Updates and Updates

Okay, guys. Time for another update, yes? Here we go!

Easter Weekend

Laaaaazyyyyy. On Saturday, a very good friend of ours invited us over for dinner. Honey dijon chicken, ricotta pasta bake (with spinach and mushrooms!), and asparagus. Oh, and WINE! YUM! The birthday cake didn’t go quite as planned. Hahaha. You’ll have to read my 100 word story from last week to find out (kinda) what happened there. At the weekly Sunday dinner, the fam had cake. I was confused because we usually have cake on the Sunday AFTER birthdays, but whatever. I had cake early. On Monday we slept in. Like allllll the way in. When I finally got out of bed, it was an embarrassing hour. I won’t even tell you what it was. What is important is that I got up. Haha.

Tuesday: Birthdaaayyy!

I did not, by any means, have any expectations of having a good day. I just figured it would be an average day of nothing special. No plans were made and no money was in my pocket. We went downtown to do our regular errands, I mailed a bunch of things I had piled up, picked up a package (which was awesome! Must remember to post photo on Wednesday), went for a nice sushi lunch, got some cool little prezzies… It was a nice day.

Wednesday – Friday

Work, work, work. I would not have normally worked all those days, but my little cousin was in town. I had to be in office to keep him occupied and take him on occasional errands. He is a ball of energy, funny, and lots of fun. Here’s a little snippet for you. I had to take him to have a passport photo taken. I explained to him that he could not smile for the photo. We went back and forth about this, and he showed me a few smiles he could use. Nope. No smiling, dude. He got sort of sad and looked up and me and said, “Every picture needs a smiiiiile!” Gotta love 5 year olds!

Saturday

Is it terrible that I don’t really remember Saturday? I guess I didn’t do anything? *shrugs*

Random

CAMP NANOWRIMO, y’all! I mentioned this in my last post, but just to remind you, I’M WRITING 50,000 WORDS IN 30 DAYS! Yes, ma’am! At the end of this month, The Whispering Willow will be DONE! Writing, that is. Lots of editing in the months that follow. But the WRITING WILL BE DONE! WOO.

I’ve told you about NaNoWriMo and how awesome it is before. The program/events exist to encourage and inspire people to write. It provide a ton of resources, including very inclusive message boards for constant communication among writers of various ages, genres, backgrounds, etc. I LOVE it. And they do all this FOR FREE. So, of course, fundraising is huge. So I’m asking you to please sponsor my Camp NaNoWriMo novel. All funds go directly to the Office of Letters & Light which is the non-profit that runs these writing events/programs. If you believe in my book, if you like my writing, if you are my friend, if you really don’t care but have a dollar to spare anyway… Please sponsor my novel. Okay, enough begging. Hahaha.

In other news, I just wrote another 100 word story. Please hop on over, read it, comment on it, and share it. I am really trying to get as much feedback on my work as possible. I am also, of course, trying to expand my blog readership. What else? Hmmm… Oh, I got my 5th assignment back from the writing for children course I’m taking. I did really well on it. Hilarious that I thought I bombed it. I let the way I feel about the assignments (like I thought that one was really stupid) affect my assessment of my work. Weirdo. I know.

Okay, this got long really fast. I’m done.

Have a great week!

Random Update

Heya!

Been a while, I know! There are lots of reasons for that. One of them is the weird changes WP keeps forcing me to adapt to. It’s also driving me crazy that I can’t figure out how to post the old way. Just this “New Post” button with the pencil that gives me a little typing space… It’s not the same. I hate it. Especially since every time I use it, my post emails to subscribers, but does not post online. It vanishes. GAAAAAH! I hope that doesn’t happen this time.

Are you following my new, shiny blog? That’s where I am, twice per week, posting 100 word stories, music I like, little notes of inspiration, etc. If you haven’t already, go have a peak! Read a story or two, and comment, comment, comment!

I have been back to work on my NaNoWriMo novel recently. I have 40,000 words to bang out by March 20. Yep. That equals a lot of cups of a tea and a few litres of icy cold Coca-Cola. Yes, indeed! I feel like I am getting close to the finish line. There will be lots of editing to do when I’m done writing it, but at least the writing will be done!

April will be another crazy month. Camp NaNo! YES! That’s write. Another writing challenge. I have another novel to work on in April, and the goal, once again, is 50,000 words. If you’re interested in writing and need a challenge, consider Camp NaNo. What is really awesome about it is that you can choose your word count goal. Anywhere from 10,000 to 999,000. Or something like that. You can tailor it to suit you.

