So as y'all know I have pneumonia or whatever, but I can't recall if I mentioned that the pharmacy didn't have enough of my medication and said we could go back on Friday to get it. Well, dad went to pick it up only to be told that not only did the pharmacy not get in new stock, but that my meds are on backorder and they don't know when they will be getting more in. We asked if I could get the remainder in Toronto, but they said now as my prescription was initially done in my hometown and paid for in their store. 

Needless to say that really ticked dad off considering he planned to drive me back up to my apartment today. Mum is happy because she didn't think i should go back until i was better; dad thought i should because i have only one week to find a job before giving notice to my landlord i'm moving at the end of the year. So now I'm stuck here while waiting for more medicine, which I hope arrives in the next three days because that is when I will run out... 

I didn't get to ask dad what the new plan was until just now as he was in Oshawa for a meeting. He was in Toronto for a meeting or competition last week, plus Borden and Trenton not too long before that. He has a lot of meetings and competitions that aren't all that distant from my apartment but he never comes to visit me, as he claims he is too tired and the traffic is too crazy. 

So I asked dad if we were going to wait a couple days to see if my meds come in and then take me up after he finished work (he gets done around 2pm), but he said he would take me up next Saturday as that is when he has yet another competition. I asked if my meds came prior to that would he take me? He said not. That there was no point in making two trips when he can make one, even though I need to find a job AND my library books are due (remember that I expected to have returned this past thursday so i brought my books to my parents' house to read during my holiday). 

So you might wonder what the big deal is that makes me want to come here to rant a bit, but if you think about it you just might figure it out. If you can't, here's a hint: my dad said it was "pointless" to drive up to toronto unless he could combine my needing a ride and one of his competitions and/or meetings BUT he has made at least three such trips in the past two weeks. 

You get it now, right? My dad has basically said that giving me a ride to or from Toronto is pointless to him even if it means not seeing me for a couple months (because yes, he has refused to pick me up for holidays or long weekends on other occasions). Add to that the fact that my mum has been begging him to take her to the Genealogical Archives there, but he has yet to do so. Essentially, my dad has straight out said to my face that the wants, needs, and interests of his wife and daughter are pointless and of no consequence to him.

Thanks so much Dad for letting me know just how much you care...

SUMR

 

On (Canadian) Thanksgiving Monday I posted photos from the day prior when my mum's family celebrated the holiday, but what I didn't tell you is that on Monday I seemed to have caught a bit of a cough. I thought it was from my Nana who stopped by for a visit with a "tickle in her throat", and was far from pleased that I caught it

Over the week I got progressively worse -coughing like crazy, fever, wheezing, etc- to the point where I was unfit to travel. I was supposed to head back to Toronto on Thursday, but there was no way I could go as planned. Mum had thought I should stay a week longer anyways to get my flu shot the following wednesday, but I was sick and that is a reason to stay home as well. 

The problem is that mum hates when I cough and was getting very mad at me. She had to work and needed sleep, but I coughed all night and it kept her awake. For some reason she seemed to think I had control over when, how often, and at what volume I coughed. I was the one who was sick and unable to sleep, she could at least put in earplugs but didn't want to 

Finlly Mum said she would pay for any prescription if I would just see a doctor. I asked dad to make me an appointment with my doctor for two reasons (1) I lost my voice as per usual when i'm ill (2) He can convince the receptionist to give me an appointment. Sure enough they tried to schedule me for three weeks later, but he convinced them to let me in the following Monday. Mum thought I shouldn't wait the extra three days and go to the weekend clinic, but who wants to sit around with a bunch of sickies for an entire day? I figured I would tough it out and wait for my own appointment. 

Thankfully on Monday I didn't have a very long wait for someone who was being "squeaked in". I seriously think the receptionists keep one or two appointments open for "emergency"-like cases as they've fit me in before in a similar fashion. I handed the doctor a list of my symptoms seeing as I could hardly talk, he checked my breathing and my pulse, and was done. He didn't even bother looking at my throat or ears! 

