do not know lululemon, they are the company who make yoga inspired clothing, I have a pair of their capri's and they are the most comfortable pants ever! The ironic part is that just this last weekend while at Yorkdale, I bought another pair of pants (because I figured this was the closest I would get to a store) and they are being hemmed and picked up for me.

The good news continued, in addition to lululemon being added, there is also a new Town Shoes in the OC now. Finally, a really nice shoe store has arrived. The Reitman's store has also moved and been completely renovated inside, it looks all wood-like and sleek inside now.

Well, it looks like our little OC is growing up. Now, I only need to get L'Occitane en Provence to come and I can get my favourite hand cream near by!

Passport

2007-11-30T13:39:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning I got up early and trekked out to the passport office in Whitby to re-new my passport. My passport doesn't expire until March 2008, but Cory and I are planning on going somewhere warm in March, so hence the need to re-new my passport earlier.

Now, I think we have all heard about the horror stories of long lineups waiting to get/re-new your passports. Well, I have to say that I had an extremely positive experience at the Passport office. I got there at about 8:15am, and there was a bit of a line-up, but it moved very quickly, and I had a number before I knew it. I was out of the office at 8:50am. I know, it was awesome.

I always love it when you are in lines and people feel a need to chat with you, like the lady who was behind me and was all concerned she was not going to make it to Scarborough for work at 9am. It's like lady, I don't know if you are going to make it or not, maybe you should have planned your time better.LOL.

So if you hapen to need to re-new your passport, try the Whitby office.

Michelle's Birthday

2007-11-18T15:43:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Cory, Chris and myself made a whirlwind trip down to Belleville for our friend Michelle's birthday (Lisa and Aaron were also coming), of course after a few side trips to Wal-mart and the Quinte Mall. I love how when I go anywhere with Cory and Chris, it turns into a mini-advernture of shopping somehow. This trip was no different. While in the Quinte Mall, Cory made a spur of the moment purchase of glasses for himself (very nice Versace ones) and I bought myself a pair of DKNY sunglasses.

Finally, we arrived at Michelle's. While we were there to celebrate her birthday, we were also there to see Michelle and Randy's new baby boy, Declan. He's about 3 months old and I have to say, very cute.

We all sat around and got caught up with each other before dinner and then had a very nice dinner (thanks Michelle for cooking) and of course had birthday cake.

It was so nice to see everyone, I always love these little trips.

Happy Birthday Michelle!!

Contacts

2007-09-14T20:58:00.000-05:00

OK, so last weekend I am out doing my usual weekend errands. One of which was trying to find my contact lens solution, called Complete.

So, I look at Wal-mart, Zellers, two different Shoppers stores and can't find it. I think this is bizarre, since these are all major retail outlets and they should carry it.

So, later that night I am on the internet and decide to Google the name of the solution. Up comes these stories of this solution being being recalled back in May. Mean while I have been using it for months and had no idea anything was wrong with it. Turns out some people have been having serious eye infections and I guess they all used the Complete solution, so the company voluntarily pulled it from the shelves, hence the problem finding any.

I couldn't believe I had not heard about this. So I contact my eye doctor and of course they recommend you discontinue use and throw out your lenses.

So, I am now using this Opti-Free stuff, which my doctor gave me a starter kit of. I have to say though, my eyes feel horrible. They don't feel the same with this new solution. I am hoping my eyes will adjust, but geez I kind of wish I could go back to the Complete stuff.

I am hoping the Complete solution will come back at some time, after of course they figure out what happened.

Meanwhile I am on the cancellation list for my eye doctor for an appointment, otherwise they are booking into November.

MIA

2007-09-14T20:31:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone. Yes, I know I have been MIA lately.

Last weekend I was at my friend's Heather & Will's wedding on Saturday. The vows were done at Trinity United in Peterborough and the reception was held at the Curling Club. It was funny during the exchanging of vows we could all hear like ambulance sirens outside, so when we were all outside the church afterwards, there had been this car accident pretty much right next door to the church, and a few police cars were blocking off part of the road and you would see people driving by and seeing both the wedding and the car accident. Funny.

They actually took a group photo of everyone on the church steps with the bride and groom. Can't wait to see how the picture turns out.

The reception was nice, I thought the highlight was the speeches, when the best man and maid of honour got up and talked about Heather and Will and what their friendships over the years had meant to them. It was very touching.

I was very touched that Heather and Will would think of me on their wedding day, and I have promised Will that we will do a monthly get together.

***************
I know I already sent her a belated birthday greeting, but I would be remiss not to mention it again.

Happy Birthday to Anna, on September 2nd.

Everyone wish Anna happy belated birthday greetings.

****************

A New Baby

2007-08-17T19:37:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Michelle and Randy on the birth of their new baby boy! It's boy number 2.

Little Declan is his name and he was born at 10:45am Tuesday.

We all eagerly await the first photos and wish mom and dad well as they bring Declan home to meet his older brother.

Best Wishes!!

Camping Trip

2007-08-17T19:05:00.000-05:00

So I promised an update on the bachelorette camping trip I went on last Saturday at Emily park.

I had a really good time. I had a killer week at work, so I was really looking forward to this camping trip to relax, and well yes, drink! There were 8 of us who came and of course being girls, we were super organized and had extras of everything (air mattresses, tents), which proved to be good, since one of our tents had a zipper problem later in the evening.

Basically, we set-up our tents and then just talked for a bit, then made dinner (chicken, baked potatos and corn on the cob roasted over the fire, it was yummy!). Kudos to Su (Heather's maid of honour) for pretty much doing all of the cooking for us.

After dinner, we just hung out around the fire and drank and played a game called "I Never". Later in the evening, we had three young men ( boys might be more appropriate) come visit us at our camp site. And no they were not strippers. I won't get into the whole story here, but after the park lady came by to tell us to quiet down, we decided to ask the boys to move along to the next camp site.

It was a good time had by all and think we might end up doing it all again sometime, just as a fun trip.
The only drawback was, I felt soooooo tired the next morning and really achy, like I gone to the gym or something. Not sure why, maybe it's that whole you can't party like your 20 anymore, when your 34. Darn that.

Good times!

Odds & Ends

2007-08-07T19:08:00.000-05:00

So I realize I have already been busted for my pledge (I have to stop making those) to write a blog at least once a week (thanks Chris!).

Last Friday night I met up with Anna & Geoff and Lisa & Aaron for dinner in Whitby at the Outback. We all had a nice dinner and then went and saw the movie The Bourne Ultimatum. I had not actually seen the first two movies, but I was still able to keep up and it was a very good movie, worth the price of admisssion.

This upcoming weekend I will be attending my friend Heather's bachelorette party. We are doing an overnight camping trip in the wilds of Emily Park. I will let you all know how it goes next week.

I still have to find a dress for the wedding. Of course, all of the stores already have there fall clothes coming in which is going to make finding a dress even more difficult. I have to say though, I love seeing the new fall fashions coming in. I suppose fall brings with it new possibilities.

In any case, the search is on for a dress, if anyone knows some good stores to try, let me know.

Writer's block

2007-07-18T19:40:00.000-05:00

OK, so of course I couldn't help but notice that the last time I blogged was a month ago.

I am going to try and be better. By this, I mean I am going to try and resolve to blog at least once a week.Well, that's the plan anyway.

I don't know what it is lately, I just don't know what to write about. I mean, I watch the news and could write about current affairs (though that could be depressing) or even pop culture ( isn't everybody doing this), I suppose I could say I' m just busy (however I really don't have 3 jobs).

It seems to be contiguous. I am trying to do some writing for work ( I am being purposely vague here) and I have been struggling with that also. I hope something inspires me soon, since my deadlines are fast approaching.

Well, I guess I did manage to write this blog.

Bridal Shower

2007-07-18T19:17:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday, I attended my friend Heather's bridal shower in Peterborough. The wedding is actaully in early September.

It was a very nice shower with some yummy food (lets just say a whole block of delicious brie was gone by the end of the shower) and a spa theme. Heather received lots of great spa gifts and quite a few gift cards for spa services (inlcuding one from myself).

One of the little games we played was that we broke into teams of two and we had to come up with a poem about Heather and Will using the names of herbs, spices and chocolate bars. Let me tell you a poet I am not. I kept thinking how this would have been great for someone like Chris! I am sure he could have come up with a kick-ass poem. As it turned out, ours was pretty bad, but thankfully no one really cares at these things about your poetry skills.

So next up is the bachelorette party, which is actually going to be an overnight camping girls night out and yes I will be going. Its not until August, so I shall write about it at a later date.

And then of course the big day in September.

My pre-birthday weekend

2007-06-18T18:41:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I went up to Toronto for some birthday celebrations with friends. Friday after work I drove to Cory's in Burlington (it was my new car's first trip to Burlington, though I am sure not its last). Since both of us had not ate dinner, we ended up eating at the Mandarin (I believe it was snow crab week or something, because let me tell you people were loading up on the olde snow crabs). Thanks Cory for treating!

The next day I went into Toronto to meet up with Chris and do some shopping and lots of walking! I had the blister to prove it. First we strolled up to Bloor street and to Yorkville. I mentioned to Chris that I needed to replace these old pair of jeans that I throw on after I get home from work (doesn't everyone have that pair of really comfortable pants they like to wear around the house) well, these jeans had seen better days. Chris mentioned to me this store lululemon ( I had heard of it but never been in one)and how he has the most comfortable pants he likes to throw on after work. So off we go to the store and let me tell you, I bought a pair of black capri pants that are amazing!( I am actually wearing them right now as I type). They feel like butter. They were worth every penny.

After resting and showering after our afternoon journey, we were off to the main event, my birthday dinner at Fuzion restaurant on Church. We had a great table on the patio (despite our greeters prediction of a rain storm which never happened). The weather was perfect, not too warm, just right for eating and talking.
I have to say, and bear in mind I am no foodie here, but I think it was one of the nicest meals I have ever had. I started with a duck dumpling served with a soy sauce for dipping, it was divine. For my entree I tried the Grouper. It was delicious. Finished with chocolate lava cake. It was terrific. And of course, I had a few drinks during the evening. It was a lovely birthday celebration with great food and even greater friends.