Okay, what else? Hmmm… The job hunt is still on. It is taking reeeally long. The job market sucks, guys. My eyes are still open though.  The hunter must never take her eyes off the prey. NEVER!

Oh, I went on a day trip by boat on Saturday. More on that later, when I upload the pictures.

So what’s up with you? Anything cool going on?

9 Random Thoughts

• I don’t want to live here anymore.
• I can’t get to where I’d like to be right now. Hellooooo, Canada! I think I’d even be happier on another island with less people, less traffic, and more niche opportunities (although I haven’t thought of any yet). This tiny island is overrun. I could use a change of scenery and pace.
• Tomorrow, when I have the time, I want to make a list of the things I’m good at.
• I need some beach time. I think I’ll get it on Monday.
• There is far too much work to be done, and far too much is on my plate instead of being divided into manageable amounts.
• The people around me (at work) are crazy, inconsiderate, rude, panicked, and unorganized. That’s their problem. I will not make it my own any more than it already is (with just having to deal with them).
• Good thing I stopped at Ma’s and made myself a breakfast sandwich this morning. I’d be famished without it.
• I’m pretty sure the time has come for me to do my own thing. I just need to figure out what I want to do, and how to make it work. I need to be happy, fulfilled, and well-fed. Must be able to pay the bills.
• I’m glad there will be a birthday celebration on the weekend, planned by my pretty. I’m blessed and loved. I will be more than happy to indulge in good times with good people.

11 Reasons for Disliking Beyonce

I don’t like Beyonce. In fact, I intensely dislike her. A lot of people are shocked by this, and it has nothing to do with me, or who I am. People just expect that everyone likes the wench. Not me. No sirree. Why? Well, let me give you my top 11 reasons.

Note: If you a fan of hers, and you are easily offended, you may not want to proceed. Also, my reasons are very skin-deep. If you’re expecting something groundbreaking or really intellectual, don’t bother. It’s not here. I’m working through grief in an odd way. I’m finding myself very angry, and I have to direct it somewhere, right? Yeah. So I pick Beyonce.

• Destiny’s Child. Remember them? Remember the other people in the “group” or not? I don’t understand why the “group” existed since, really, she was the singer, and the girls were her backup. She had all of the lyrics. She was always in front of them. Why, why, why? Just BE A SOLO ARTIST. Don’t have other talented women as your friggin’ background goons.
• Self-centred. She is far too into herself. You can see it. It drips off of her. From Destiny’s Child days. (Ok, so I’m a little bitter about those days. Kelly and Latoya should have had more shine, ok?!)
• Fake. She is far too fake. I’m convinced that the voice she uses in interviews is not her real speaking voice. Use your real voice, Beyonce! And if that IS her real voice, her lousy, fake-sounding voice is a good reason not too like her too.
• The stupid little fake laugh she does. Ih-hih-hih. It’s not even long enough. There is no real laughness in it. You know? Like, really, if you don’t think something is funny, don’t fake a laugh. She does it at questions. It’s like a time-killer. A moment to think. Oh, I think I’ll fake a little laugh first, and maybe by then, I can use my fake voice, reserved only for interviews, to give some lame answer where I’m probably gonna lie.
• 

  It's like he never fully recovered from an allergic reaction...

  Jay-Z. Seriously, Beyonce?! You. And Jay-Z. Are in love. No. No, no, no. I am not accepting that. You two have combined to form some sort of super power that is even greated than the devil. You are so hungry for fame and being important that you are willing to give birth to the anti… Anyway. Whatever.

• Illuminati. Yeah. That’s right. If it exists, she and her stupid husband are at the forefront.
• 

  The stylist clearly forgot to relax, bleach + colour, and flat iron

  Weave. It is horrible. I mean… She has money! She can afford the good stuff. The length is too much. The colour is horrible. The texture. How dry it is. The amount… Just… No. Is is SUPPOSED to look real?! WHERE IS YOUR HAIR, BEYONCE?! *whispers* Do you have any?