The doctor was fairly certain I have mycoplasma which is either a step below or is Walking Pneumonia. For any of you long-time readers, you'll know that I had a wretched bout with pneumonia at Christmas 3-5 years ago and was off work for three months following.  This isn't quite as bad thankfully, but it is a wee bit miserable. Anyways, Mycoplasma has an incubation period of up to 25 days, so it is more likely that I caught it from someone while I was volunteering at the festival last month and unlikely I gave any illness to my mum though she is already complaining that i've given her a sore throat... except my throat isn't pained from anything other than my coughing, so make sense of that one I dare you!

Even though my family and close relations know I have pneumonia, they're acting pretty stupid about it considering I haven't been on medication for even a full three days yet. Twice now my grandmother (not the one with a cold) has come into my room to wake me which is greatly annoying given that I can't sleep all night as that is when I cough the worst. But she does so by throwing a book at my head -thankfully her eyesight is bad and she has yet to actually hit me in the head, but it is a near thing. While I appreciate her bringing her old books to me (she passes them on once she's read them), I hate that she comes into my room during the few hours I manage to rest

The other dumb thing is that my dad fully intended to invite a friend over this evening. Idiotic not just because that would be yet another person whom I could infect since I'm currently rather contagious, but also that mum had no notice. You do NOT invite people over without giving her at least two days warning so she can clean the house, ensure not to be making dinner at that time, and not throw an absolute fit when informed without prior knowledge. 

Right now the new plan is for me to go back to Toronto this weekend. Once again, mum thinks I shouldn't go yet as I haven't finished my medicine and wont for at least a week more BUT dad thinks I should go because it is my last week to find a job or give notice of vacating my apartment at the end of the year. I'm not sure how I'm to get a job when I'm so ill, but there you have it. The suckiness that is me. 

SUME

Happy Thanksgiving, luvies! 

Yesterday I endured a miserable three-hour drive squashed into the backseat of a car -not good for someone who gets motion sick- with my parents and grandparents who have little sympathy for my affliction. I brought a pillow, a blanket, a cap to cover my eyes, loaded up my phone with an audiobook, and medicated myself with graval (aka anti-nauseant). The only way I can survive being in a vehicle for more than twenty minutes is to sleep through it, so i was prepared. 

Every year we try to go to my aunt's house in booneyville because it is the only place that is big enough to have a huge family meal. We're talking two sets of grandparents, around eight sets of parents, approximately seven grandkids plus any friends or significant others they bring, and a few pets thrown in 

The first time everyone got together there was not long after my aunt, her hubby, and my cousin moved in to their 40ish acres of wood and swamp.  That year my cousin, my brother, and I (we were the eldest and allowed to leave parental supervision) got lost in the woods behind the house. My brother said he was going to try to find the way out and did... but neglected to tell anyone that my cousin and i were still lost out there. I think it was three or four hours from the time we left that we actually made it back to the house, but I can't recall if that was because someone came to found us or we managed to find a road to walk on. 

Yesterday it was myself, four cousins, and a girlfriend who went for our annual trek in the woods.  This time we chose to go into the forrest across the road rather than behind the house as it is supposed to have a teepee, a huge fire pit, and better marked trails... yeah, not so much. We managed to loose the trail not long after entering the woods and were off and on various trails ever since. We crossed a lot of muddy/swampy areas, huffed up ridges, slippery-slid down hills, climbed over fallen trees, etc 

At one point my two girl cousins and I managed to get separated from the two boy cousins and the girlfriend, because the boys liked to knock over dead trees and thus got left behind. Us femmes managed to find our way to a road, but one that was a fair distance from my aunt's house and so we had to attempt backtracking through the forrest not only to get back to the house but in attempt to located the other three. 