A big Thank You to Chris for planning the dinner (I understand many phone calls and begging were invloved to get this reservation) and for those who came out to celebrate with me, it was great seeing everyone and sharing the evening with you.

And now for the hard part. Turning 34!

My Baby Has Arrived!

2007-05-20T18:19:00.000-05:00

OK, so I didn't have a real baby.

Of course, I am talking about my super awesome new car! Its a 2007 4-door black G5.

It feels so nice driving a new car compared to that olde clunker, let me tell yah. I got my car with a few little added features on it. It has a sunroof, remote starter, spoiler, power locks/mirrors, keyless entry (how does anyone live without this feature?) and it came installed with XM satelite radio (free 90 day trial). I have to say I am really enjoying the satelite radio, there are all kinds of music genres on their and it just feels like background music but better somehow.

What can I say, really. I love my new car! Its such a pleasure to drive and to have a quiet cabin ride with air conditioning that works and be able to listen to a CD if I want to.

Sorry for no pics of it, but they take too long to upload on my computer, next thing to buy, a new computer.

Hopefully I will see some of you soon enough and you can see my new car in person.

Happy motoring!

Test Driving

2007-05-05T19:21:00.000-05:00

Today Liz, Brian and myself motored up to Uxbridge to test drive a couple of vehicles at the Williamson GM dealership (plus they wanted to go to the open house of this small engines place to look at 4-wheelers, they are thinking of buying one).

So, I took out the Pontiac G5 and then the G6 afterwards. I have to say between those two vehicles, I much preferred the G5 (for those who do not speak Car, its the replacement of the old Sunfire, similar in size to the car I presently drive). I really liked the way it felt compared to the G6, when I was in the G6 I felt as if I was sitting on the wheel (we think its because the console is higher up then the one in the G5).
The price I got on one includes a fully loaded one, sunroof, remote starter, power locks, sterring wheel controls. Plus I can get a GM employee discount (Brian's parents are former GM workers and I can use their #) and another discount (which I was very surprised about) is my old clunker I am driving I can get $1,000 for it. Its part of this Car Heaven program, as long as the car is drivable and I have had it for at least 6 months, its good for the discount.

I gotta tell ya, it felt sooooooo nice driving a car that doesn't sound like its about to die and the AC actually works! It's going to be pretty tough getting into olde bessy there on Monday morning.
Now I am just trying to figure out whether or not to buy new or try and find the same car slightly used (like a 2006). Liz has a friend who owns a used car dealership in Oshawa, and he can probably find one (you just have to be patient) with low kms and a lower price, but the interest rate will be higher and I won't be able to use any of those discounts. So, I have some thinking to do, plus of course, this doesn't mean I won't test drive other vehicles.

Test driving is half the fun!

Lunches

2007-05-05T19:11:00.000-05:00

Most of you probably don't know, but I only have a half an hour for lunch at work every day. So, of course, I need to bring a lunch with me every day.
Now, I like a good sandwich as much as the next person, my sandwiches are usually whole wheat bread, mustard, turkey breast and swiss cheese. Good eatin!
But man cannot live on sandwiches alone, and I am going to get tired of eating them pretty soon I imagine. So I am in need of creative lunch ideas. A lot of my co-workers bring frozen entrees, but I always worry about the calories in those things, not to mention the sodium.
So, if anyone has lunch ideas, let me know.

1st Pay Cheque

2007-04-15T14:27:00.000-05:00

On Friday I received what I consider to be my first real pay cheque. Of course, I have had other pay cheques, but this one feels like the first real one, if that makes any sense. So Cory was suggesting that I should buy myself something with this first pay cheque, something perhaps I have always wanted and that will last a long time.

So yesterday I went out to the Oshawa Centre. Now honestly, I don't know if I bought anything really exciting because I was originally thinking of designer sunglasses. I ended up buying Pride and Prejudice and another mini-series called North & South (no, not the Patrick Swayze civil war epic) on DVD. I LOVE both of these series. I saw them both on PBS and have always wanted to buy them, but you know, came up with excuses not to buy them. For those who know the Pride and Prejudice I am talking about (the one with Colin Firth) you will understand my need to have it. Simply put, Colin Firth is the best Mr. Darcy ever!! Trust me, you will want to marry him and have many children. He is dreamy in this production.

I also did buy some new bras for myself (which could last a long time, depending on how rigorous my hand-washing regime is). I ended up buying that Forever New powder stuff you put into the water when hand washing (yes, I got upsold), not sure how different it is from say like Zero.

So, that was my little shopping spree yesterday. I guess I still need to buy some nice sunglasses, but I will wait until my contacts show up for that.

Buying Contacts

2007-04-15T14:16:00.000-05:00

I just did something I have never done before: ordered contacts online.

I was a little leary of doing this, but quite frankly my eye doctor's office charges too much money for my contacts ($170). I ordered them through a site called ClearlyContacts.ca, it has pricing in Canadian dollars and they have all of the top name brands for contacts. I am actually saving $69 by ordering them online and it actually asked for a prescription and everything, so that makes me feel better about ordering online.

So, if you happen to need contacts, you might want to give them a look.

Its Finally Coming

2007-03-16T20:58:00.000-05:00

It has finally happened.....

Only one of the greatest TV sitcoms of all time is coming to DVD....that's right WKRP in Cincinnati is coming out on DVD on April 24th and I can't wait! I can remember watching this sitcom when I was younger and I always thought it was the best. I mean the turkey episode is classic television....if you have never seen this and don't know what the heck I am talking about, search for it on You Tube.

Their is one catch however....they are not using the original music from the show, which is unfortunate, because it is such a vital part of the show (it does take place at a radio station) but I will still buy the DVD's.

I am putting this in my day planner to buy as soon as it comes out!

Exciting News!!

2007-02-25T13:48:00.000-05:00

I have some very good news to share.
I got the phone call on Friday offering me the position of Corporate Messaging (Recruitment) Coordinator with Company X. She still has to put together an official offer, but I have been offered it. It's a full time salaried staff position with health benefits kicking in after three months. I will be honest, the salary is not great, but I feel like it is the beginning of something and they talked as if their would be room for me to move up in the company.

Now I just have to tell my present employer. Company X has proposed that I come in for 1 or 2 days for the week of March 12th and then start full-time March 26th. Of course my contract with my present employer goes until April 13th.
It feels so good to not be finished a contract and already have another position lined up!
So thats my exciting news.!

What I know.....

2007-02-22T23:04:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of Chris's blog about the 50 things he knows (which I may attempt at a later date), here's something I know for sure......I have to have a shower everyday!
The other day we were having some plumbing problems and I could not have my usual morning shower, lets just say Margaret was not happy. I felt so icky, even though I could not have been actually dirty or anything, it was just that feeling of not feeling quite right.
I am without question, a shower every day kind of gal and I am ok with that!

Going It Alone

2007-02-22T22:53:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday, I did something I have never done before, I went to a movie by myself.
Yes, I finally did it.
I don't know why, but I have always had this aversion to seeing a movie alone. I think its because I always thought only loners and losers do that. Like, "oh, look at that poor person they are watching a movie all by themselves, how pathetic". Of course, its nothing like that. I quite enjoyed going to watch a movie I wanted to see and having that one-on-one experience with the movie.
I went to the matinee showing of The Queen, which I have been wanting to see for some time. I LOVED the movie! If Helen Mirren does not win the Oscar, their is something wrong people! So, I will be watching Sunday night to see if she wins and I think everyone should go see a movie by themselves.

25 Years of Late Night TV

2007-02-03T14:53:00.000-05:00

Thursday night was the 25th anniversary of David Letterman on television, combining both Late Night and Late Show episodes. For the anniversary show, he had on Bill Murray, who was the very first guest on the very first Late Night show back on NBC on February 1, 1982. Apparently back in those days, Bill was a little drunk and half-way through his segment starting dancing and Paul broke into "Physical" by Olivia Newton John, hence the reason why you always hear Paul playing that song whenever Bill is a guest. Dave has done 4500 shows and is on contract until 2010.

It's a funny thing, I really can't remember how I started watching Dave, and the idea of him not being on television one day makes me very sad. For now, I shall just keep enjoying.

Birthday Wishes

2007-02-03T14:43:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to my great friend Cory, who turns the big 33 today.

So, of course I have known Cory since high school and he has remained a great friend of mine. He has a kick-ass sense of humour and is a very generous person with a great heart. Whenever we all get together and Cory is their, we know a good time will be had by all.

Hope to see you soon, so we can celebrate your birthday. Have a fanastic day!!!
Love.

Disappointed

2007-01-09T14:34:00.000-05:00

I finally called the MS Society today to find out if they had made a decision about the position I interviewed for. Well, as you may have guessed from the title of this entry, they have went with another candidate. When I checked my email later, I noticed the old "thanks for participating, but we have some lovely parting gifts for you" letter they send out.
I am disappointed and upset....there isn't much more to say....

Happy 2007!

2007-01-02T13:16:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to everyone.
I spent the new year at Cory's place. Cory hosted (thanks Cory) a little get together with friends, Tara and Karrie & Nat came over. We all rang in the new year together and played a little Amazing Race and another game (whose name I am forgetting at this moment). Cory made food, Japanese curry and chili, all of which was very delicious.
I came down Saturday morning and we just kind of hung out and watched Jackass 2. Cory had already watched it and it had to go back, so we ended up watching it again. I have to say their is something appealing about these movies, even though some of the stunts I ended up watching with my hands in front of my face. It's hard to believe, but I have actually seen both Jackass movies now.
I suppose the traditional thing to do is make up new years resolutions. I have to say, I have never been one to make up resolutions, so why start now.
Happy New Year, all the best for 2007!

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-27T13:49:00.000-05:00

Greetings everyone! I hope everyone had a happy holiday. As usual, Santa was very good to myself and my family, as he usually is and then we all stuffed ourselves with, what else, but turkey of course. I have to say I really do love leftover turkey, since I love turkey sandwiches.