• Stupid, stupid, stupid, awful songs. I refuse to list any because that would mean I’d have to think of them too intently. One that is already in mind is that horrid onnne. and. onnne. is [screechy, high-pitched, annoying voice] TWO! I’n. gat [same stupid voice] YOU. A neighbour was playing this loudly one night, and I seriously wanted it to be Beyonce herself, singing the song outside my window, so that I could cut her (voice out). Yeah. It’s that serious.
• Pregnancy. Seriously. She felt the need to announce it THAT way? Really now… Not necessary. Then she proceeded to have performances where she wore the most ridiculous shoes. (Like she hasn’t fallen WITHOUT being pregnant. HA!) Do you CARE about your baby, Beyonce? Oh, right. I almost forgot. You’re the most amazingly great person ever, you know all things, and nothing bad would ever happen to you or your baby. Even if you booty-shake like the last stripper on earth in shoes high enough to dislodge your womb. Right. How could I forget that?
• Fans. Stans. She has to be the only person who has these ridiculously fight-ready people following her. They are deep in her life, counting her menstrual cycles, memorizing lyrics to all of her songs, doing choreography of her videos (mentally or physically) every time her songs play, and prepared to assault (verbally and physically) anyone who does not believe her to be the queen. Of anything.
• Beyonce. Just look at it. If ANYone ever needed a stage name, it was HER. YUCK. It sounds like an awful bodily fluid that could suffucate a person. Just saying.

*steps back* Hmmm… That got a little messy, didn’t it? *brushes dust from hands* Ok. All set. Now let me have your thoughts.

Do you like Beyonce? Why? (If you don’t like her, I totally get it!) Do you intensely dislike any celebrities?

It’s Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday! The day so many people dread is over. On to the next one! Hope you’re on track and getting things done. I’m on the ball. At the same time, I’m feeling really random today. I’m just going to go with it. I hope you don’t mind randomness.

• Articles all over the place about my appointment to this awesome job. Woot, woot! It was in one newspaper on Friday, another yesterday, and it’s posted in the news/press release section of the Ride For Hope Bahamas website. YAY! Like us on Facebook!
• I found a crazy ridiculous recipe. For spinach lasagna. Ummm… YUMMM. And it’s made – get this – in a SLOW COOKER! What the monkey wrenches helicopter?!?! I don’t have a slow cooker, but if you do, you should definitely make this lasagna, and FedEx a piece to me. Click here for it.
• This cell phone battery SUCKS. We went and bought a new BlackBerry last week, but I’m pretty sure it’s the one they had on display. Either they’ve already killed it, or some smart employee switched the battery out with their own. Ugh. I have to order a new one. Hellooo, Amazon.
• Other things I’m getting from Amazon: a few nice items for Babe’s Christmas stocking (which I won’t list here in case she read this post), a multi-tool for our bikes and stuff, running things (skirts, tanks, shorts), compression sleeves (which I obviously need as my calf muscles keep reminding me)… I don’t remember the rest.
• Saturday was great. Babe and I spent the day together. Breakfast in bed, a little shopping trip, saved a bunch of money (using a discount card, and winning a $25 gift card at a different store from a scratch ‘n’ win card), had lunch and treats, walked halfway home before someone (Babe knows) stopped and took us the rest of the way. Then we did a little lounging, loving, and then getting ready. Getting ready = showering + packing + doing hair + me envisioning all the missing that would happen once the airport drop happened.
• I need to get started on our living room project. I think I mentioned how happy I was/am that Babe agreed to it. It’s going to be GREAT when I finish it. If only I could get STARTED. Gees, Louise. I gotta find my way to one or two store to get the necessary material.
• I’m thinking about making the wall art for our bathroom. Our shower curtain has palm trees, and the colours are nice (tan, brown, green), and the bathmat and wastebasket are well-coordinated. We just need wall art. I’m thinking of cross-stitch. I can definitely do that, and do it right. Whenever I have the time, I’ll find a good palm tree pattern, then go to the local fabric/art-ish store to get the embroidery thread, needle, and cloth/material. Oh, and I need to run it by Babe to make sure it’s okay.
• I need a MUG. That’s also on the Amazon list. My office is rather chilly, and I like tea and hot chocolate. It’ll all work wonderfully together once I have a mug to keep at work. I’d like it to be a NICE mug. A little oversized. And it should be, of course, GREEN. Or purple, since that’s the dominant Ride For Hope Bahamas colour. Dark purple, light purple, green (like the one I like!), and yellow.
• I have a lot of work to do! It’s great. It’s taking me a while because there is SO much to work on. It doesn’t help that I don’t have a landline in the office yet. OR the internet. The installation date is November 3. Ridiculous. I know. This is how it works in third world countries.
• Babe is away. Since Saturday night. Won’t be back until next week. *sighs* Denmark is SO far away. The time difference sort of sucks, but we’re managing to communicate fairly often. Of course there’s lots of missing and stuff.
• I’m staying at my great-grandmother’s (Ma) for the week. She lives a lot closer to where I work, and I can get drives to and from. Saving on the bus fare, and getting to sleep over an hour later. It still doesn’t make up for Babe being away.
• On Saturday, I’ll be hanging out with our good friend. Vanessa is super cool, but oh-so-very busy. We don’t get to hang out often enough. We’re taking this Saturday to do it up. We’re probably gonna do lunch AND dinner. With wine. Yeah, we’re fancy and splurgy. Doesn’t happen often though, so it’s okay. I’m hoping we’ll be in the area of a cool plant shop so I can get a plant for my office. How I’m going to get it here, I have no idea. I’m NOT taking a plant PLUS my bag(s) on the bus. It’ll have to be at home until I get a drive to work. Oh, wait. Ma lives sort of nearby. I can leave it at her house on Sunday when we go for FamJam, and she can drop it off whenever. YAY! I’m so smart!
• NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) coming up. I didn’t do it this year. Maybe this year. We’ll see. Budding writers, check it out here. Challenge yourself. Write a (50,000 word) novel in one month. November, to be specific. It’s fun, especially if there are events planned in your area. I used to looove Word Wars.
• Awesome quote from JM’s yoga instructor:  “I wish I could sit on my couch and eat cake and it would make me one with everything. But it doesn’t work that way.” Read the whole (funny) post here.
• Willow (Smith), the hair whipping - and now fireball - daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith has a new song out. Firebaaallllll! Nicki Minaj features in it. Did you know that I REALLY like Nicki Minaj? She’s so FUNNY! Babe pointed out that she has a bit of a Caribbean sound in some of the lyrics. Particularly “fireball.” It’s true. Anyway, I like this girl. She’s so young and fresh, and APPROPRIATE. She doesn’t sing about love, sex, dating, or money. She’s staying relevant to her peers, but still giving us adults something to rock out to, and sing along with.
• I feel like having a ruuunnn!