We did manage to see the boys and the gf, but they were across a huge field and near a highway that would put them out of the way. They figured if there was a house there had to be a road and thus could walk back to our aunt's that way. We hollered across the field at them and the owners of the house must of heard us because one guy came down the trail on a motorbike to lecture us on trespassing. We told him we were lost and where we were trying to get back to, so he gave us directions -one left and a right would get us back on the correct trail (if we managed to stay on it).

We found out later that the people who live there are known to grow things they shouldn't be and that is why he didn't want us on his property. According to my cousin's step-dad there have been many raids on that house trying to find what they are hiding. I guess that is why the guy talking to us started by saying there were things he didn't want us to "see", but tried to change it to having things out that they worry about someone trying to "steal". I suppose what he's growing they don't want to been seen or stolen 

During our hour-and-a-half long "adventure" i took photos with my cell phone. Ironically, they turned out better than many photos i take with my expensive camera that i bought for school. needless to say, i'm not overly impressed about that because what good is a camera that can't capture the blue of the sky? Anyways, here are some of my shots! 

The teepee at the beginning of our trek

 

Heading into the woods around 2:30pm

 

Sun shining through the trees

 

Tiny frog caught in the dog's fur

 

The skull we found after becoming lost

 

Trail on the other side of the field from the creepy guy's house

 

The swamp that separated us from where our moms were searching an hour later

 

More prettiness of the sun through the trees

 

Mushrooms growing in spongey moss

 

The icky green swamp we crossed that that dog thankfully not jump in

 

Interesting tree roots

 

Weird bendy tree that looks more interesting than in the picture

 

The boys in the tree stand

 

A random bench that looks out at overgrown weeds

 

Finding out way back to the road around 4-430pm

 

 

So that was my Thanksgiving Adventure!

 

  SUMR

 

 

 

I can hardly believe it is nearly the end of September! I had started a post on the 6th, thinking how odd it felt that school was starting for everyone but me, but never had the time to finish it *L0L* While others were buying shiny new back-to-school items, I was -well, to be totally honest I was sleeping in every day while trying to recover from a slight illness. 

I was "back home" visiting my parents yet again that week as I was going to the Scottish Irish Festival that coming Saturday. I have pictures and even videos of my time there that are already up on facebook, but I'll try to post here soon as well. it was wonderful fun even though half the people who said they would come didn't show *b00*

After the weekend it was back to my apartment, and before i could even recover (i tend not to do too well on journeys that last more than a half hour by car) I was to go to a birthday party. i wasn't going to pass it up because it would be totally rude and it was to be held at an irish pub i had been dying to try out but couldn't find anyone else who wanted to go

I have spent the past couple weeks cleaning my apartment after my long stay away -most of august and the week in sept at my parents- as well as editing, reading, writing, etc. Every few days I would work on a few resumes and cover letters to disperse in the area and research various companies trying to find if anyone needed a copyeditor or proofreader or anything similar. I have even been checking local business to see if a sales associate position was available somewhere nearby. 

Sunday was the Word on the Street Festival that I had volunteered for. I was there last year as well as you may recall, but stuck in the most boring venue ever called "money matters" which was talk of ways to make and save money. i didn't understand half of what they were talking about or why they would want such a tent at a book fair 

I somehow managed to leave on time -and you know how much I struggle getting up in the mornings!- but the bus was nearly twenty minutes late. then once i arrived at the subway station we were advised that the tracks were down and had to take a shuttle. i walked to the shuttle stop and had four buses pass by before I managed to get on one. i had to text the festival coordinator to say i'd be late since i was supposed to be there by the time i was on the shuttle.

i finally got to a subways station that was running and took it south to the park... only to find out that i was given incorrect directions! the subways stop with the same name as the park were over a block away from each other so i had to run back in the direction i came. it turns out that the stop i needed was one i passed while still on the shuttle! 

This year I had been given the position of stage manager and i had to miss most of the orientation due to being late and needing to get to my tent. thankfully i caught the info about the walkie-talkies as that was the only stuff i needed to brush up on. I was told that anything else hadn't changed from the year previously, and though I didn't remember much there wasn't much I needed last year anyways.