Yesterday, Cory, along with his niece Simone (sp?) and myself braved the boxing day crowds in Oshawa. First stop was Futureshop for Simone's iskin for her new Ipod, she found one there, but the line-up was crazy long, so we walked over to Walmart. We ended up buying cheap dvd's. Simone bought like a gizillion dvd's and I bought two, Elf and Wedding Crashers (which I watched last night, god its funny!). Then we went for lunch and then over to the Best Buy and the other Futureshop in Whitby. Lets just say the traffic was nuts, people just driving everywhere and we even saw the remains of a car accident. Eventually, Simone got her iskin and we had survived another Boxing Day. I kept hearing on the radio yesterday, how Visa was saying Canadians will spend like $2 billion on Boxing Day, well if the crowds were any indication, I can believe it. Their were a lot of tv's being loaded into cars.

So, I guess another holiday season is over and its just New Years to get through. Let the diet commericals begin.

Easy Listening

2006-12-19T20:22:00.000-05:00

OK, you can't help but overhear people's conversations. I am right people?

For example, on Monday, while on the TTC this young man was helping this little old lady with directions on the TTC, they were both getting on at Union and she wanted to know if she was getting on the right train and I guess he just happened to be getting off at the same station as her (Bloor/Yonge) so when they were getting off I could hear him giving her further assistance with where to go in the station. I thought it was soooo cute and exactly the kind of city that Toronto is, and it warmed the cockles of my heart. LOL.

So, next I decide to have something to eat before my interview at Cultures (its actually right below the building the MS Society is in). While sitting eating, these two women are talking about their relationships with men. It was too freakin funny. The one woman was telling the other woman, that she just needed to "put herself out there" and maybe she should try "meditation", that it really works and she has done it. I was thinking, meditation is not going to get you a man. The whole conversation was just too funny and their was much more. I am sure it helped me stay relaxed before my interview.

Miss Busy Bee

2006-12-19T20:02:00.000-05:00

The last two days have been a whirlwind of activity. Let me explain.

Last Thursday, I got a call from the MS Society of Canada in Toronto about coming in for a job I had applied for. So, yesterday I GO-trained it into Toronto for a 3pm interview. The position is for a Coordinator, Chapter Fundraising, which involves working with the various chapters across the province on fundraising prjects, conduct training sessions and working with volunteers, it also involves some travel therefore to these chapters, how much I am not entirely clear right now.

So, anyhow, after I get home on Monday night, their is a message from the HR Coordinator from MS (who also happened to be one of the interviewees) asking me to come in for a 2nd interview the next day (today, Tuesday), which of course I was more than welcome to do so. So again I treked into town for another interview at the exact same time (have you ever seen that movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray, where he basically wakes up and repeats the same day over and over, it kind of felt like that). Well, I think the interview went really well, and now I am just waiting to hear back, but that won't happen until the 1st week of January. In any case, I am pretty excited about the possibility of having a full-time salaried position, but I don't want to get ahead of myself, I am just going to keep thinking positive thoughts.

Meanwhile, Anne from Easter Seals called today and we are scheduled for a breakfast meeting on Thursday to sign the contract and she wants to hand over some materials for me to look over. Yikes! Quite frankly, I am hoping to get the other position, but I guess I need to leave my options open for right now.

And of course I still have to finish my Christmas shopping and wrap presents and I am suppose to have a drink with Marina and Ruth (from Plowing Match). Tis the season for craziness.

Just Another Update

2006-12-07T14:02:00.000-05:00

So, Karrie kind of mentioned that us bloggers weren't writing anything lately...so here it goes.

As I think some of you know, I had an interview with the Easter Seal Society. I am still waiting to hear back from them, so no real news to report yet. I had another interview this past Tuesday night for a part-time Promotions/Marketing position with the Durham Central Agricultural Society, they put on the Orono Fair every year. I thought the position would be something like at least 3 days per week, but it turns out its more like 1 day per week, so needless to say, I am still on the hunt for a full-time position. They are suppose to get back to me early next week.

The good news is that yesterday I sent off a resume to the Canadian Cancer Society in Whitby and they ended up calling me later that afternnoon to come in for an interview on Monday (the 11th). The position is a Fundraising Coordinator. Its a first interview, so hopefully it will go well.

Anyways, thats my update for now. Later.

Happy Birthday Chris!

2006-11-26T13:08:00.000-05:00

I want to wish my good friend Chris, a Happy Birthday today, he turns 31!! I hope your birthday celebration last night was amazing (sorry I couldn't make it) and that you karaoke into the wee hours.

I have known Chris since high school and he has become like a girlfriend to me, hehe (along with Cory). Chris is very goal-oriented and ambitious and is doing very well for himself these days, for which I am happy to see.

Happy Birthday Chris, I hope you have a great day.

Love.

Yes...Another Blog

2006-11-23T14:39:00.000-05:00

Yes, you can add another blog to that ever growing list you have....this is a blog by TV crtitic Aaron Barnhart from the Kansas City Star, he talks about, well, television and other pop culture happenings. I used to read this guy back in university, when he used to write about late night tv exclusively and I recently decided to look him up on the (what else) Google to see if he still existed, and sure enough his blog, TV Barn, was there.

You can check out his blog at: http://blogs.kansascity.com/tvbarn/.

Funny

2006-11-23T14:17:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, while searching on-line for jobs, I came across this job on Marketing Magazine. I thought it was pretty funny. Sooo, if you are having a bad day and need a little funny, check it out.

http://directories.marketingmag.ca/classifiedSearch.do?task=doSearch&searchID=1164308613396&pager.offset=10

Just click on the ad that says The Do-Itself - Project Manager Interview.

Enjoy!!

Happy Birthday

2006-11-17T14:00:00.000-05:00

I want to wish my good friend Michelle a Happy Birthday tomorrow. I hope you have a great day filled with all of the things you love. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Thats Michelle in the back row just behind Chris (left side) in the red shirt.

No, I am Not Dead

2006-10-28T15:35:00.000-05:00

Yes, I realize I have been neglecting my blogging, here goes another update on myself.

Last week I actually had an interview (Oct 20th) with the Durham Children's Aid Society. It was for a project coordinator position for their seasonal hamper program. However, they have not called, so it is apparent I did not get the job....however, as they say, when one door closes, another opens....so, yes I have another interview this Wednesday in Toronto with a company called Dermalogica, a skin care line. The job opportunity was forwarded to me by Chris (thanks!), so wish me all well...I think it would be a really fun to place to work at....it is a bit of a departure from my usual jobs i.e. non-profits, but I think it could be cool and the beginning of something wonderful....i will let you all know how it goes...

just an interesting thing....i got a letter in the mail from the office of the Attorney General, it seems I am on a list of potential jurors...I have not been choosen, just on the list of could-be's, I had to fill out a short questionnaire and return it to their office, the questions were basically can I speak English or French, over the age of 18, do I enjoy biting the heads off of chickens, those sorts of things...anyhoo, just something kind of interesting...by the way I don't enjoy biting the heads off of chickens, though this could be a useful excuse if needed....

till we meet again...

What I'm Watching....

2006-10-15T16:51:00.000-05:00

I thought I would tell you about some new TV shows I started watching, which I love. I meant to do this blog last week, but nevertheless here it is...

Ugly Betty
I think of this show as the Devil Wears Prada meets Mary Tyler Moore. I love this show!! Its about a young lady who works at a high fashion magazine called Mode, as the assistant to the Editor. Well, lets just say that poor little Betty is from Queens and her fashion sense is not quite Manhattan fashionista, but she has alot of spunk and is entirely adorable in a kind of can't help but love her kind of way. Ugly Betty, played by America Ferrera is a great little actress (she was in that movie The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants and won a Sundance Jury Award for her perforance in Real Women Have Curves) plays this character full tilt and I wouldn't be surprised if she becomes the TV breakout star and gets nominated for an Emmy next year, at least i hope she does. I also understand the show is doing very well and I am sure glad people are watching. Its on Thursdays at 8pm on CTV.

30 Rock
This is the spoof show about Saturday Night Live starring ex-headwriter of SNL Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin. I watched it last Tuesday and let me tell you its laugh out loud funny. Alec Baldwin is absolutely hilarious as a kind of knuckle head TV executive in charge of the show. Its a great little show and worth checking out.

The Nine
You may have heard of this show when the new fall programming was coming out. The Nine is about a group of individuals who get caught in a bank robbery that lasts for 52 hours, afterwards they are bonded through their shared experience. The show is shot in a non-linear fashion, meaning their are flashbacks showing some of what happened inside the bank and then in the present when they are coping with their ordeal. I found this show entirely gripping, wanting to know exactly what happened inside the bank, already we have glimpses of what may have happened. The show also focuses on how this event has affected each of the people and we see their very different responses. You will recognize some familiar faces in this show, like Tim Daly (Wings), Scott Wolf (Party of Five, Everwood), Kim Raver (24, Third Watch) and Chi McBride (Boston Public), just to name a few. Its a great show and is worth checking out. Its on Tuesdays at 8pm on CTV.

Obstacles

2006-10-15T16:26:00.000-05:00

Why does life throw us obstacles? I guess they are meant to test our resolve and such, but they sure are annoying. Case in point: this whole becoming an insurance broker thing. Let me explain.

So, I looked a little further into this course I would need to take in order to become a Level 1 broker. After looking over the fees, it quickly became clear that I don't have the money right now to take the course. For the orientation day, two-week course and exam fee all total just over $1300. Money I just don't have unfortunately. So now I am more confused then ever as to what to do. I could still say I am interested in the part-time receptionist job at Darling Insurance and then work towards my Level 1 broker's license while there. There are a couple of advantages to this: one being employed at Darling, might mean they would pay for my licensing and secondly I can take it through Durham College at night (its offered for 2 nights a week for 11 weeks) while still earning some income and learning the insurance business.

So thats my obstacle in a nutshell. Any thoughts?