Sup with you? Is there anything you’ve already planned for the weekend? Tell me something random.

My ABCs

A. Age: Quarter of a century, I am!

B. Bed size: Queen. Just like me!

C. Chore that you hate: The part of sweeping where you have to get it in the dustpan. And putting dishes away. I don’t mind washing them. It’s the putting away that I really don’t like much.

D. Dogs: Don’t like them. Hope to never been begged by a child to have one.

E. Essential start to your day:  Natural light, shower, breakfast, tea.

F. Favorite color:  Lime green!

G. Gold or Silver: Gold. Though I’m making the switch from yellow to white.

H. Height: 5’8″ ish.

I. Instruments you play:  I was teaching myself guitar. Haven’t picked it up in a while. I hope to do that soon. I was getting pretty good. Not concert good. Sit around the camp fire and play recognizable tunes good. Hahaha.

J. Job title:  Purchasing Clerk. Ugh.

K. Kids: I want 4 or 5.

L. Live: The Bahamas.

M. Mother’s name: Jill.

N. Nicknames: Lici, Lic (pronounced “Lees”)

O. Overnight hospital stays: Nope.

P. Pet peeves: Incorrectly squeezed tubes of toothpaste, dirty shoes, knuckle cracking…

Q. Quote from a movie:

S. Siblings: 2 brothers, 2 sisters. Perfection! (Only one is younger. A brother.)

U. Underwear:  I don’t get why we can’t walk around in them, but we can walk around in bikinis. *looks around* Anyone with me on this?

V. Vegetable you hate: I love veggies! Hmmm… Pumpkin? It’s kinda just there. I don’t HATE it. I just don’t really LIKE it.

W. What makes you run late: Other people. Lol.

X. X-Rays you’ve had:  Chest. After a car accident.

Y. Yummy food that you make: Chicken parmigiana, Chocolate Cake of Sin (named by a youth. Hahahaahha), Nacho Dip.

Z. Zoo animal: Elephants and tigers!

It’s All About Me

YAY! I got tagged in the 10 random facts about me thingy! Thank you, thank you, Vix! As if you don’t know enough already. I love coming up with new things to divulge about myself.