My tent which was called Wordshop (aka writing workshop) which is run by Humber College's writing program and hosted with a local radio station. I spent three hours listening to authors talk about their journey to becoming writers and how they got published. Two of the seven were boring and my shift ended during the most interesting speaker, but there was no way I was going to miss Kelley Armstrong who was giving a talk in another tent

Three friends were to meet me there but two were late and the other thankfully saved me a seat. Kelley read from her book The Gathering, which I had already read, and did a Q&A as well as a trivia with prizes. one of my friends won one of the prizes which was awesome and we both got books signed after. since Kelley is signed with doubleday aka Random House, i chatted a bit with the three people i knew who worked there that were helping with the event. 

my two other friends finally showed up having been lost and unable to find the tent due to bad directions from the information booth. we went exploring around two of the five quadrants that made up the park. then my one friend had to go as it was dinner time and she had plans with her finace, while myself and the other two continued checking out the rest of the festival. 

i stopped at my favourite booth -Harlequin- and had a nice chat with a lady there. she said she had seven positions in the company, as she kept getting promoted and got to try out different departments until she found a spot she wanted to stay. she gave a couple tips as well about the best way to get started and get known.   My other friends had moved on while I was chatting and looking at books and I left with six novels for ten dollars. 

While at the booth I was told that I had just missed the girl I met at the booth last year along with her new baby. I managed to track her down and meet a bunch of her relatives along with her husband and adorable baby girl. She mentioned that she thought there might be an opening at a bookstore near me because a coworker of hers (before mat leave) finally quit their job there. they found it difficult to work in two places, but only stayed because the bookstore desperately needed someone. 

we took a peak at the Random House booth checking to see if anyone I knew was there i knew but didn't. i later did bump into someone else i knew there and was told that most of them were actually from the states who came up to help with the event, and a couple from departments i didn't deal with. 

i made sure to go to a booth that was for a magazine two of my classmates started up. the one wasn't there, on break i think, but the other was along with another classmate who was helping out for the event. also were two other classmates who stopped by and we all had a nice chat. 

we stopped by a booth that had a couple of guys in it that started their own publishing company while in school (i think). one of my friends thought the one guy was cute and once i saw him i totally agreed! she ended up buying three of the books they sold but i had very little money left and didn't bother looking at what i couldn't afford. i did mention that if they were looking for an editor i would gladly do so, because who wouldn't want to work for such a cute guy!

we kept trying to get to the harpercollins booth but it was always packed at least three-deep and barely managed to get anywhere near the table until a half-hour after the festival ended and they gave a two-minute time limit. i managed to snag a couple books for just two bucks just as they were packing away the product *yAy*

We all took the subway home, which was thankfully working again, and I got off at my stop to take the bus back to my apartment. I got talking to two girls who were also at the WOTS festival which was fun. As soon as I got back to my apartment and sat down I realized how much pain I was in from being on my feet all day and couldn't sleep until after 2am even though I had been up for a good seventeen hours. I didn't wake up until after 1am, so I was obviously totally exhausted! 

Even though my knee -the one I dislocate every few years since my university cheerleading accident- I walked to the library because I had stuff due and reserved items waiting. I also stopped at a bookstore to give my resume, and it sounded like they may have at least a part time job open right now (good thing I didn't wait after getting the tip!). The lady asked if I had any bookstore experience and I mentioned working at the college bookstore back home, to which she said "You're a high school graduate then?" to which I replied "I'm actually a college graduate". She apologized but it's not like that was the first time that's happened. I just hope in this instance it won't prevent me from getting the job as has happened in the past. 