Odds & Ends

2006-10-08T11:02:00.000-05:00

Thought I might do some updates on what has been happening with myself.

First off, the whole insurance thing I am still investigating. I finally have an appointment on Tuesday morning to speak with Peter from Darling Insurance, so we shall see what happens from that.

The other news is that my sister was in a car accident on Monday. I got the call from her afterwards when I was at the office. For those who know the local area, you might know the intersection, it took place at Porter Rd and Pontypool Rd where that flashing amber light is. Liz was driving from home to Millbrook for a dental app't when the car travelling from the North (from Bethany direction) stopped at the stop sign but decided she had enough time to make it across the intersection, well she didn't. Both of their cars front ends hit, spinning Liz's car around which then hit backends and Liz's car ended up in the marsh. Luckily she was able to get out (with the help of a man who witnessed the accident) without any serious injuires, other than a sore and stiff neck. Apparently the other woman (well young lady she is only 24) thought it was a 4 way stop, not a two-way stop. All I can say is that young lady is an idiot and could have killed Liz with her careless driving. She is being charged with failing to yield. The other part is of course, is that the insurance company has now determined that Liz's car is a write off and Liz is worried she won't get much for it. She still had 7 car payments left (it was a 2002 Impala). Liz thinks it is fixable, so she might have quite the fight on her hand with the insurance company. In any case, it could have been much more serious and I am thankful she is ok.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, I hope everyone is doing well and was able to spend time with family & friends this weekend, and well of course eat some turkey. Gobble, Gobble!

As the Bugs would say, thats all folks. More to come later I am sure.

Happy Birthday

2006-10-08T10:52:00.000-05:00

I want to send a very Happy Birthday greeting to my friend Karrie, who is celebrating her 32nd birthday today. Karrie has been battling a case of E Coli and I hope she is feeling better these days and had a great birthday!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY KARRIE!! Hopefully I will get to see you soon.

Insurance Job???

2006-09-28T13:45:00.000-05:00

Ok, due to overwhelming reponse (ok well, actually just 3 people) I will explain the whole Insurance broker thing....
On Monday morning while Norm and myself were on our way to the site to pick up drum sets (yes, drum sets from the entertainment stages) Norm asked me if I had any upcoming projects after this job, I said no not really....he then asked me if I would want to be an insurance broker, of course this came completely out of the blue. He thought I would be good at it and that he would speak to Peter.
So, a little background, Norm Blodgett who was the Chair of the IPM 2006, is also the person who founded and built Darling Insurance in Peterborough. He is now retired and his son Peter runs the business, hence the I will talk to Peter comment.

I told him I would think about it. I am not even sure if I would want to be an insurance broker, or what is involved in being one, but of course I need to give this some serious consideration.

So, that is the scoop for now....any thoughts or feelings would be appreciated

Recovering

2006-09-27T18:52:00.000-05:00

So, the Plowing Match has now been over for 4 days now and I can feel my body is still tired from the preparation and early mornings. I find myself nodding off while trying to wtach television, I suppose I should just go to bed and get a good sleep. Just a brief wrap-up of the IPM, on Saturday (the last day) I got to take a helicopter ride (I had a free pass), which was pretty cool considering I had never been on a copter before. It was amazing to see Tented City from the air and the surrounding area, which is so beautiful with the rolling hills and Rice Lake nearby. Final attendance is around 80,000 people and we are very happy with how it all came off, without too many problems and most people seem to have enjoyed themselves.

There is also of course the ending of my job contract (this Friday is my last day), which will be very sad for me, I have really enjoyed my time at the IPM and in particular working with Norm, Ruth and Marina, my co-workers. I hope to stay in touch with Ruth and Marina afterwards, and something tells me their might be some tears on Friday.

On a final note, I have been offered a very interesting proposal of becoming an insurance broker....more on this later...

IPM 2006

2006-09-22T12:47:00.000-05:00

OK, so I know I have been kind of out of touch it probably seems. Today is Day 4 of the IPM and things are going great. It is actually quite exciting to be down here where everything is happening.

A brief recap:
The weekend leading up to the IPM was actually the most hectic part, it seems. The office trailer was not busy on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but the Monday was just crazy with exhibitors coming in and setting up. On Monday, I met up with Michelle & Randy for lunch and it was very nice to see them. The Tuesday was good, as people settled into a routine.

Yesterday (Thursday) was by far the busiest day here at the IPM with 18,000 people coming in and the traffic was just backed up like crazy.

Today is Day four and it is hard to believe it will be all over tomorrow. Tonight is the Celebration of Excellence banquet (Plowmen's Banquet) in the Lounge tent, it should be fun to see a whole bunch of drunk farmers.

I have to say the whole experience has been fantastic, I will miss my co-workers a great deal when this is all done. But we still have one more day to go......

Volunteer Day

2006-09-10T20:33:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I attended the IPM's Volunteer Orientation Day out at the site in Keene. About 1,000 people showed up to get acquainted with what they will be doing during the Plowing Match. We had a little BBQ for lunch and Tim Hortons coffee for them in the morning. The weather could have been a bit better, it rained in the morning but then tapered off, with a bit of a cool breeze, but it was alright since we were under the enormous Lounge/Hospitality tent (otherwise known as the beer tent).

Ruth, Marina (my office co-horts) and myself took a little wagon ride (pulled by horses) around the site, it was a great way to see everything. It is really coming along now with alot of the tents going up. One of the model homes that will be on display was going up and next to the County of Peterborough's tent the landscapers are building a waterfall display with a small pond, it should look quite nice when it is done.

So, the countdown is on, just 6 working days till it all starts.

Happy Birthday

2006-09-02T17:59:00.000-05:00

A big Happy Birthday to Anna. Today is her birthday (I'll be honest, I can't remember how old you are turning) and Anna has been a friend since high school. Anna is a terrific person, who always seems to laugh at my jokes and who I think is a very non-judgemental person. She is also a complete chocolate junkie. Yes, thats right I said junkie! Honestly, she could eat chocolate until her little hearts content. I am shocked she has not developed diabetes yet or that her teeth haven't fallen out :) must be the good DNA.

I hope you had a great day and all of your wishes came true. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Its a Small World

2006-09-02T17:37:00.000-05:00

So thurdsay I am in the office when someone from our marketing and promotions committee walks in with another person with him. They are dropping off some of those large presentation cheques. Well, the other guy says are you Margaret Manetta? I say yes of course. He goes on to say "you live in Pontypool, by the pond, across the road from the Dunsfords and the Van Dams", and I'm thinking who is this person. He says, I'm JC Gonder, we use to ride on the same school bus in public school. I'am pretending like I remember this person, but the truth is I don't. The name sounds vaguely familiar. Anyone from the Pontypool posse know of him?

So I am looking through an old year book I have from Grandview, I see a picture of his brother Wes (not to mention old pics of Mr. Chris Turner & Michelle Evans), but not him. I can't remember anyone from those days without the picture. Of course, he knew me, which always seems to be the case and I can never remember them. Either I am aging gracefully or I need a new hairdo or something.

As they say, its a small world afterall, I can just hear the little people singing it right now.

Cell Company Swap

2006-08-30T19:20:00.000-05:00

While on Marketing magazine's website (looking for jobs) I ran across this article about how in the near future Canadians will be allowed to switch wireless providers and take their current phone number with them. The date is March 14, 2007 and thats when Wireless Number Portability (WNP) will come to Canada. Apparently many other countries, including the United States, have already implemented this.

I have to say I had not heard of this before. Needless to say, the cell phone companies don't seem to promoting this upcoming change, however many of them are ramping up their marketing campaigns to keep existing customers in their contracts. It's funny, because Telus my cell phone provider sent me via my email, all about their new marketing campaign about "keeping their promises". They are offering up things like a brand new cell phone every so many years ( I forget, I think its every year or three years). However, when you read the fine print its only for those on contracts, so those of us on non-contracts (like me) the offer doesn't apply. They do suggest however that they would be happy to assist me (and others) switch to a monthly plan. Apparently those of us not on monthly plans are considered second-rate customers. Maybe I should switch.

You can read about WNP at http://www.marketingmag.ca/magazine/current/feature/article.jsp?content=20060828_69460_69460.

Emmy Night

2006-08-27T13:32:00.000-05:00

So tonight is the Emmys. My fave, The Late Show with David Letterman is up for five Emmys. They are nominated in the following categories:

Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series
Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program
Outstanding Writing For A Variety, Music or Comedy Program.
Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing For A Series
Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video For A Series

I think Dave will be in tough, going against the likes of Jon Stewart, but you never know with Emmy. I will be watching and rooting.

Millbrook

2006-08-27T13:08:00.000-05:00

Last night I rented David Cronenberg's movie A History of Violence. I had wanted to watch for a while now and finally decided to see it. It's a great little film. But was even more interesting was that the small town in the movie is actually Millbrook. In the movie, the town is Millbrook, Indiana, but I could see that it is indeed Millbrook just about 15 minutes away from me. It was kind of neat seeing it in the movie.

For those who know Millbrook, you will recognize the post office in the movie and their is a scene where they hold up the local paper and it is the local Millbrook paper, not some mock-up for a movie.

I know they are always shooting movies in Millbrook, but it was cool to actually recognize it in the movie.

Quiz

2006-08-25T19:54:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, I am a news junkie. I love watching the news on television, reading newspapers, checking out news online, etc. So at work I have been checking out The Toronto Star and CTV news online. I like being able to check the news online during the day, so I have some sense of what is happening in the world.

Well, over on ctv.ca every Friday they post a little news quiz about the week. It's ten questions and it tells you what percentage of people get the answer correctly for each question. I find them quite neat. I have been doing them for numerous weeks now and usually get like eight out of ten. However, today I finally got the perfect news quiz score, ten out of ten.

You can check out the news quiz every Friday on http://www.ctv.ca.
Have fun taking it!