1. I’m afraid of pretty much every animal. Baby lizards set me off into fits of screaming, jumping, and climbing. Seriously. I make myself look like a crazy person. Before AND after people around me realize what my problem is. That being said, it’s probably no shock that I don’t like animals. At all. The only ones I have any sort of interest in or kinda like are elephants and turtles. And of course, the wild, crazy ones like tigers. COOLNESS! But I’d only like the wild stuff to pet and take pictures with. That’s it. And I think peacocks are kinda cool. I like fish in aquariums. Those are the only pets I’d ever care to have. Because they’re pretty and add a little something to the ambiance. The water and everything. And they don’t leave fur or poop all over the place.
2. I never drink from cans or bottles. No, wait. VitaMalt is always better from the bottle. It’s not the same once it has been poured out of the bottle, or sipped through a straw. Actually, VitaMalt in the can is awful. Nothing like the same greatness bottled. Other than that, I need a cup or a straw. Oh, water is an exception too. Water tastes AWFUL when sipped through a straw, doesn’t it?
3. Of all the things in the world, I would most like to be a SAHM (stay-at-home mom) and housewife. It would suit me perfectly. I love a clean house. Cleaning the house is kind of like a religious experience for me. At times, I play a little music, and get in the zone, and BAM! I’m done. Then I revel in the total cleanliness and fresh scent of my home. At other times, I move through the house in silence, and clear my head. And the kitchen. Dear, sweet, holy goodness. Cooking and baking?! YES, PLEASE! I love a well-stocked kitchen. All the better for preparing favourite meals, and experimenting with new ingredients and/or untested combinations of ingredients. I LOVE IT. That should really be my life. Honestly. Of course, I’d spend a good bit of time blogging, and maybe even run a little home business. *shrugs* Busy bee is what I like to be. Actually, I’d even like to home-school my children for a little while. I think doing it all their lives would be an injustice to them.
4. I really really really love food. Like, REALLY really. I am a foodie. I love grocery shopping, planning menus in my head, coming up with new ways to season things and put twists on otherwise ordinary dishes, cooking, baking, eating, sharing, getting and sharing reviews, eating out, finding cool new restaurants, figuring out what restaurants’ best menu items and strong points are… The entire process. Food, food, food. LOVES it!
5. I like music. A lot. Lots of genres are okay with me. I can rock out, I can belt out (or lip sync) ballads, I can sway to R&B, I can sing-along to stupid, catchy pop songs, I can “buss a wine” to reggae tunes… I like pretty much any type of music. One of my favourite things to do is discover new music. I love finding out about (almost) unknown bands and singers (you know – the YouTube people who don’t get featured on Fox News), LOVING their music, getting it any way that I can, and waiting for them to be great. And of course,  proving my awesomeness to myself when I refrain from saying, “Yeah, well I knew about them 2 years before they have a video on MTV” when everyone starts talking about the new artist/band they suddenly LOVE. I’m now following a few people on WP who share their music finds, and OMgoshness! Love and appreciate it. New tunes for my iPod! WOO!