Now I have to stop procrastinating and get editing the manuscript I'm working on for an old friend from high school. I have five days in which to edit over fifty pages! *eeep*

SUMR

Hi m'dears

It's like 5am and I cannot sleep. Of course starting a movie just after 2am probably didn't help that any The  "Sex and the City" movie  is pretty good btw, I liked it and "Eat Pray Love" more than I expected to. Because I'm not tired, I decided to take pictures of my gorgeous new claddagh ring that was given to me for graduation by a friend of mine. 

Now most people have said it is weird that a guy bought me a ring even though we're just friends... including another friend who also bought me a ring a few years ago!

 

Though that was a gift from a gal pal, to me it isn't all that different. You have to keep in mind the superstitions that go with the claddagh ring which indicate that it isn't proper for a person to buy their own ring. The ring is meant to be passed from mother to daughter (but the first one has to come from somewhere! *L0L*) or as a gift from a lover or friend, so it works. 

There are a lot of different stories behind the origins of the claddagh ring, but one tradition remains the same no matter who the wearer. The way you wear a claddagh ring indicates your relationship status: A single girl like moi would wear the ring on her right hand with the tip of the heart facing out to indicate they are looking for love, whereas a person in a relationship would wear the heart facing in to show their heart is taken. Wearing the ring on your left hand, heart inwards, shows that you're engaged or married.  

No matter how hard I tried to take a picture of the ring on my right hand and with the heart facing out (aka. singleton) I couldn't manage, because I'm not left-handed and my camera isn't made for someone left-handed. The pictures were always badly angled, badly lit, and out of focus because I had very little control  Thus the result is a picture of my ring as a engaged/married person would wear it as it was the best shot of the lot. 

  

It is two toned, with the hands in a strawberry-coloured metal and the band in silver. The heart is a light pink gem -lighter than the photo indicates- and a "diamond" in the crown. Both stones are held in a prong or claw setting. Isn't it pretty?!

The funny thing about this ring is that it is sooo close to my "dream" wedding ring. I want a claddagh ring with a pink stone, but instead of a diamond in the crown, I want a diamond to be on either side of the heart in the space that the hands make. Because the crown wouldn't have a gem in it, it would likely be flatter/wider than this ring has. Instead of being a raised setting, I want the stones embedded into it so it doesn't get caught on things. I am undecided if I want a celtic knot design on outside of the band, but inside the ring it would be lovely to have engraved a celtic phrase like "my soul mate" or something sweet like that 

I have dreamed about what ring I've wanted for years even though I have never even been engaged. I've known about claddagh rings since I was 15 years-old, the age that some say Irish girls should receive their claddagh to indicate their being ready/allowed to date. I received a claddagh ring for my 16th birthday from my parents -though that by no means meant they were allowing me to date!

 

This was long before "Buffy", "Ladder 49", "Leap Year", and other cultural references ever made wearing a claddagh ring a modern trend.It annoys the heck out of me when people say that they want one because they saw it on this movie or that TV show or on that famous person's hand. There is tradition, superstition, and heritage behind the ring that they are totally ignoring! The claddagh actually means something and they wouldn't even know it because they can't be bothered to find out. Is it irrational of me to want to preserve the history of the ring?

One of my favourite sayings for this ring is "The hands are there for friendship, the heart is made for love, for loyalty throughout the year the crown is raised above". Another is "With these hands I give you my heart and I crown it with my love". The claddagh is a symbol of friendship, of loyalty, and of love but also of tradition and history. 

 

So what do you think? Is it odd that I was given a ring from a male friend? Did you know anything about claddaghs before now and if so what? Do you think it is okay for people to wear claddagh rings because of a trend without knowing the meaning behind it? Do you or would you wear a claddagh? 

SUMR

 

I was just told about this new way being used to kidnap people, so pass it on!

 

Sunday afternoon around 5 PM I headed into Target. It was still light outside and I parked fairly close to the entrance. As I got out of my car and began walking towards Target, an older lady shouted to me from the passenger seat of a car about 30 feet away from me.