The Ousider

2006-08-24T20:40:00.000-05:00

Pluto is out!
That's right, today Pluto got the olde heave hoe from the Galaxy. As an added insult, it has been down graded to a "dwarf planet". Its now the Mini-me of planets. Don't ask me about the scientific explantation, but because Pluto's orbit overlaps with Neptune, its now a "minor planet". Damn that Neptune.

Personally, I feel bad for Pluto. Of course growing up we all were taught that Pluto was the 9th planet, in fact I think I remember doing a report on Pluto for some class in public school. I picked it because it was the smallest of the planets and I thought the most interesting since very little was known about it.

You can check out this news article on the Pluto decision http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/
20060824/pluto_definition_060824/20060824?hub=TopStories

Lunch

2006-08-24T20:28:00.000-05:00

Today, I decided to return to the scene of the crime. I went to Dairy Queen for lunch. As you all might recall, the last time I ate at the Queen, I became very ill and thought I was going to die. I had been toying with the idea of eating there again, but had been hesitant because of that whole food poisoning thing.

So it appears lunch has been fine. I have not become deathly ill and I am not running for the bathroom.These are both good things. I do have to say that I had a salad with chicken in it and not a hamburger, which is what I ate before. I might need to work my way back up to hamburgers.

For now, I shall stick with salads and ice cream of course. Mmmmmm, did someone say banana creme pie blizzard!

Work Update

2006-08-23T18:54:00.000-05:00

I thought I would do a brief work update. Well, work is getting very busy. The office has people coming and going all the time and people are calling even more now as we get closer to the Plowing Match.

As for myself, I am presently co-ordinating the Tim Hortons order (they are supplying product for our volunteers), so I will be working with Julie from head office. I am also managing the Pepsi order for our volunteers, making sure we don't go over our in-kind contribution (last year they racked up an $8,000 bill above the free product) and finally helping with Volunteer Orientation Day on September 9th. We are planning for about 1,000 people (actually have something like 1300 volunteers for the IPM). So, its good that I am busy, its also interesting to see the dynamics of some of the committee people you end up working with.

The site is apparently coming along (I will be visiting it on Friday), the hydro is pretty much in, water is in and the tents start going up next week. Soon enough I will be working out of a trailer. Yes, I will be trailer trash, yahoo!

Prison Break

2006-08-23T18:23:00.000-05:00

So apparently my audience awaits my comments on the season premier of Prison Break. Here it goes.

Well, of course I loved it! I mean, I really wish this show was on every night. You can see how this season is going to be this kind of battle of the brains, Michael vs the FBI guy. One of my favourite scene's was when Sara is in the hospital and unfolds the origami bird and reads the message from Michael. My heart did a little pitter, patter. Also, Veronica getting killed (I hope the actress enjoyed her one year on the show), and T-bag wanting his hand back, yikes! Of course there is the question of why the FBI agent is popping pills and the fact that Michael saw it.

Wentworth Miller is actually on the cover of Starweek magazine this week and the article talks about how this season will follow the individual cons as they go their separate ways, and that basically their is a role reversal, where Lincoln will help Michael, because he has the greater street smarts then his brother. This show is a little different then 24, the creator was saying that they plan out an entire season, whereas 24 is written as it goes along.

So, the writers have this season already planned out for us, now we just have to go along for the ride!

It's Coming....

2006-08-14T18:44:00.000-05:00

One week from today, one of my favourite shows will be returning to television: Prison Break! Yes, its back next Monday, August 21st. I can't wait to see what they have planned for us this season. Oh yeah, did I mention that Wentworth Miller is "easy on the eyes".

Going to the Chapel....

2006-08-05T13:15:00.000-05:00

Last night I went over to my friends Heather & Will's place in Peterborough to catch up with them. I hadn't seen them in a while, so a little get together was well over due. We had some food and drinks and caught up with one another. Well, the big news with Heather & Will is that they are enaged. Yes, engaged! Will popped the question about a month ago. They both meet each other while they were co-workers at the United Way in Ptbo, and of course thats where I know them from. Eventually their friendship turned into romance and well the rest is now history, as they say.

I am truly excited for them both. They are two of the nicest people I know and I wish them both the best as they go on this journey together.

Also a shout out to"manland". For those reading this out there in cyberspace, "manland" is the affectionate name given to Will's garage that holds a pool table and is the play space of grown men. Yes, I got to peek behind the curtain and as Dorthory discovered, its really all just smoke and mirrors.

Congratulations Will & Heather!!

Finding Treasure

2006-07-31T20:01:00.000-05:00

On saturday I went out to Wal-mart to get some toiletries for myself. While there, I went over to that big box of discount dvd's that everyone is always rummaging through. Here's the thing about that bin. It is usually filled with lot of crappy movies. Case in point, Cabin Boy. For those who don't know, Cabin Boy is a movie starring Chris Elliott, who used to be on Letterman all the time doing various skits and was a writer on the show. You may recall him from movies like Scary Movie 2 and There's Something About Mary. So in any case, there the movie was in the discount bin, all $6.88 of it. What you may not know is that this movie has a cameo appearance by David Letterman, so of course I bought it. I actually have this movie on VHS, but when I saw (and well several other copies) it on dvd I had to buy it. Yes, it's a horrible movie, but you know, I gotta have my Dave!

However, in among all of that crap, was a little gem of a movie called To Die For, starring Nicole Kidman. She plays a woman who wants to be on TV so bad, she seduces a young man (Joaquin Phoenix) into killing her husband (Matt Dillion). It's a terrific little movie which I had seen before, so into my basket went the dvd.

So, even among the crap there is always a gem. I believe their is a life lesson in there somewhere.

Fundraiser

2006-07-23T14:38:00.000-05:00

Last night I treked out to Keene to attend a fundraiser for the International Plowing Match (IPM). The Demin and Diamonds event was being held at the host farm of the IPM, Glen Isle Farm which is owned by Jim & Margaret Glenn. There was a beef BBQ, live and silent auctions and dance, and it was held in a very large shed which normally holds tractors.

A couple of things struck me. First off, Glen Isle Farm is a huge operation, they do hay, straw and seed and deliver into the US. They had, I am not kidding, 4or 5 tractor trailors with their name on them parked by the shed and apparently they have about 10 farms in total. So, I guess this is one farm family doing alright for themselves. The other observation was that the crowd was made up largely of older people. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by this, considering where we were and that it was for the IPM.

I would have to say that the evening was a huge success, 600 tickets were printed and I think almost all where sold, so at $20 a pop, well you can do the math. Plus the auctions brought in $22,000. Jeff Leal, MPP for Peterborough was in attendance and made the announcement that the province was kicking in $30,000 for the IPM to use for advertising, etc, and finally Jim Glenn & family contributed $5,000. That's about $69,000 for the night.

As for my job, this week was a bit slow for me, at times I had nothing to do. I know their is lots of work for me to do, but I think they have been preoccupied with this whole fundraiser and this week should see me really getting into my work more and keeping busy.

That's it for now, more updates later.

Bra Mishap

2006-07-18T20:33:00.000-05:00

I can't believe what I did today. So I get dressed this morning and take off for work. While I am in the car driving on the 115, just before the Hwy 28 exit I am thinking I am wearing a black bra but my shirt is a light pink and white button down. I can see the bra right through my shirt. I feel so completely silly. So of course I realize I can't go to the office like this, so I turn around and drive home to put on my nude coloured bra. I end up about 20 minutes late for work, but luckily they don't seem to care.

I blame the hydro outage, yah thats right, I was dazed and confused from trying to sleep in my over-heated bedroom with no hydro last night.

Well, I guess thats another life lesson boys and girls, try to remember what coloured bra you are wearing when putting on shirts in the morning....

Day 2 (Well, actually Day 1)

2006-07-14T19:45:00.000-05:00

Today I finally made it to work. My car did get fixed late last night, it was the starter. My first day was honestly pretty uneventful, basically just becoming familiar with the event, which was fine, I understood that today was a Friday and they didn't really want to "throw me in the deep end" today. Plus they still need to set up my computer and phone line. Looks like I will be using a laptop. But it looks like Monday and the rest of the weeks will be very busy for myself, which is fine by me.
Plus, it doesn't hurt that a Tim Hortons is right next door to us.

Day 1

2006-07-13T11:03:00.000-05:00

So today was suppose to be my first day at work. In short, it has been a bust. You see I got up all bright eyed and bushy tailed ready for my new job. I drove into Ptbo and went to the federal building downtown to sign my contract before heading over to my actual workplace. Get there, go up and sign it, no problem. Come back down, get into my car and it won't start. Problem. I'm thinking why is this happening to me, on this day of all days.

Well, my mom comes and picks me up and now my car is sitting on King Street waiting for Brian to take a look at it later this evening. Hopefully it will get fixed tonight so I can go to work (finally) tomorrow. In any case, this has been my day, hope all of yours are going better.

On the plus side my fortune cookie last night said I would be receiving a gift soon. Here's how I envision this happening, "Margaret you have won a new car!" It could happen.

Job Decision

2006-07-11T20:12:00.000-05:00

Today I finally decided to go with the job from the International Plowing Match & Rural Expo 2006. Even though the job is shorter than the other position I believe for right now I made the better choice for my career development. While the other job was longer (until Jan 20th) there were some questions about funding for the position, so in the end I could not pass up this opportunity.

So it is possible I might be starting tomorrow, however I am thinking it might be more like Thursday, depending on when Norm gets back from Toronto tomorrow (he is having some post-operative follow-up done). Of course when I actually start working I will let you all know how it is going.

You check out their website at http://www.peterboroughipm.ca/.

Last Song

2006-07-07T20:51:00.000-05:00

I am listening to my favourite radio station, The Edge 102.1, and one of their radio personalities Barry Taylor. Now I love listening to Barry Taylor, he always makes me laugh. He has these little "segments" he does, the Barry Funny Joke, the surveys he does, and his 4:20 thought.

So the other day he throws out this question to the listeners to ponder and now I pass it along to all of you to think about. What last song would you want played at your funeral? Now I have been thinking about this and I haven't come up with anything yet. I am thinking it has to be something peppy. I mean who wants to hear a downer of a song at a funeral? You need to go out on a high note, I think.