6. I thrive on challenging myself. I’m constantly setting goals, and annihilating them. I do big things. Then I have a lull where I’m just normal. Ya know… Like you. (Kidding. Or not.) Then, I get all Oh-my-goshness!-I-should-totally-do-this-amazing-thing-just-because-I-KNOW-I-can-KILL-it. And then I think about it. THEN I research it to DEATH. Yes. To death. I find out everything I can. I go to about.com and read blogs and YouTube it and all this stuff. Then I get caught up in things that are remotely related to it. By that point, I’m completed obsessed with the whole brilliant idea, and want to blow my own mind, so I get AMPED-the-heck-UP. And I do it. E.g. Running. I read a blog post about SHOES. Running shoes. It made me think about running. I did a little reading on running. I wondered if I really hate running. No. I never really ran to know. Hmmm… I should run. I could probably do it. Hell. What am I saying?! I can SO run. ESPECIALLY if I get those super cool shoes non-shoes. Yeah. I’m gonna run. Wait. What’s the challenge gonna be? What do runners do? Hmmm… MARATHONS. Yeah. I’m gonna marathon up in this mother! YES. Wait. That’s a lot… Blah, blah, blah. Then I decided to train for a 5k. And I (window) shopped online for gear. Everything running-related. Shoes, non-shoes, hydration belts, cool, funky shorts (because I will NOT be running in boring pants. No, ma’am!)… You see what I mean here? Challenges. And obsessions. I like ‘em. Stay posted.
7. I struggle with water drinkage. Majorly. It’s a work in progress. I have to be very conscious and conscientious about it. I keep my 32oz. water bottle on my desk at work. Sometimes, I play little games with myself. E.g. Every time the phone rings, I drink two mouthfuls of water. Every time I heard a word used or pronounced incorrectly, I drink two mouthfuls of water. Weird? Funny? Whatever. Gotta do what ya gotta do! I’m getting there. Today, I’m not winning. I’ve had about 4oz. I know, I know. But listen… Two days ago, I only had 2oz. left in my bottle when I got home, and I finished it off when I got there. And yes, I know 32oz. is only half of what I should be drinking. Let me tell you this: Previously, I would go two weeks without having water AT ALL. See that there? Progress.
8. I often lament about not having any talents. Particularly of the artistic sort. I wish I could draw. I wish I could paint. I wish I could sing. I wish I could dance. I wish I could sculpt random things and call them “art.” I wish ANYthing that ever leaves my hands (after being worked on or transformed in some way) could be called “art.” *sighs* It’s just not in me. I complain about this to Babe (who is a singer/songwriter), but of course, I get that indulgent, “there, there, pussycat” stuff. “You are talented. You’re a great writer…” Right. That’s why you’ve never asked me to co-write a song with you. Oh, well. You like me, don’t you? Or my blog… Is that art?
9. I secretly want to own and run a bakery. Brownies, cookies, cupcakes, cakes, muffins… Fun stuff. I want to take a cake decorating class. I want to learn to properly and prettily ice/frost cakes, work with fondant, etc. When will I be able to do this? I don’t know. It really may not be in this lifetime. But I really, really hope that it is. I love baking. And I’m pretty good at it. I want to share it with the world. But it has to look BETTER than good. I can decently frost a cake, but by bakery standards? Remember what I said about my artsiness? The fact that I lack it? Yeah. That.
10. I make up words. And then I use them like they’re real. E.g. Artsiness, drinkage, foodage, goshness… I feel fine about adding “ness” and “age” to pretty much any words I need to use or make into a different part of speech. I see that as my right. I am a lyricist. A WRITER, dang it. If only by that definition where a person who does something is a somethinger. E.g. A cook is a cooker. Well, no. That didn’t work. A person who plumbs (does plumbing) is a plumber. Which reminds me, it cracks me up (and sometimes annoys me) that every Nancy and Bob with a camera calls her/himself a photographer. Seriously, you’re a hobbyist. Or whatever. Get off it. LOL.