"Ma'am you must help me, help me please, help me Ma'am!" I looked at her in the eyes and started to walk towards her when I remembered an email my Mom had sent me a week or two ago about rapists and abductions using elderly people to lure women in.

I paused, memorized the license plate and immediately headed into Target to get a manager to come help this lady, just in case something was up.  While the woman manager headed out there, I kept a close watch just because I was curious what was wrong with the lady and wanted to be sure nothing happened.

As the Target lady walked up towards the car and got very close to the old woman in order to help her, the back door of the car flies open and a large man with a stocking cap on, jumps out and sticks a gun to the lady's stomach as he shoves her into the back of the car.

I yelled out "call 911" several times and just as I was saying that, a policeman who happened to be on the other side of the parking lot and who, luckily had seen the entire thing happen, raced over to the car.

He was able to stop the car and arrest the male as well as the old lady, who was involved in the scheme.  By God's grace everyone was all right, including myself, although I think we were both shaken up.

Like many of you, I would not in a million years have left an elderly person who was yelling for help if it weren't for the e-mail I had read last week. So, I wanted to pass this along so you all can be aware and remember that you really can't trust anyone these days.

You just never know when something like this could happen. I would have never dreamed it to happen to me especially on a Sunday afternoon at a Target in a safe area!

It definitely was not a coincidence that my Mom sent that email just a few days before this all happened. Please, be careful and always be aware of your surroundings.

Just because you individually don't go over to help someone doesn't mean you have to leave them in trouble, but don't go ALONE, you really don't know what might be going on.

This is true and they also use children to lure the victim!

 

SUMR

Bonjour m'dears!

I know it has been forever since I have last updated, but when hardly anyone ever comments it is hard to be motivated to do so. So if you are reading this yet have nothing to say, I would be totally satisfied with an emoticon or some props  That way I know that there are still people reading me out there! 

My internship is finished, I was done as of the end of July. I thought I would have so much to say about it over three months, but I was just doing the same things every day and didn't think constantly writing that would be all that interesting. To sum it up for those who don't know:  I answered emails of people asking for author photos, cover photos, author or book information, or review copy requests. I did photocopying, filing, and filing. I spent a lot of time organizing the book room as production kept messing it up. I prepared press kits and sent out review copies.  

I did get to photograph a book launch, and two author escorts -Robert Rich of "Midwife of Venice" and Susie Moloney of "The Thirteen". By the way, one of Susie's books is becoming a movie and she is writing the script! I think she said her son was a playwright which I think is totally awesome. I went to a "pub-licity" get-together which is going to the pub with the publicity team, and also had a lunch with my boss, his counterpart at M&S and her intern who was a classmate. I was also allowed to have a good couple dozen free books!

As much as I liked what I was doing in publicity, that was only the intern's work. I did observe that the actual publicists spent a lot of time on the phone, which I don't think I would like as much. I may enjoy socializing, but I prefer to do that in person, so I have basically come to the conclusion that I would much prefer to be an editor. 

Speaking of editing I have agreed to help edit a friend's manuscript. I was hoping to have it done at the same time as my internship, but I managed to get a two week long flu so was utterly miserable and couldn't stand to look at the computer monitor. I did get a lot of reading done though *L0L* But, needless to say, that put me way behind on my "schedule" for editing. I did have some done, but I had been working on it during my free time at work and thought I emailed it to myself at home. 

I started over but so many things keep cropping up. First, I had to prepare my apartment for my leaving on "vacation" -also known as going to the parents- but when I arrived I spent most of the time sleeping due to pain medication for my back and severe headaches. I think I was still recovering from my flu and pushing myself too hard. 

My friend Buttercup gave me a graduation present which I totally love. He got me a claddagh ring since he knew my old one broke, but this one is two-toned metal with a pink stone heart and a "diamond" in the crown. Unfortunately, it is half a size too small for the finger I usually wear it on, constantly getting stuck on my knuckle, but i wear it anyways!