I was thinking about my friend Chris, who loves Madonna, perhaps "Holiday"? Since, well, you will be taking a very long holiday, you know the dirt nap kind of holiday. Picture it: people are weeping at your funeral and then over the loud speakers, Holiday starts playing. It would be freakin' unreal.

So, whats it going to be. Perhaps some Marilyn Mason, Beyonce, who knows. I would love to hear about your song choices.

Job Update

2006-07-07T20:18:00.000-05:00

As most of you know I have been searching for employment for some time now. Today I had a very informal interview in Peterborough with the International Plowing Match & Rural Expo 2006. They are needing an entertainment coordinator. Just a little background on this position, if you can believe it I actually sent out a resume for this job back in January, didn't hear anything until like May and now today I finally get to speak to someone. In any case, they really want me for the job, however I need to think about it because I have another job interview on Monday morning with Technology Alliance Group (TAG), who I once actually worked for a couple of years ago. The position there is for a Rural Development Officer, so basically fundraising.

So, the dilemma is that the first job (Plow Match) would probably be better on my resume, since I would coordinating like 1500 volunteers at an event that draws 100,000 people, but the position would end shortly after the event is over (it begins Sept. 19th). The other position is longer, til January 07, but it is doing fundraising which I am not sure I really want to be doing and doesn't really improve my resume.

So, in any case, I told the Plow guy (actually his name is Norm) that I would get back to him on Monday. I am not entirely sure what to do right now. So I have the weekend to ponder my options.

I will let you know what I decide to do.

NYC Recap

2006-07-06T12:08:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am back from the Big Apple, a bit tired, but otherwise in tact. We all took off early Thursday morning and arrived in Manhattan around 5:30pm. The drive down was uneventful, except for seeing some very swollen rivers and flooding of homes. I would also like to comment that Americans seem to understand the concept of not driving in the left lane, they actually get over for passing cars, unlike our Canadian selves. Enough on that.

So after checking in we walked around Times Square a little and grabbed some dinner at a very good chinese restaurant close to the hotel. Cory and myself called it an evening, while the others went out for some late night fun.

Friday we went down to the World Trade Centre, its still such a sad place to visit, to think of the enoromous destruction that took place that day. In particular, there are plaques with messages from children who lost loved ones on the wall, it is a moving reminder of the human toll. Afterwards we went over to Century 21, a well known discount store in NYC. I ended up buying a pair of Puma sneakers. We then headed up to Canal Street in Little Italy, where quite frankly I had the best time. For those who don't know, Canal Street is where you can buy all of those knock-off designer bags. Well, let me tell you, you just walk around the street and these little asian women are saying "Gucci, Prada, LV", so you approach them and they then take you to a locked door that leads upstairs to some room full of fake designer bags. It's all very seedy, but honestly I LOVED IT! It was the highlight of the trip for me. I ended up buying an LV bag and later Chris bought me a black Prada for my birthday.

On Saturday we trekked up to the Ed Sullivan Theatre where the Late Show with David Letterman is taped. Of course being a huge fan, I had to go there and get some pics of myself in front of the theatre. I also got to see the Hello Deli, the famous deli where Dave often talks to Rupert Jee the owner. We actually got some sandwiches to go, I ordered the Shaffer, which was delicious. We then walked up to Central Park and walked around for a bit. For dinner we meet up with our friend Keir and his girlfriend Trish, it was nice to see them. Later that night, we all went out to The Roxy, a club downtown, where a good time was had by all. Let's just say that $1 drinks between 11pm-12pm were invloved.

Sunday, we went down to Century 21 again, where Cory bought his iLuv system for his Ipod, he loves it. Then we walked around SoHo and had lunch there, checked out Union Square. Chris, Antonio and myself then went uptown where I checked out Bloomingdales and they went to the Diesel store. Then of course it was back to the hotel to get ready for Madonna. The concert was great, with my favourite parts being, the opening numbers, I Love New York, and Hung Up. After the concert some of us went to Hiro. The place was incredibly crowded and very hot, I am sure I sweated off 10 pounds (at least I hope I did).

Monday was of course our travel day back to Burlington/Toronto. We were up and out by noon, on the road, with the exception of a very long toll line the ride home was fine, just tiring.

The time seem to go by all too quickly, as you can imagine in NYC there is so much to see and do and there is never enough time. I can't wait to go back another time.

(Footnote: I have pics of myself in front of the Ed Sullivan Theatre, however they don't seem to want to attach to this blog, I think they are too large. Try to picture myself in front of the theatre.)

New York, New York Here We Come...

2006-06-27T20:02:00.000-05:00

I wanted to write this today seeing as I may not have the time tomorrow...Some of us are off to New York City to see Madonna in concert Sunday night (July 2nd at MSG). The travelling Madge crew are Chris, Cory, Antonio, Adrian, and myself. We are leaving Thursday morning and will be heading back home on the Monday. I am really looking forward to this trip and seeing Madonna in NYC, it should be a great time!

Of course while in NYC, I will have to stroll by the Ed Sullivan Theatre (home of David Letterman, duh!), unfortunely getting tickets on short notice is pretty much impossible, so I will have to settle on seeing the theatre and getting a picture of myself in front.

So this will be last blog (most likely) until I return from NYC.

Happy Canada Day to all. See you all in July.

Happy Birthday

2006-06-27T19:31:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to wish my friend Lisa a very Happy Birthday tomorrow. I hope you have a great day and a year filled with all of your dreams coming true!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LISA!!
(That's Lisa on the right enjoying a fine cigar.)

Spa Day

2006-06-27T19:06:00.000-05:00

This morning I was up with the chickens in order to make my 8:30am spa appointment at Eaganridge Inn, Country Club & Spa, just outside of Bobcaygeon. I was using the gift card my sister gave to me for my birthday and I wanted to get it done before I left for NYC (more on that later).

I had never been to Eaganridge before, but I would go back again. Although, because it is a bit pricey, I would have to make this place a treat for myself rather than a place to go and get services done all the time. I was shown into the lounge area where I filled out a health form (for all new clients) and then shown to the locker room where I slipped into my white robe and slippers. I have to say the whole robe and slippers thing really makes you feel as if you are somewhere. I had my facial and pedicure followed by the manicure.

While I was waiting for my nails to dry in the lounge area I happen to look at the lunch menu they serve in the dining room, it sounded very delicious. I am thinking it would be nice to go up there sometime and have lunch or dinner perhaps.

All in all, it was a very nice place and I look forward to when I can return another day. You can learn more about Eaganridge at their website http://www.eganridge.com.

Weekend

2006-06-26T12:04:00.000-05:00

A big thank you to Cory and Chris for playing host to myself on the weekend. I went up to the city for Pride weekend festivities. Friday night we went out and danced at Vice, Saturday night was mainly just walking up and down Church street, people watching, with Sunday being more of the same. I had a great time and look foward to next year. Thanks again guys and I will see you in a couple of days.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2006-06-20T15:18:00.000-05:00

Thirty-three years ago today I was born. Yes, today is my birthday. All 191/2 inches of me came into this world at 10:40am in the morning. I even find it hard to believe that I am 33 (oh my lord). I wonder where all of the time has gone, it really does go by all too quickly. I recall once my father telling me that life is short, of course at the time being young and naive, I'm not sure I quite believed him. I sure do now. It seems when you are younger all you want to do is grow up and be an "adult" and then before you know it, 33 years have passed.

Well, now on to the good stuff of birthdays, the gifts, of course birthdays are about so much more, but gifts do seem to ease the passage of time. On Sunday, I went for dinner with my mom and sister in Oshawa. My sister got me a very nice gift card for Eganridge Inn & Country Club in Fenelon Falls for the day Spa. The package is called the "Fresh Start" and includes a Spa Manicure and Pedicure and Facial. I will blog about my exprience at the spa after my visit there. My mother gave me American money for my NYC trip next week, so that was fabulous, yeh spending $$$! And even today my mom took me to lunch at the Durham Cafe in Lindsay, so all-in-all I had a very nice birthday.

For the most part my 33 years have been good ones. Of course, as with most people, there have been the hardships that life brings with it, but I am healthy (except for a slightly wonky back), I have my family and great friends. What more could a girl ask for, well actually, I could ask for a fabulous kickass LV bag, great job, loads of money, a hunky boyfriend, but then I would just be getting greedy wouldn't I. Smile.

Animal Abuse

2006-06-16T13:41:00.000-05:00

Last night I was watching the 11 o'clock news on CTV when they had a report on huskies being abused in Quebec. Some of the huskies were dead while the others were barely alive after not being feed for 2 weeks. The pictures were horrible to watch on the TV, they showed that some of the dogs had been chopped up and put into garbage bags and left in the woods. Of course, having had a husky myself, I cannot understand why any person would commit this level of cruelty to another animal. These people should be in jail and not allowed to have any access to animals. Canada seems to lack real laws for those who choose to abuse animals and it reflects badly on our values as a country. It's our collective shame.

You can read more about this story at
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/
20060615/huskies_montreal_060615/20060615?hub=Canada

What Lassie?...Did Timmie Fall Down The Well

2006-06-16T13:11:00.000-05:00

For those of you out there who have dogs, tonight on Studio 2, the current affairs show on TVO, they are doing the full hour on communicating with your dog. Starting at 8pm, the show will have dog guru Stanley Coren (you may have seen him at Woofstock 2006) answering viewer questions about their various dog problems. So if you think you need help with your pooch, tune in.

Enjoy!

Paris Alert

2006-06-12T17:10:00.000-05:00

For those of you who care, Paris Hilton will be on Letterman tonight. I am not sure if she is going to be singing her new music single "Stars Are Blind", though it could be a strong possibility because the only other scheduled guest is the guy who writes the NY Times crossword puzzle. Soooo, just maybe she will be singing....

Beckham, eat your heart out!