Annnd, those are 10 random facts about me. I keep proving to you that I may be slightly insane, don’t I? You’re welcome. I know you appreciate my upfrontness (<—One of my originals). Hearts and butterflies, y’all!

Oh, WAIT! I have to tag 4 people to do this funness (<—Another. And I’m SO not doing this on purpose)!

Ruthie at Just Rambling

Joella at Joella Morgan

Haley at Green Plate Dinners >>> Haley’s Post

Laci at My Perfectly Imperfect Life

Randomness

Hey, hey, heyyy! Crazy day after quite the weekend. I just couldn’t let the day go by without a little bit of an update. I have to do it the quick and dirty way though. You’ll see why.

• Went to FamJam on Sunday. Was fun. Watched football with my brother, and tennis with my dad. We had some pretty good jokes. My family is hilarious. Here’s part of a verbal exchange:
• Dad: We’re watching the tennis game. Serena’s playing.
• Brother: Oh. She played Djokovic yet?
• Dad: Djokovic is a MAN!
• Brother: So?
• Me: *laughing* Men don’t play women.
• Brother: What?! Someone should protest that!
• Me: All of the feminists are busy right now.
• Brother: But that’s… That’s… *thinking really hard*
• Me: Sexist?
• Brother: YES! That’s sexist!
• Dad: You ever seen WNBA play the NBA?
• Brother: *looking at Dad like he’s an idiot* That’s just STUPID!
• Dad: Ever see a man golfer play a woman golfer?
• Brother: *frustrated* There’s no such thing as a “women golfer” though!
• Me: *dying of laughter* WHAT?!
• Brother: *whispering to me* No such thing as women golfers, right?
• Me: YES, there ARE!
• Serena Williams has anger management issues. WOW. The girl acts like a real fool when she’s good and ready. She goes OFFFFFF. Read about Sunday’s outburst here. Remember in 2009, when she said she’s shove the f%$#ing ball down the line judge’s f%$#ing throat? Oh, man. Anyway, Stosur played a HELL OF A GAME!
• Yesterday was crazy. I had my sister’s Jeep again. YAY! She’s awesome. I got to take her children to school (fun, fun, fun). Whenever we ride together, it’s hilarious. From there, I went back to her place so she could drive to work, then turn the car over to me. Babe couldn’t get out of bed at 6:15am with me, so I had to make a return trip. Typical! Hahaha. Dropped Babe to a hair appointment, and off I went to the local department store (Kelly’s). I got a shower curtain rod (FINALLY!), bath mat (FINALLY), basket to keep our bathroom things in (like toilet paper, feminine products, etc), a new toilet scrub brush and caddy, and a mat for our front door. I was please. Our bathroom is now fit for humans. We love it. I was happy that Babe was happy. I was afraid I would make all of these decisions, and end up with a bathroom that I love and Babe hates. Nope. We’re all good! I’ll borrow the iPhone to take a picture and post it later. One room down, 17 to go (not really)!
• Got a little talk from the GM at work today. It’s no secret that I hate this job, right? Well, for the first few months, I was bored out of my mind. Work was not coming fast enough, or keeping me busy long enough. Eventually, I learned to drag my feet enough to fill my days with the crappy amount of work I got. Now, it’s super busy. Shipments coming in, items on the floor needing pricing, phones ringing, etc. Too bad I’m still working at the same pace. Anyway, she caught on. So now I have to work to my true potential. At a job I hate. Until I find a new one. Please, can I have a new one?! Can Ride For Hope PLEASE stop advertising the gosh-darn job that should be MINE?! It’s time to really stop running those ads, read those resumes, call me in for an interview, and PICK ME! Sheesh!
• There are a bunch of things I want. That’s a post all on its own, really.
• I made a big decision. I’m going to train to run 5k (January or February in Florida). Yep. I used to say that I hated running. I don’t think I ever ran (enough) to really know whether or not I like it. Well, I’m giving myself the chance. And the challenge. A chance and a challenge in one. I found a few training programs. There’s one that I think will work for me. I talked to Babe about it last night. I made it clear that I need full support. And requested, in advance, Babe’s presence when I actually do the 5k. The response was something like, “Of COURSE I’ll be there, Babe! Are you serious?! You think I wouldn’t be there?! I will be there.” That made me smile. So that’s another thing I’ll definitely be posting about, as I make progress, hit walls, yell at myself, make changes to my diet, find cool running gear (see previous post – hahahaha), etc. This is something totally new for me, and I love it. I randomly come up with things I want to do, things to prove to myself, things that are outside of my comfort zone, and then I GO IN FOR THE KILL. Yes, I do. Cheer me on, y’all! I’ll make ya proud. Oh, Babe also said something like, “I’ll support you. I just won’t be out there running with you while you train and stuff. I’m not doing that.” Hahahaha. That is one not-so-into-fitness-or-exercise person I have there. Another quote: “And you have to get a complete physical. So tell me when you’ve seen the doctor.” Meh! Precautions schmercautions! Is that really necessary?! I don’t know. I guess I should do it to be on the safe side, and to make Babe feel comfortable with it.

Hope your week is off to a great start. I’ve had some ups and down already, but it’s a-okay. I’m breathing, and remembering to live. As long as there is life, there is hope, right?

Awesome Job, Please?

http://blog.saasinct.com/2009/04/13/i-love-my-job/

Okay. First of all, I’m SO happy to have this blog, and a few followers to share these little things with. Thank y’all, and thank you WordPress!

On to the matter at hand. I’m on the job hunt. Where I am now is pretty boring, and doesn’t pay well at all. It was never supposed to be a permanent situation. I left a job in November, and started working in my great-grandmother’s store. I wanted to spend some time there, and with her, before she closed the business. In January, the doors closed for good. At that point, she called in a favour to get me this job. Just so that I could make a bit of money to be able to survive. Well, 7 months later, here I am. The economy isn’t great. That, and I probably haven’t been as a aggressive as I need to be in this type of market. Well, I’m stepping my game up! About three weeks ago, I went through the entire telephone directory and sent my resume to pretty much every business with a listed website/email address. I had an interview yesterday, and it went pretty well. I’ll hear from them tomorrow, and if I’m short-listed, I’ll have to interview with another person on Friday.I’m not very enthusiastic about the position. It’s a slight improvement from this job – both in duties and pay. Any step up is a step up, right? Also, it’s closer to where I moved to, so I could bike there a bit easier.