I went to see Shakespeare in the Park on Saturday as Driftwood Theatre was performing Macbeth. I have been going to see them nearly every year for fifteen years. I only skip when I am either performing that night myself or it is a play I had seen before and not particularly enjoyed. I have decided that after seeing Macbeth once, I don't really need to see that one again as I am not overly fond of the tragedies. 

I went to the dentist on Monday because when they did a cleaning the last time I was down they loosened a filling and it popped out a day or two later. I have had to deal with a hole in my tooth for a few weeks but thankfully it didn't hurt as much as that last time that happened. What is worse was the freezing they gave me as it felt like they put the needle right up into my cheekbone and it still feels bruised inside 

Wednesday I went to lunch with my nana. I always love going to swiss chalet but find these lunches somewhat awkward. My nana isn't one of those cuddly, cookie-making, good-listener type grandmothers, but one of those nitpicking, commandeering, unhappy grandmothers. I know she loves me, but she makes it feel like a duty rather than a pleasure. There is not one person in my whole extended family that I feel I can go talk to about everything, then again I don't really feel comfortable talking about everything to anyone -guess it was the way I was raised. 

During the lunch my nana told me that a relative of ours was in the hospital and she forgot to tell us for weeks. My dad found out at work the next day when someone brought in a newspaper announcing that my aunt had actually died the day prior to me being told about the hospitalization. Mom planned to visit her there and would have if anyone thought to inform us sooner about her illness. Her funeral was on friday and even my brother went -but i wonder if he only did because he heard that his boss was also going to be there. 

I had been planning to go back up to Toronto on Sunday, but my back has been giving me so many issues that I made a chiropractor appointment. Part of the issue might be the fact that my mattress is full of sprung springs and is sitting directly on the floor  The only time they could get me in was Tuesday so I am staying an extra week. Sadly I also discovered that my parents can only get through two weeks without a major blowup because I had to endure listening to one last night. Plus I got stuck with mom's constant regurgitations about it afterwards and again this morning.  

I watched a couple movies this weekend: Source Code and The Last Airbender. Not only am I now considering trying Tai Chi, but I was inspired to work on one of my own manuscripts. I ended up working on a story until four in the morning even after taking a sleeping pill! I took one because I was staying up later and later until I had actually been up all night prior. 

I am really stressing about the job front, I really want to find something related to my field. I wouldn't even mind so much if I was just working in a bookstore or library rather than a publishing company, but I can't even find a job at one of those yet. I wonder what God has planned for me on that score, as well as on the romance side of things. I am getting that "nesting" feeling again where I want a husband and kids -or at least the prospect of one- but Mr Right still hasn't come along yet. All of my friends either have families or a job they love, but I don't have either. It kind of makes me feel like I haven't accomplished anything, that I'm failing at living my life.

I know I have graduated from three post-secondary programs, but that hasn't exactly gotten me anywhere but back in my parents house. I'm worried as I wont be able to afford my apartment in Toronto much long and would have to move back in. I just don't know if it is worth putting up with a job I hate to keep from coming back home, but I don't know if I can handle living with my parents again. I like my freedom, but at least I could save money faster so that I'd have some backup funds before trying again. Its just something I have on my mind... 

SUMR

Hey Luvies, 

On thursday I graduated from my book and magazine publishing program and now I have a graduate certificate with high honours *w00t!* Here are some pictures of the day... 

"Congratulations Class of 2011"

 

All begowned

 

Me and the parentals

 

Section Two with our head professor

 

Section Two girls

 

Graduating with High Honours

 

The Graduate

 

My Cert

 

SUMR

Work was, well, interesting. 

Today was one of those slow days that no one seems to be emailing any requests for books or pictures and –with the postal strike in the works- we’re not doing much by way of mailings either. Essentially, this means I was doing the filing, the filing, and even more filing. Little did I know this morning when I posted on facebook how bored I was...