2006-06-12T16:31:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I went with Cory (and his pug Cooper), Chris, and Antonio to Woofstock 2006. Woofstock is a celebration of dogs and all of the wonderful things we love about dogs. This year's event held in the St.Lawrence Market area, had doggie couture, leashes, beds, chairs, treats, food etc for your beloved pooch. Their were all kinds of dogs present with their owners aaahing over their "little ones".

Cory got a fetching black Beckham 23 ensemble for Cooper. We tried to get him a hat as well, but with no luck, perhaps next year. I think a little black hat to go with the shirt would fabulous on Cooper! (For pics of Cooper in the Beckham shirt, check out Chris's blog).

A good time was had by all.

Here's Cooper when he was just a wee little baby.

Oops I Did It Again

2006-06-04T14:49:00.000-05:00

As you all read here on Friday, it was my friend Jade's birthday. Well, actually it wasn't. I must have been hitting the olde crack pipe a little hard that day, and things became a little hazy. I am now checking myself into a rehab program. I think I can beat this afflication I have for screwing up birthdays. I understand acknowledging the problem is the first step to recovery.

So, Happy Birthday to my friend Jade, who is turning 31 today (yes, June 4th). Hope you have a great day!

Why I am having a sense of deja vu?

Spelling Bee

2006-06-02T20:55:00.000-05:00

So last night I am watching the Scripps 2006 National Spelling Bee from Washington, DC live on ABC in primetime. I have to admit, it was very exciting to watch these kids spelling words that most of us have no idea what their meanings are, let alone how to spell them. And to make it even more exciting, a Canadian speller got down to the final two last night. My fingers were crossed for her. Every time she was spelling a word, I was praying she didn't get it wrong.

Finola Hackett, is the 14 year-old in grade 8 from Tofield, Alberta who took second place at the competition. The word she mispelled was weltschmerz, meaning a mental depression, she put a V where the W was. She got the dreaded bell.

It was fascinating to watch the broadcast on ABC. They did it like it was a sporting event with commentators, play-by-play action, reaction from the losers afterwards and even instant replay is available to the judges if necessary.

Whats funny is I am writing this blog and I can't bloody well spell anything it seems. I could have used Finola's help!

Happy Birthday Jade

2006-06-02T20:31:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to my friend Jade, who turns 31 today. Hope you had a great day Jade!

Job Interview

2006-05-28T13:47:00.000-05:00

Thought I would let everyone know that I have a job interview on Tuesday morning at Kawartha Lakes Food Source in Lindsay. Food Source is a warehouse distribution centre that collects and sorts out food that is then distributed to various local agencies for their clients. Ironically, it is located in the same building as the Boys & Girls Club, my last employer. The position is a bit of everything, working with volunteers, fundraising, marketing, even some office support.

I will let you know how it goes.

Changing Times

2006-05-28T13:36:00.000-05:00

For those of you out there that love Grey's Anatomy, myself included, thought I would let you know that next season it is moving to a new day and time. It will be on Thursdays at 9pm. Also moving next season is The Amazing Race to Sundays.

Meredith and Dr.Burke were on Oprah the other day and made the announcement. I wonder what CTV will be doing about this, since it already runs CSI in that time slot.

Till next season.

Designer Bags

2006-05-25T20:40:00.000-05:00

I was watching the CTV news at 6 this evening, when Pat Foran had a consumer report on a new web-based business called Shoulder Candy. Shoulder Candy is a website where you can rent a designer handbag. Thats right, rent. For those of us unable to plunk down $1,500 to $2,000 for a designer handbag, this might be for you. Its an interesting concept.

You pay $99 a month for the bag plus shipping and you can add on insurance if you wish. If you lose it or it gets stolen, well you have just bought yourself a very expensive handbag.

You can check it out at http://www.shouldercandy.com.

Favourite Things...continued

2006-05-25T20:10:00.000-05:00

Getting back to my list, here is the rest of my favourite things.

Estee Lauder - Idealist Micro-D Deep Thermal Refinisher and Idealist Skin Refinisher
These two products are fabulous! The Micro-D is like micro-dermabrasion for your face. You put it on and you can feel it warming on your skin (don't be alarmed, it is suppose to do that) cleaning your pores and revealing improved skin tone. Then you finish with the Refinisher product, which acts like a moisturizer and smooths out your skin to feel like a baby's bottom.

Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser
Its a gentle cleaner for those of us with oily skin and it doesn't cost that much.

Olay Complete Body Wash for Extra Dry Skin - with Shea Butter
I have been using this body wash for quite some time now, and it really moisturizes, thanks to the shea butter. It also cleanses so you don't need to use drying soap in the shower.

St.Ives Whipped Silk Intense Body Moisturizer
I love this little body lotion. Its not greasy, has a light fragrance and is super cheap. Comes in three scents: Fresh Orchard Mist, Soft Pedal Breeze, and new Pure White Silk.

Philosophy - the Gingerbread Man Salt Scrub
A great body scrub for those who like to really slough off in the tub or shower and it doesn't leave an oily residue like some other scrubs.

Thats the end of my list and now the entire studio audience gets everything on this list, plus a car!

Margaret's Favourite Things

2006-05-22T12:34:00.000-05:00

For a while now, I have been thinking of doing a list of my favourite things. I figured if Oprah can do it, so can I. So, here it is.

L'occitane En Provence - Hand Cream
For those who know me very well, they will recognize this first product. I absolutely love this hand cream. I use it all the time and my hands are like silk. It contains 20% shea butter and now is available in a three pack of small purse size ones that are perfect for when you are on the go. This is quite simply the best hand cream you will ever use! It is worth every penny.

L'occitane En Provence - Foaming Bath
These cream foaming bath products are wonderful. I love to use them for a nice soak in the tub. I have used both the Sweet Lemon and Milk scents, and they are both very nice.

Crabtree & Evelyn - La Source Hand Recovery Cream
I know what you are thinking, this is a old person's store, not so! I really love this product, it is basically a scrub for your hands. You put it on dry hands and rub it in and then rinse off and pat dry. It will keep your hands looking younger and softer. If you use this product with the above mentioned hand cream, perfecto!

Thats it for today, stay tuned for more of my favourite things!

Grey's Anatomy Finale

2006-05-16T21:35:00.000-05:00

I am so pissed off. I missed the 2nd hour of the season finale of Grey's Anatomy. Here's what happened.

I watched the sunday night show as per usual. However, because the 2nd part was airing on Monday night, it screwed up my other usual TV watching. On Mondays I watch Prison Break and then 24. Well of course I watched the season finale of Prison Break, no problem. Then it gets tricky. I have to watch 24, since you cannot miss an episode. So I figured ok, I will watch the second hour of Grey's Anatomy and still manage to figure out what is happening. So I watch 24. But then for some unknown reason I forget that Grey's Anatomy is on and end up watching The Apprentice, which I never watch.

Afterwards I realized I had completely forgotten to watch it, but thought thats ok, my sister is taping it. Only she doesn't realize its 2 hours and only tapes the first hour.

So now I am piecing togethering what happened from the Grey's Anatomy message boards on ABC. Apparently, Denny is dead and died alone and Meredith and Derek had sex. That's all I have. From reading the message boards, people seem very angry that they killed off Denny. People are joking that the writers should pull a Dallas.

That's my sad tale of TV finales gone wrong.

Movie alert

2006-05-08T11:34:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to let everyone know of a movie that is coming out tomorrow on DVD and I believe on rental. It is called The New World, and stars Colin Farrell, Q'orianka Kilcher, Christopher Plummer and Christian Bale. It is the story of John Smith and Pocahontas and the impact that the new settlers have on the native community of Virginia around 1607.

I went with my friends Anna and Geoff to see this movie in the theatre and I really loved this picture. It has a stunning visual quality to it, thanks in part to its director Terrence Malick. For those who aren't familiar with this director, he has directed Days of Heaven and The Thin Red Line. He is notorious for taking long periods of time between films, this was his first film in about four years. I certainly hope he directs something sooner then that.

The picture might feel a bit long, but it is worth seeing and the performances of the two leads are terrific, especially from 14 year old Kilcher, who is a real talent.

That's two big thumbs up from Margaret.

Shopping

2006-05-07T18:34:00.000-05:00

It's amazing these days where you can go shopping for clothes. Yesterday I saw a flyer for Joe (no, its not a male escort business) a new line of clothes available at the Real Canadian Superstore. The clothes are quite nice looking with dresses, skirts, t-shirts, jeans, capris, etc for summer. They have both women and men's styles.

So today I treked out to the store in Oshawa to see what it was all about. Joe had its own section with its own check-out and a few change rooms for trying on clothes. The clothes were very nice looking and reasonably priced. I think I might go back and get a pair of flip-flops I saw for $12. In the flyer their is a picture of a straw tote for $19 that would look great for summer, and they also have advertised flip-flops for $3, unfortunately this store didn't seem to have these items.

All in all, Joe was impressive. You can check out the clothes at http://www.joe.ca/.

Survey Says...

2006-05-06T14:16:00.000-05:00

This morning I was reading the paper, as I like to do on a Saturday morning, when the phone rang. It was a survey. But the interesting part was the subject matter. As you might recall from the recent federal budget, the Conservatives introduced their own child care plan, the $1200 a year for parents, instead of the Liberal's plan which would have given money to the provinces to create more spaces, reportly around 100,000 new spots across the country.

Ok, so the questions were all about my attitudes towards the new child care plan versus the old plan. I found it very interesting. I was wondering on who's behalf the survey was being conducted. Was it the federal Conservative party or provincial Liberals? Or another group? Obiviously someone is thinking they need polling done to gage the opinions of Canadians on this particular issue.

It will be interesting to see if anything changes with this policy.

Personality Test

2006-05-06T13:47:00.000-05:00

As some of you know I had been participating in the Job Finding Club for the past 3 weeks. On Thursday, we did this personality test called True Colors. Some of you may have heard of it or even done one. Essentially, the test is suppose to assess your personality and then assigns a colour to it. There are four colours: Gold, Green, Blue and Orange. Each one having its own personality characteristics.