So. I found a posting for a job that I REALLY, REALLY want! I hardly ever feel this way about jobs. This one is sort of like it was tailored to suit me. I want it! The position title is “Administrator” and the organization is Ride For Hope Bahamas. A little bit about R4H (straight from their website): The Ride for Hope is a registered charity. Its flagship event is a fund raising bike-a-thon held each Spring in The Bahamas. Participants have called the Ride for Hope “a truly inspiring weekend.” Every dollar raised by participants without exception is applied to the improvement of programs for cancer treatment and patient care. We encourage you to explore our website and then come and join us for the next Ride for Hope!

Basically, this is a marriage of two things I am very passionate about – cycling and cancer research & education. About the job itself… They’re looking for someone to plan the event. They want multi-level planning skills, hands-on leadership, budget creation and maintenance, self-starter, someone who works well with people… Dear, sweet Lord! ME! ME! ME! Can they please pick me?! Nothing could be more perfect for me, and I doubt any candidate would be more perfect for the job than I am. Seriously, where are they going to find someone like me? Hmmm? NOWHERE. NEVER. Let me tell you why I’m awesome for this job:

• I was Volunteer Coordinator for the Bluenose Marathon (Nova Scotia). I received applications, sorted them (by availability, interests, and people individuals wanted to work/volunteer with), scheduled them, and stayed in constant communication up until the day of the event. I co-planned the pre-marathon volunteer mixer and the post-marathon volunteer party. I also made sure the volunteer lounge was well stocked with snacks, drinks, comfy chairs, etc.
• I planned and ran a summer day camp. I did all the business planning and presentations. I won a business plan competition which gave me a bit of start-up money. I then applied for a loan which I got after a few rounds of interviews. Then, I set up shop (school/daycare). It was great. Eight fun-filled weeks with 3 classrooms full of energetic, happy children between 5 and 12 years of age. I managed to get teachers and 3rd and 4th year students to staff it. I did this while attending university full-time, and working two part-time jobs on campus.
• I have a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics.
• I’ve done business plans for a several businesses.
• I am a Toastmaster, and I have won speech competitions at the club, area, and division levels. Public speaking is not a problem.
• I ran a company in Nassau while the principles were in another country for months. I was responsible for regular office management (phones, emails, faxes, etc.), presentations to new clients, maintaining relationships with existing clients, supervision of staff at various locations, etc. I did this a few months after I finish high school and continued until I moved for school two years later.

Basically, I have skills and experience up the WAZOO! It’s all very crazy and random (most of it I haven’t mentioned above), but RELEVANT. They could do nothing but benefit from having me on board. Oh, gosh. Are you convinced? I hope so. I sent my resume, letter of intent, and two reference letters yesterday. (I know my resume is killer, and my letter of intent is no less. Did I mention that I worked in the Career Development Centre in university? My job was to help students create/edit their resumes, write job-specific cover letters, and prepare for interviews.) Babe and I even called/asked around to see if anyone knows the co-founders of R4H. Around here, who you know is important. We found someone, and I submitted everything through him.*fingers crossed* Please, please, please, can I have this perfect job?! PLEASE?!

I’ve come to learn that my place, in the business world, could be anywhere, but where I really want to be is in the not-for-profit sector. It’s so much more meaningful. I spent a lot of my time, when I was in university, volunteering with different organizations.  A few times, volunteering turned into working. It was great.

What is great about R4H is the wide reach that it has. I was most pleased to find out that they are not only dedicated to donating for cancer research, but also for education. It’s important to educate people about the risks, and what can be done to reduce them. Prevention is always better (and cheaper!) than cure, and we need to keep that at the forefront of our minds. I’m thrilled about this and this.

I went to the website today, and they no longer have the call for applications on the front page. I hope that doesn’t mean they found the person they’re looking for already. (It looks like it was only posted on Aug. 31.) I hope it just means they have enough resumes to sift through. I hope. Please hope with me. Hopes, prayers, and positive energy all gladly accepted (and appreciated) here.

EDIT: Heart palpitations! I just got an email from them saying that the resume file was corrupted, asking me to resend. I resent it. Oh, boy. Now I know they’re still accepting and reviewing resumes. Aaagh!

I Feel Like Dancing!

I’m in one of those moods. I feel all happy and dance-y. I want to dance. Like in the movies. You know, where the girl is in her undies (and maybe a t-shirt), and she plays a song kinda loudly, and she’s clearly feeling it? She starts off kinda just bobbing to it, and then she breaks out into a full dance-off. Against herself. Yeah. Like that.

**Skip the first minute. Super long intro for the next one.*

What songs make you feel like having a private dance session? When you just want to hear a feel-good song and shake the whole day off, what song do you play?