Due to a cancelation or something in her schedule, Susie Moloney ended up with some spare time to kill and so I was asked to take heto a couple book stores in order to sign their stock of her latest novel. The Thirteen is her fourth novel and is just being released today; she says it is part of a new genre called “B!t$h Lit”.

This is the first time I would be taking an author about town by myself and, needless to say, I was a bit nervous. My dad gave me a compas for Christmas because I kept getting lost! I now keep it in my purse at all times. Thankfully, cab drivers have GPS so all I have to do was agree with whichever way they want to drive. How was I supposed to know which way might be better?!

Anyways Susie Moloney and I bonded over shoes and being the same height (aka very short) so there was never a quiet moment between us. We went to one bookstore where Susie charmed the sales rep into giving her primo shelving at the front of the store with covers facing out (though I have to wonder if they put things back as they were after she left?).  As we were walking from World's Biggest Bookstore to the Eaton Centre just down the street, Susie and I got talking about our “bucket list” and how much fun it would be to join a flash mob. Seconds later Susie noticed a sign:

IIFA Flash Mob

Needless to say, we had to stop to watch for a moment and found out that it was for the Bollywood Awards that are taking place here in Toronto. Within moments Susie jumped right in and joined the flash mob! Well, technically it was the rehearsal for the filming that would be taking place later, but it was more flashmob-esque in that they only had "leaders" who already knew the dance rather than a large group of people. They were hoping that a lot of randoms would show up I'm thinking. 

Susie wanted to stay for the filming so we went to the Chapters in the mall to do that signing, and then back to the flash mob location. We did a couple more rehearsals and took pictures on her camera, but time was running out and filming still hadn't started. I offered to call a cab, but being a New Yorker Susie hailed one like a pro. She signed a blank cab payment stub for me and she asked for my email to send me the pictures we took. 

When I got back to the office I apologized for taking so long, but we passed a flash mob and Susie wanted to join. Bossman started laughing and told me to tell the publicist who also started laughing and asked me to write a post for the company's blog. I sent that off to the appropriate person and I just hope that Susie does send those photos!

SUMR

Today started out pretty good. The transpo was perfectly timed, i had just enough emails to keep me occupied for an hour until my boss showed up, coworkers would chat with me in the hall. A coworker even came into my cubicle to tell me what a great job i was doing and that i was freaking them out with how efficient i am! Sounds like a good start, eh?

In the afternoon I  had to work on a mailing of over 300 books. Yes, a mailing of a gazillion books on the same day that it is suspected that the postal service will go on strike. Thankfully bossman and underling were also assisting with the mailings, but even if they weren't i would have been okay with that. i can always listen to my music, and, besides, i like mailings much better than i like dealing with emails. 

but then came the afternoon... i don't think i told you this, but i applied for an online marketing assistant job with RHC. they posting went up about it a couple weeks ago and i was asked for an interview last week. i thought it went really well and expected to be called back for the second interview. then after i got back from lunch, the woman who interviewed me for the position took me into her office to say they hired someone else, internally, who was already doing similar work. 

I had done similar work -most of it was office admin and playing on social networks or blogging- i had just never held a marketing position. she told me that she liked my personality and that if another job comes up I should definitely apply. i heard what sounded like an interview happening yesterday afternoon, but i wasn't sure what that was about. i didn't realize that it was the second interview for the job i applied to. 

after work the publicity team from RHC, M&S, and I don't know where else were meeting at a cafe/pub a couple blocks away from the office and i was invited. most of the older ones sat at one end of the table while the under 35 crew were at the other. there was some seat swapping, but not much. i did get to socialize a little more with those who merely send me emails asking me to do this or that mailing.

I found out that underling, another intern, and someone else also applied for the job. i am so glad i didn't know that when i applied or i would have felt a bit awkward while waiting to find out who got it. anyways, we were all at the cafe for a couple hours but i was getting cold and hungry (apparently the others only wanted to drink, not eat) so i left when a couple other girls did. 

but yeah, that's my day. 

SUMR