Well according to this test, my high colour was gold and then green. The gold person likes family and home, rules, conformity, bonding relationships, commitments, trust, are organized, responsible, dependable, etc. I can see alot of these traits in myself but also that others are not really me. Like the emphasis on traditional values, I am not some kind of right-wing repulican type.

The greens are high achievers, value knowledge, intellectually curious, independent, enjoy complexity, etc. I also see a lot of myself in this colour as well.

Of course our personality chances as well grow older and our life circumstances change, so it is not uncommon for your colors to change to reflect where you are in your own life.

You can check out the website at http://www.true-colors.com/ . There is info on what the colours mean, but unfortunely the tests cost money.

Rotary Event

2006-05-06T13:26:00.000-05:00

Last night I went with my friend Anna to the Rotary Club of Lindsay's annual fundraising event held at the twin pad arena in Lindsay. There was a dinner, with a silent auction, casino games and three grand prizes, the largest being a new Buick Allure car. Anna turned out to be very lucky last night, she won $200 from one of the draws.

As you can imagine at these kind of events, their is a lot of networking that goes on. Anna is actually becoming a rotarian and she had to meet her sponsor, who happens to be someone who I worked with in Lindsay while I was with the Technology Alliance Group. It's a small world. So, while talking with this person, she also mentioned she might have a job opportunity for me. I will let you if anything comes of that.

All in all, it was a lovely night.

Happy Belated Birthday

2006-05-03T21:30:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to wish my good friend Tara a belated happy birthday. Tara turned the big 31 yesterday. I hope you had a wonderful day filled with all of the things that make you happy.

And of course, I apologize for being one day late (I swear I had you in my day planner).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

(That's Tara on the far left of pic with myself and Karrie)

Au Revoir, Paris

2006-05-03T20:45:00.000-05:00

I just finished watching American Idol and I am very sad. My girl Paris who I have been rooting for, just got voted off. Yet somehow the Taylor dude who crawls around on the floor, he gets to stay. I don't know people. It was funny though, I had a feeling she might be kicked off tonight, of course I was hoping I would be wrong.

She's a super talented 17 year old with an incredible voice. However, she made several bad song choices and that seems to have been her waterloo. She has an old soul, sounding best when she sings old standards. I would have loved to heard her belt out some Ella Fitzgerald. Given her young age, she should be able to have a great musical career in the future.

I guess I will still watch, but my heart won't quite be in it anymore.

Tonights The Night

2006-05-01T12:51:00.000-05:00

Finally, tonight we will see Michael Scofield and his merry little ban of thieves break out of prison. Thats right folks, of course I am talking about tonight's episode of Prison Break.

It seems like we have been waiting forever for this to happen, and now it finally will. According to last week's previews, it seems Michael needs to enlist the help of Sara, doctor and potential love interest (if last weeks kiss is any indiction, they are probably already there!).

I can't wait for tonight!

Mock Interview

2006-05-01T12:40:00.000-05:00

Today at Job Finding Club, I had my "mock interview". They treat it just like a real interview situation, except in this case, they actually tape it for review (that will be tomorrow's class). We had to submit a real job ad with company research, resume, cover letter, and references.

So in I went with my business attire on and the funny thing was when I sat down for the interview I completely forgot that the camera was there taping me. I guess this was a good thing. In the end, they said I did a great job and "aced" it. The hard part will be watching myself on tape tomorrow with the rest of the class.

Back from my Deathbed

2006-04-26T17:14:00.000-05:00

You may have noticed that I have not posted anything since Sunday. Well, this would be because I came down with a nasty bout of food poisoning. Yes, FOOD POISONING! I thought I was going to die.

I met up with a friend for lunch on Monday at the Dairy Queen in Lindsay. I had a hamburger and fries, no biggy you think. I felt fine until about 5:30/6pm when my stomach felt a bit quezzy. At 7pm, I started being sick and was sick for the rest of the evening and into the early morning. I stayed home Tuesday from my Job Finding Club to recover. Finally today I am feeling better.

I am not kidding you when I say never get food poisoning, it was the most awful I have ever felt in my life (sick wise that is). It is not pretty, trust me.

So, thanks Dairy Queen, I think I will stick to the ice cream only, I don't think they can kill me with ice cream.

Turning off the Tube

2006-04-23T13:03:00.000-05:00

While reading yesterdays Toronto Star, the A&E section had a front page story about TV Turn-off Week, which starts tomorrow and runs until the 30th. The whole point is of course for all of us to turn off the TV and well smell the roses, be healthier, blah, blah, blah....The story in the paper actually had 97 quotes from various characters on television, it was quite funny. If you can, pick up the paper and read for yourself.

I will be perfectly honest, their is no way I could turn off the TV for an entire week. No Prison Break, 24, Letterman, General Hospital, etc. I would go crazy. However, that being said, I do understand that I also watch way too much TV and that thinking about what we are doing is a good thing.

Founded in 1994, TV-Free America is a not-for-profit organization that encourages adults and children to watch less television. You can check out their website at http://www.tvturnoff.org/.

Bad Movies...A Reponse

2006-04-22T15:16:00.000-05:00

Ok, so after reading my friend Chris's blog about bad movies, I feel a need to respond.

I too saw Scary Movie 4 and thought it was just bad, and not funny at all. I wish they would stop making these movies and try making movies that are in fact funny. I guess I am confused, are we laughing at bad movies because they are bad or because they are funny? I suppose some people can laugh at both, but I cannot.

Also, Chris's list of bad movies, has two movies listed Scary Movie #1 and Bring It On, which really aren't that bad. Scary Movie was a parady of the scary movie genre and Bring It On actually isn't that bad. I would suggest White Chicks as a bad movie, I mean would anyone believe that those two guys were white girls? They looked more like bad drag queens.

So, here's my list:

Scary Movie 4
Anything with Rob Schneider in it
Anything with Pauly Shore in it (oops he doesn't seem to make movies any more)
White Chicks
Sorority Boys

Let the debate rage on....

The Dream is Over...again

2006-04-18T21:25:00.000-05:00

Well its all over but for cleaning out the lockers. Yes of course I am speaking of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who finished off the season tonight with a victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins 5 to 3, at the ACC. For those who were keeping track, the Leafs were officially eliminated from the playoffs on saturday night after the Tampa Bay Lightning won their game, even though the Leafs won against their arch rivals the Ottawa Senators.It was simply too little, too late.

So, alas their will be no Stanley Cup parade down Yonge street, no Leaf Nation cheering in the streets after each playoff victory, no happy bar owners, and only disappointed CBC executives.

Oh well, as we seem to say alot, maybe next year!

Job Hunting

2006-04-18T21:04:00.000-05:00

Today I started the Job Finding Club at Victoria County Career Services in Lindsay. It is a 3 week workshop aimed at helping you improve your job search techniques, and of course landing that dream job. I am hoping it will keep me motivated, since it can be easy to get down on yourself. I am hoping to pick up some interview skills since I seem to get the interviews but not the job.

So for now, that is my job hunt update...will keep you posted.

The Romantic

2006-04-17T22:00:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading Barbara Gowdy's novel The Romantic. Its a wonderful book centred around the two main characters of Louise Kirk and Abel Richter. Not to give away too much of the story, but they both meet as children when the Richters move in beside her family and they both form this love for each other that carries into adulthood. Its a complicated love they have for each other, with one of them (Louise) seeming to love more than the other. Thats all I will say about the novel, you will have to read for yourselfs.

This book has taken a journey with me. I bought it well over a year ago and started reading it but could not get into it. I then left the book sitting on my desk for quite a period of time before picking it back up and reading it. It made me think that perhaps we are meant to read things to reflect where we are in our own lives. I found myself relating to the character of Louise and understanding this love that could not be returned in the way she needed. I felt for her. I suppose this is what good literature does, it makes us examine ourselves. I am glad I stuck with this book.

Hope I have peeked your curiosity...and now I am off to read something entirely different, William Sampson's book Confessions of an Innocent Man: Torture and Survival in a Saudi Prison.

Due to Technical Difficulties...

2006-04-17T21:48:00.000-05:00

As you may have noticed, I have not blogged in a while. For some unknown reason, my Internet connection would not work. It all started on Saturday when I went to go onto the Web but couldn't get on. Just the day before I was able to use it, so it was a mystery what happened. I called Porchlight, my internet service provider, and the guy walked me through some things, but nothing worked.

So today I was talking to Cory and he suggested actually unplugging the computer and then re-starting and see what happens. He had said his mother was also experiencing some modem problems and this had worked for her. So I did just that and guess what IT WORKED!

I still have no idea what the problem was, but for some reason the answer always seems to be to unplug the computer and re-start it...

Happy Birthday Dave...belated

2006-04-13T21:00:00.000-05:00

So anyone who knows me, knows that I love David Letterman. I have been a fan since very early on in his career and have been watching ever since.

Well yesterday, April 12th, was Dave's 59th birthday. I don't know how I managed to forget (must be my old age)...but nevertheless HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Dave! He had a very funny Top Ten list last night, entitled, Staffer Birthday Wishes for Me, Dave. You can read it for yourself at http://www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/.

Just as a footnote, by the end of this week, Dave will have hosted 4,353 Late Show and Late Night episodes and 4 Prime Time specials, just 178 shows shy of Johnny Carson's total. By next year Dave will surpass Carson in late night shows hosted.

I can't wait, Johnny would be proud.

Gnarls Barkley

2006-04-12T12:43:00.000-05:00

Last week while driving home in my car, this song "Crazy" came on the radio. I had heard the song before and loved it but had not taken note of who sang it. Well, the song is sung by this person named Gnarls Barkley. I had never heard of him, so onto the Internet I went to find out about this musician.

I have just been on his website, and well he seems to be some kind of mysterious person, who may or may not exist. You see no one seems to have actually seen him in person. Its all very bizarre. I am wondering if this is some kind of PR stunt, though it sounds as if the mystery has been going on for some time now.

Regardless of all of this, I still LOVE the single "Crazy" and can't wait for his CD, entitled St.Elsewhere, to come out on May 9th.

You can check out the single on his website www.gnarlsbarkley.com.